Middle buster - what do I want / where to get it

[beowulf]

I have a Kubota 3410. I live in foothills. I have an occasional need to drain standing water, run shallow trenches, and I have an infrequent need to trench to lay sched 40 PVC to other areas for bibs ( I keep planting trees farther and farther from the house area, thus need to get water there). I cannot easily accomplsh this with box blade (even with TnT) or with FEL. I think I want a middle buster (though around here the dealers do not reccginze that term, or uderstand my description). Moderate duty, and as stated will not use often. What might I want and where can I order it at best price, and what might the cost be? Brands? Thanks.

 

[beowulf]

I just saw npaden's post on middle busters and subsoilers in this same topic, and will track that as well to see if my questions can be answered there. Some of the info there already helpful. It you have an option for blades, what blade would I want for trenching ?

 

[npaden]

There are all kinds of different points that you can put on them. Anything from 2" to 14" wide and about anywhere in between in about 2" increments. Flat ones, pointed ones, V shaped ones, big plow type ones. Most are reversible as well if you wear one point down then just flip it around.

 

[RalphVa]

I just rolled poly pipe along the ground and converted to either PVC or hose connections at trees/garden. I'd think in central CA that you have similar not-too-serious frost/freeze problems as we have here in central VA. If you've an topography at all, you can design with valves, etc. to drain to a low area.

For infrequent trenching, renting a ditch witch would probably work. However, those low prices on a subsoiler looked pretty good, IF your tractor will pull it down to the depth you need.

Ralph

 

[GaryM]

I bought one of these KingKutter Middle Buster last year so I could trench for some plasic drain pipe. It works a lot faster than a shovel. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif You still need to remove some loosened dirt from the trench.

How deep it will go depends to some extent on how low your draft arms will go. On my JD4100 it only goes about 6-7 inches deep.

A Sub Soiler will go deeper, assuming you can pull it through the ground. But it might not make as wide a trench as you'd like.

 

[crazymike]

You may want to try telling the local dealers you are looking for a Potato Plow, firebreak or even 3pt hitch ripper.

 

[smokedtires]

I just picked up a King Kutter middle buster from the local TSC. I've used it a couple of times now with great results. For the $ it certainly worth a try /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[beowulf]

Update: No TSC anywhere near me, went on to the K-kutter web site to find dealers but again there was no one near me and the closest k-kutter dealer was 100 miles away and they did not have the implement anyway. While Northern Tool had a m -buster s-soiler combo for $219, they wanted $179 more to ship it!!! So I ordered a Gearmore GR100 combo unit. It is fairly heavy duty - 85 pounds - has shear bolt protection and height adjustable. It was $285 including shipping. Tried it out today and very happy with it.

 

[RonMar]

They are also sometimes called a "Single Shank Ripper". I just bought one made by Rankin Equipment CO. in Yakima WA. http://www.rankineqco.com/ On their website look under the "Farm" product catagory for "Rippers" I got the ER25 model(up to 25HP) with the optional 12" furrower blade. The main shank is 1"X 4" steel with a bolt on 2" wide weld hardened ripper tooth(or you can bolt on the furrower blade). I liked this model as the shank is bolted into a slot on the back of the 3PH portion of the ripper with a large main bolt and a 1/2" grade 2 shear bolt. There are 2 height settings on this bracket and you can change the main shank height/length up or down by about 6". The structure is very well built.

I have a 28HP gear tractor and I got the ripper mostly for laying irrigation line. I put in 150' of my 400' 2" PVC main line last Saturday(replacing old 1 1/4" poly line). One shallow pass and one deep pass with just the ripper tooth and then a pass with the furrower blade yielded a pretty nice ditch 12-14" deep, a bunch of rocks and quite a few cut roots. It did leave a bit of loose dirt in the ditch but this was easilly removed with shovel and rake befor the pipe went in. Far easier than having to dig it by hand(I would still be digging if doing it that way As a side benefit, it is pretty good at ripping out stumps.

 

[Highbeam]

What was the cost Ron? I have a Rankin Mower and Yakima is just over the hill. Your description sounds great though I would shoot for the next tougher model. With shear bolt protection, why is there a HP limit?