Most useful implements?

[Bill Guenthner]

The implement I’ve gotten the most value out of is my 3-point chipper. No more weed choked brush piles and no more burning. Worth every cent and then some.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

Just pick up some gravel or crushed rock. Dump some around the post and wiggle it a bit. The rock/gravel is self tightening. The more you wiggle the post the tighter it gets. I learned this from the power companies in our area. They only set power posts with crushed rock.

Yep. The wiggle method works great with sackcrete as well. Just pour it in (dry), wiggle the post until it tightens up, check level then pile dirt around the post and tamp it down.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

Large square bales are more popular in the PNW because of the export market. They take a 1000 lb. square bale, mash it to 1/3 the original volume with a high pressure press, then pack the results into shipping containers. There is a big export market for wheat straw and grass straw, not crops you grow a lot of in Missouri. I think there may be some shipped down the Big Muddy to the Middle East, but shipments to East Asia head right across the Pacific.

Yeah, California is outlawing round bales…
because the cows can’t get a square meal

 

[Xfaxman]

Yeah, California is outlawing round bales…
because the cows can’t get a square meal

 

[Xfaxman]

Two thumbs way up for the boom pole in conjunction with the drag. Now I can use it in forward and reverse, and at the end of a run if I lift it it would sweep back and up and feather any material piled under it nicely. View attachment 738508View attachment 738509

I did a drag job with a "pusher" out front:

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I did a drag job with a "pusher" out front:

View attachment 738522View attachment 738523View attachment 738524

I've seen you post this before, which got me wondering how well a cattle gate attached to the bottom of my forks would behave as a "land plane" for loose material.

 

[Xfaxman]

Try it. Might even work in float and add weight if needed.

With the independent suspension on the Toolcat I was able to put some down pressure on the gate.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

Only thing is,I'd have to purchase one to try it. If it's a flop it's an expensive experiment. If it works well it's pretty cheap for what it will do!

 

[mwemaxxowner]

Might give this a whirl. Should be easy to transport on my trailer with my tractor and other implements when I go somewhere. I've taken the 8x8 drag a few times and it's cumbersome to transport to say the least.

 

[RoyJackson]

My flail mower in the Spring, summer and fall...Snow blower in the snow season.
Although I haven't had to use them yet, I expect my pallet forks will be very handy as well.

Although only used a few times a year, the Woodmaxx wood chipper is invaluable after trimming some trees and low hanging branches

 

[mwemaxxowner]

Try it. Might even work in float and add weight if needed.

With the independent suspension on the Toolcat I was able to put some down pressure on the gate.

Well, I ordered that 6' gate, I'll pick it up today or tomorrow, and try it out on a sandy "lawn" Friday.

The idea popped into my head after seeing these for a mini skid.

I thought "Hey, that might work well on my BX."

Then I saw you using your gate and thought that might work just as well for a fraction of the price, and with far less fabrication to make it work.

We'll see this weekend! I figure I'll put my pallet forks on and chain or strap it to them for now. If it works great I may try to come up with a way to slip the fork tines through a hoop and clamp it on or something.

I live in the sandy foothills of SC so simple drags can work really well. This sandy ground helps me get a lot more done with my BX in general than if I lived elsewhere. Or at least get it done with less effort and time.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I forgot to update. I did try this and it did work very well. I sort of temporarily set it up with straps. I found out that it works, but I'll need a heavier duty gate for sure if I plan to use one like this often. I was going to modify it with some hoops to slip my fork tines through, or some square U bolts or something similar, but this particular gate just isn't going to cut the mustard.

I have a grading job to do this weekend, so now I'm going to try this.

It's similar to my 8x8 drag, but that one is cumbersome to pack on the trailer.

This new one is a little shy of 6x6 and will fit on the trailer easier. It's crude, but I'm expecting to start using it and see that I need to make some changes. I may still find that I want to drag it behind me.

 

[Xfaxman]

Thanks for the update.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I forgot to update. I did try this and it did work very well. I sort of temporarily set it up with straps. I found out that it works, but I'll need a heavier duty gate for sure if I plan to use one like this often. I was going to modify it with some hoops to slip my fork tines through, or some square U bolts or something similar, but this particular gate just isn't going to cut the mustard.

View attachment 746470

I have a grading job to do this weekend, so now I'm going to try this.

View attachment 746471

It's similar to my 8x8 drag, but that one is cumbersome to pack on the trailer. View attachment 746472

This new one is a little shy of 6x6 and will fit on the trailer easier. It's crude, but I'm expecting to start using it and see that I need to make some changes. I may still find that I want to drag it behind me.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. An uncle farmed with a drag that I think he used to flatten the ground. I think his was actually a wide stone boat that he had repurposed for land leveling. I was just a little kid, and never learned much about it.

 

[sallyb]

For me and my needs it is thumb on bucket, disk harrow,middle buster,3point tiller,blade,landscape rake,rise bed attachment and shredder

 

[nybirdman]

Most used would be one of our bush-hogs(1k+ hours on our old Bush-Hog branded and about half that on the LandPride).Handiest is the Greed Machine's Thumb on the bucket.
I have lots of attachments but most see limited(seasonal) use.

 

[2manyrocks]

I forgot to update. I did try this and it did work very well. I sort of temporarily set it up with straps. I found out that it works, but I'll need a heavier duty gate for sure if I plan to use one like this often. I was going to modify it with some hoops to slip my fork tines through, or some square U bolts or something similar, but this particular gate just isn't going to cut the mustard.

View attachment 746470

I have a grading job to do this weekend, so now I'm going to try this.

View attachment 746471

It's similar to my 8x8 drag, but that one is cumbersome to pack on the trailer. View attachment 746472

This new one is a little shy of 6x6 and will fit on the trailer easier. It's crude, but I'm expecting to start using it and see that I need to make some changes. I may still find that I want to drag it behind me.

I tend to think a rear mount drag is going to work better than a front mount because a rear chain drag leaves the drag totally free to follow the ground contours. Something on the FEL would be more subject to up/downs of the tractor and if it's lightweight, it would have a harder time actually moving the dirt. The weight wouldn't be as much of an advantage if mounted on the FEL because the FEL would be carrying that weight as opposed to it resting on the ground if dragged behind the tractor.

But if you are essentially trying to move dirt around in a controlled manner like with a front mount box blade, that could be different than just trying to smooth the dirt out over a large area.

Chain link fence might be something to consider if dragging behind the tractor because you could roll it up for transport.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I guess think more like land plane than chain drag. At any rate, when I tested this with the cattle gate the way @Xfaxman did it worked really well for me. I can put the loader in float and drag with it. I can push or pull if I need to, and I can manipulate what it does with the tilt function, which proved useful. I can also put down pressure on it but only as needed. Being able to reach forward and set it down into places I can't drag into is useful.

I was able to accomplish the same end result I do when I use my pull behind drag. There are pros and cons both ways, and you definitely can't beat the sort of passive smoothing and leveling I get over an 8' span with my drag.

I'll be doing some more testing with this method on some ground that's perfect for it soon to be able to have a better comparison. I've pulled my drag a lot and done a lot with it. Using it with the boom pole helps get around a lot of the shortcomings, but that's just MORE to pack for the road.

Boom pole and drag is king at home.

 

[5030]

I tend to think a rear mount drag is going to work better than a front mount because a rear chain drag leaves the drag totally free to follow the ground contours. Something on the FEL would be more subject to up/downs of the tractor and if it's lightweight, it would have a harder time actually moving the dirt. The weight wouldn't be as much of an advantage if mounted on the FEL because the FEL would be carrying that weight as opposed to it resting on the ground if dragged behind the tractor.

But if you are essentially trying to move dirt around in a controlled manner like with a front mount box blade, that could be different than just trying to smooth the dirt out over a large area.

Chain link fence might be something to consider if dragging behind the tractor because you could roll it up for transport.

I've used a Fuerst Tine Harrow (drag mat) for years. I use it on my hay fields to set seed, on the driveway to level it and on the lane to remove the high spots. Behind a tractor or behind the quad or behind the side by side, whatever I have handy. I used it attached to my broadcast pto spreader when fertilizing too and it's adjustable for penetration by flipping it over or pulling it from the opposite end. One of the best investments I've ever made and you cannot wear it out either plus it hangs in the shed when not in use.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I haven't used one with the tines on it. I'd like to try that too. I've wondered if it can be useful for "raking" debris out of the dirt. Stuff you find on sites like these.