Something to tear up sod

[musselmark]

I built a dirt bike track for kids in an old hay field. Kids want me to make something like a tiller but to only tear up about an inch or 2 deep. I was thinking of making something about 5 feet wide like a 4" pipe with dozens of 2" pieces of flat bar welded onto it. I have an old 8hp engine and was going to chain drive this thing similar to how a tiller operates. Would tow it around with ATV. Any suggestions to improve it effectiveness. Ballpark RPM I should should for, rotation direction in relation to travel direction. I was going to mount wheels on either side so the depth of cut is only an inch or so. I would cut grass short as possible first. Any other ideas. I told kids just to ride track more to tear it up.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would just use a box blade scarifiers set to depth wanted. Tilt it forward by shortening the top link so the blade isn't touching. Or you could use this (Photo below)

 

[RalphVa]

Check on one of the supply companies. (Name is escaping me.) Just google "keulavator". One of them has it. It's a rig that sits on the 3ph that you can attach cultivator tines to. Just buy some cultivator tine shanks and all from the same outfit, about 7 or so and mount them on the rig.

Ralph

 

[oosik]

The virgin land on my property has a top sod layer that's tough, really tough. It will make an 8hp Troy Built Horse buck like a wild stallion. This home made "thing" is used to break clods & smooth out cultivated land. You could easily make something like this. Wood or angle iron - heavier tines - cement blocks for added weight. Tow it around the track. A whole lot simpler that some mechanical device. View attachment 645943

 

[Sawyer Rob]

IF, you really want to tear up some sod, just buy a skid steer and put steel tracks on it!!

You shouldn't have to drive it around too much, to get the job done! ha ha ha

SR

 

[Egon]

Ordinary disc angled and weighted to get your desired effect.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would just use a box blade scarifiers set to depth wanted. Tilt it forward by shortening the top link so the blade isn't touching. Or you could use this (Photo below)View attachment 645936

My suggestion is assuming the OP had nothing that would do the job. The subsoiler attachment shown cost me $350 new but that was 5 years ago, it may be a bit higher now but definitely cheaper than any other item listed. It will do the job regardless of how tough the soil is.

 

[TractorGuy]

I just made myself a go kart track. I went around it with a mower to cut the vegetation as low as I could get it. Then I made several passes with the disc harrows. Followed up with the landscape rake. Some areas I had to pull some piles of grass to the side.

 

[oldnslo]

Make enough laps with the dirt bikes and the grass will gone especially if these are motorcycles.

 

[Woodpeckerlips]

I was gonna try a tiller behind my tractor to make a driveway I don't know how that's going to work but I know my tractor won't dig it with the loader but might soften it so I can scoop it out I guess I am gonna try it before I rent a skid steer.

 

[metalbender]

I made a dirt bike track in an old pasture. Tough job for sure, very rough to start with. Bush hog, disc, spike diamond harrows and land plane. Quite a few hrs in the seat. Turned out pretty good, son took his Ford Raptor on it. Doesn't shake the eyeballs to do a couple of laps now. In the meantime I also got a three point cultivator, need to try that on another area. The three point disc seemed ro give the best results to start with. Getting out with dirt bikes sure did a job on the remaining grass.

 

[CoyPatton]

I would suggest a disc, you can get adjustable height units designed to be pulled by ATV’s or a chisel plow similar to what was shown in the picture on the blue tractor. Not sure if these are available for an ATV without modifying.

 

[bindian]

Buy a drag harrow for your ATV. Tractor Supply has then in 4 foot widths. I think they are 4 foot long. You can make it aggressive or flip it over for less aggression.

I have a 10 foot wide one and love it. It has two sets of harrows making it 8 or 9 feet long. Great for turning under grass seed an inch or two down. Here is my thread on it... https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/277658-amazing-find-drag-harrow.html
hugs, Brandi

 

[musselmark]

I found a you tube video for something I was originally thinking of building, shorter tines would be fine for what I want. I have a few side shaft engines kicking around. At the end of the day this would be cheaper than buying a small disc harrow.

Stephen's homemade tiller - YouTube

 

[musselmark]

Original poster here. I couldn't let it rest and finally got around to building this contraption. I had pretty much everything kicking around the shop except for some pillow block bearings and sprockets. Engine is 8 hp from dead generator. Drum is turning 320 RPM at WOT. I welded 22 6" length of scrap leaf springs on for tines. Engine doesnt bog down at all and tears the **** out of the sod.