I have ground that is like concrete the backhoe operater had a tough time digging in it. His dozer would not cut it I need to break it up to drop elevation about 18" over a 50'x 40' are someareas only a couple inches. I was wondering if a sub soiler behind my massey 65 would do it ?
sub soiler ???
- Thread starter mike cook
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Dr Dave
Platinum Member
I would give it a try. I freind of mine used to dig clay for a brick factory, he drove, a push cat with a ripper claw on the rear.
Does it help to dig when the ground is damp?
dave
Does it help to dig when the ground is damp?
dave
hello no it does not seem to matter wet or dry the water just runs over it like on concrete!!!! the backhoe guy said it would take him like 3 days to chip at it i just thought I could try it myself for alot less $$$
compact
Silver Member
I used my subsoiler for that purpose and it loosened up the hardpan enough that my tractor loader could move it out, took passes 16" apart 8" down was all it would pull (deere 2020). Bowed the frame on the subsoiler. With the right teeth (big ones) a decent sized backhoe (580) or my 5 ton mini-ex digs it out easily without any fuss - yours sounds like mine, water runs over it and it hardly erodes even in a streambed.
ishiboo
Platinum Member
If a backhoe and dozer cannot do it, a small tractor will not. Didn't the dozer have a ripper? Didn't the backhoe have a frost tooth?
This sounds like a job for a professional with appropriately-sized equipment, instead of beating your small tractor up trying to get it done. Or maybe look at a 1-day rental+delivery of a dozer with a ripper, it has to be cheaper than a hoe + operator for 3 days straight.
This sounds like a job for a professional with appropriately-sized equipment, instead of beating your small tractor up trying to get it done. Or maybe look at a 1-day rental+delivery of a dozer with a ripper, it has to be cheaper than a hoe + operator for 3 days straight.
daugen
Epic Contributor
well Mike that really is a good deal for two guys and their equipment. Would be at least double that here.
Pulling a subsoiler is fun, though it will likely stop your tractor a few times, particularly in the stuff you are describing. You might need two passes. Local farmers use them to drain standing water areas off their fields.
Pulling a subsoiler is fun, though it will likely stop your tractor a few times, particularly in the stuff you are describing. You might need two passes. Local farmers use them to drain standing water areas off their fields.
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XSKIER
Platinum Member
I really like those rear tires. They're like a R1 and a half!
daugen
Epic Contributor
thanks, yeah, the tractor is a bit overtired, but that was my best solution for going R1 without having to buy new rims. In order to get the diameter, I had to go to a much wider tire, and boy do they work nicely. And they fit ok too, because the oem tires were the wide Bridgestone Pillow turf tires. Took a lot of research to find this size tire, and I am very happy with BKT, which is basically the Goodyear of India. Nice soft ride too. Since the tractor only weighs one ton, and a little, they make for serious flotation also, not going to get this thing stuck anytime soon. I hope...
I subsoiled a 5000 sqft patch of fallow field that was full of rocks. The garden drained very nicely after that, aided by a bit of natural pitch anyway. Many times the tractor would just stop, slowly spinning even these big tires. Amazing what 23hp and decent gearing will do. I can't wait to try this subsoiler on my larger tractor, which it is better sized for.
btw, these tires were brand new in the pic, I couldn't wait to get them in the dirt.
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