MULCH LAYERS FOR COMPACTS

[DFB]

How many of you small tractor owners specifically those with inside rear wheel widths of less than 30" would desire a small plastic mulch layer designed for machines of 25hp and less.


For those not knowing much about one it is a rear mounted 3 pt hitch attachment configured to mechanically bed down in one continuous operation a strip of "MULCH" film into the soil

Most often used is black plastic which works 3 fold...to warm the ground, suppress weeds. and retain moisture. and there other colors designed to enhance the growing of certain of types plants such as tomatoes or squash examples are green yellow or red or cool the soil like a white color or even repel insects like with something like a reflective silver color.

So either seed or established plant from a cell pack or peat pot can be planted thru plastic by hand or again using something mechanical to assist.

Since these smaller tractors have very narrow spacing between the wheels and machine layers are meant to work best in a loose usually finely rototilled and gently settled soil with limited compaction, a 2 ft wide unit would be most desirable. It would allow for a flat area of a mulch film approx. 16"-18" wide after bedding the edges and is generally just right for a single row of plants properly spaced. Obviously tomatoes peppers eggplant are popular but many other types of plants can benefit too cabbage and crucifers, cukes, squashes, pumpkins, strawberries etc.


So I am taking an interest poll here

I have had a 2 ft unit for around 15 years and always enjoyed using with much success both with residential and also with commercial growing/farming endeavors. Rolls of film were generally around $60 UPS delivered and had 2000-2400 ft on them. depending how active a farmer you may be one roll could last a while though during my biggest commercial season I used like 10 rolls

But much to my surprise support for such tools has waned enough over the 15 years that manufacturing has generally stopped and accessibly of correctly sized mulches has diminished considerably.

And this does bewilder me because of increased popularity in compact and even more popular the SUBCOMPACT series of tractors. And I personally feel that a lack of advertising in the proper markets has escalated this decline.

So let me know who would/could be interested in such a tractor tool. Maybe you have seen the old threads on my Holland unit or a larger units some other people have purchased.

I have been pressuring certain suppliers to continue with these smaller ones IF I can show enough support. I remember I paid like $525 or so for my original and would think a current general price range should still be well under $1000. Large more commercial layers go for $2k or more and are NOT designed to work with small tractors and inside wheel widths less than 36 inches.


Same goes with the available films since minimum factory runs are like 100 rolls no one wants to currently stock them.

In the background of the attached photo is my old 2 ft unit and now in the foreground is a new 3 ft unit that recently came truck shipment and was supplied by Earth Tools. Nicely built too, with great welding.

I just put it together this afternoon in the garage and will use for commercial work at the farm that employs me and because of the width I will now use the JD4320 from my orchard job instead of my personal JD4100 like I have always done before.

 

[Steave]

While I'm not in the market for such an animal was just curious if you can still buy the wider rolls at a reasonable price and cut it down to fit the smaller units. If in fact it comes to the point of nobody producing the correct size needed then the smaller units would be obsolete is this what you're saying.

I see this mulch used around my area for smaller fields of strawberries but have never observed them laying it. I have seen large operations in Homestead, FL laying it for tomatoes mostly but larger equipment is used.

 

[jeff9366]

Buckeye Tractor, Ohio, makes mulch layers for compact tractors.

I have never been in the market for one, so uncertain of the details.

 

[DFB]

Lots of places make big machines Mechanical Transplanter, Holland, Berry Hill, Buckeye and most start at well over $1000 and quickly go up from there.

I know most all of the common dealers of this type equipment plus numerous sources for plastic films I been doing this for years. We had 6 ft machine back on the old farm but we only ran 4 ft material

Cutting down rolls isn't as easy as it sounds most power tool blades will create heat and will melt the plastic together.

Hand saws bind up wicked

I was talking with Buckeye a whiie back they make great machinery and we also used to have the mulch lifter they build to retrieve old used plastic from the field, Buckeye doesn't sell the plastic but one of the people there I talked to a while ago said they had success in the past cutting rolls using a larger horizontal band saw as they have some different sized machines that don't take the most common sizing either

The little 2400 ft rolls are 9 inches in diameter couldn't imagine how big a 4000ft roll is

Slitting machines is how its factory done.

There some places that do custom slitting and rerolling. I locate some off the web and one is fairly close by me but one other place advertises they specializes in small jobs. We did that kind of work in my old factory paper and metalized film slitting. I remember we did some custom work for others back then.

I guess I am going to have to inquire about costs see what sizing I could get would be the easiest to do

I did one make cut with a chainsaw on roll that was already fused from heat from a recip saw but a real messy way of doing it for sure

What I am after here is polling for interest from people with SMALL tractors. I had a lot PM's over the years on my Holland mulch layer from people on this board, If there was enough interest maybe I can get Earth Tools to go back to supplying the equipment. They did a nice job building the 3 ft model I bought in May and was delivered last week. They sold that 2 ft size right up to to last season. Far as I know most people don't even know that place sold them.

Wouldn't be difficult to make that size frame again either the way I see it.