Leveling ground - Rock hound or box blade?

[linearxs]

I want to level about 2 acres of ground and throw some grass seed on it to prevent erosion. It doesn't have to look good it just needs to be level enough for me to mow it without breaking my back on the bumps. The ground is currently mostly level but has crop rows in it that are probably no higher than 2-3 inches. I currently don't own a compact (or subcompact) tractor. I only have a regular riding lawn mower. My plan is to buy a BX2660 in the near future (end of 2010 or at the latest end of 2011). It depends how long I can hold out. I want to pay cash for it. In any event I'm going to rent something to level out this area. What do you think would be best, a bobcat with rockhound or tractor with a box blade.

To head off some questions. The area needs to be mowed because we use it as a 4-wheeler riding area. I don't want my daughter to get lost in the weeds or get ticks. I forgot to add that I won't be doing this until the spring, just getting a head start on planning .

 

[kennyd]

Bobcat/Rockhound has my vote. Truly does an amazing job of leveling and seed bed prep.

After Rockhounding, seed with a broadcast spreader then cover the seed with a simple drag you can make and tow with your rider.

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't know what a rockhound is, but I'm pretty familiar with a box blade. I will tell you that a box blade is an ok tool for a variety of tasks, but not very good at any of them. It would be my last resort for doing a job of that size.

Are those your only two choices in what you have to choose from?

Before trying to do this yourself, I'd call in three or four dozer guys and ask them for a bid on doing it for you. A decent operator should be able to knock out two acres in a day with excellent results.

With a boxblade, this will take a week, and probably be just as bad as when you started. It's very dificult to keep the ground flat with a box blade. What ususally happens is you create waves. The tractor goes over a bump, the boxblade goes up in the air, the tractor goes into a low spot, the boxblade digs into the ground even deeper.

If a dozer is too expensive, and you are still considering other options then the bobcat, you might try to find a local farmer with a disk. If you disk up the field really good, and break up the top layer, then it would be easy to drag it smooth. I have a drag that I made for doing this, but before that, I used an oak log with good results. If it hadn't rotted out on me, I'd still be using it. I just looped a chain around either end of the log and hooked it to the ball on my hitch. All you need is a truck to pull it with. The heavier, the log, the better it works, but of course, there is a limit to what you can pull, so there will be some trial and error. The best thing about doing it this way is how cheap it is to build, with no time limit on how long you want to take to get it as good as you want it.

I own a dozer, and I use my drag all the time to smooth out areas. It's not a blade, but it does do a very good job within it's limits.

Hope this helps,
Eddie

 

[deepNdirt]

I don't know what a rockhound is, but I'm pretty familiar with a box blade. I will tell you that a box blade is an ok tool for a variety of tasks, but not very good at any of them. It would be my last resort for doing a job of that size.

Are those your only two choices in what you have to choose from?

Hope this helps,
Eddie

If you have dicided it has come down to either one of these tools to perform the task of leveling then you must already have done the rough grade and have the ground close to as flat as you need it, really the rockhound is used to fluff & aerate the soil along with removing ( rocks )roots,sticks, etc, and does well with finishing up the rough grades to the point of being flat enough to put down sod, although you won't move much earth with the rockhound.... the box blade will be more suitable for moving the dirt, but if I might add another tool to your choises? I am assuming you are using a tractor with 3 pnt connection, try a ground/soil pulverizer, this tool will actually do both drag out the rocks, flatten the ground and fluff the soil so that you can seed or lay sod, the teeth on this tool will scratch/dig down 2-3 inches to break up any left behind mounds and allow the spiked wheel to roll along over and flatten and fluf the soil, I use a pulverzer for the final soil prep just before putting down the grass seed, and will leave it as though you had hand raked it, I dont own a rockhound but do know many Landscapers that do use them and they can take out a lot of manwork and cut the time way down, how ever I do own a pulverzer and with just a little more time & effort I can have the soil just as smooth as the rockhound will leave it,

 

[MotorSeven]

Your only knocking down 2-3 inches of old crop row? Sorry Eddie, but a dozer sounds like overkill, but indeed it would only take a couple of hours at most. The haul bill would be higher than the actual job.

Since I have a box I would have no problem tackling a 2 ac fied in a few hrs. They key would be to run all in one direction & do the entire field, then do the same at 90 degrees to the first run. Do this a few times & it will be as level as it's going to get. If you have a bucket you can finish with a nice back drag.

RD

 

[peterssj4034]

I have used both in extensive plantings at my house. I built on reclaimed strip ground, so moving earth, removing rocks, and adding/smoothing soil were all jobs I encountered in doing the work. As posted above, the box blade works best for leveling and moving dirt, and the rockhound is best for removing the rocks along with prepping the soil. The pulverizer works extremely well, but I had way too many rocks to remove to use it effectively.

The rockhound I used (I think there are several types) was a rental attached to a bobcat (see picture), and removed rocks and prepped the soil.
I was able to rockhound the entire area you see pictured twice (some areas three times) in eight engine hours (my rental agreement). It is a fast and efficient tool.

So, I guess my longwinded advice is use both.

 

[forgeblast]

I would go with the rockhound too. we used it before seeding a yard we rough graded with a skidsteer and bucket(used the bucket like a blade) and then went over it with the rockhound. it really picked up a lot which ment i didnt have to rake and haul the rocks out of there. Then we just spread our grass seed and covered it with hay. We had one of those hay guns that you feed the hay in and it shoots it all over the yard. It was a blast.

 

[Deano]

I had really good luck from a local guy with a set of discs and a harrow drag behind it. I had just over an acre to do and it took the guy an hour to have it ready to seed.

Deano

 

[studor]

+1 on the use both or think about a landscape rake for finishing and rock removal --- the box blade sort of collects rocks but then it requires a fair amount of effort to pick them up and it is far from the ideal tool -- if you are confident there are not many rocks and very frugal (cheap)then I might just try the box blade and a drag harrow -- JMHO

 

[linearxs]

All good suggestions. I appreciate them. What would happen if I drag a chain harrow like this around a couple of dozen times. Do you think it would level the land an inch or two?

I'm somewhat torn between renting a piece of equipment and buying this. I could use this later to groom the atv track. What do you think? I found this harrow here

I forgot to add, rocks are not much of an issue. When I tilled a large area last spring there were virtually no rocks. Perhaps the farmer that owned the land before me removed them, that or they're just big rocks. I've found several large rocks. The soil is a sandy loam (Canfield loam?). It's easily broken up in the spring.