Tiller Tiller vs. Harrow or what else?

[daBear]

I am a tractor new guy. I have about two acres around my house with grass, the rest is wooded. This year we were able to get a fair stand of common Bermuda going, but it will need minor fill in and leveling next spring. I have just finished applying rye grass to hold the dirt as necessary this winter.

My question is what attachment is best to use next fall. I do not want to just pulverize the whole two acres with a tiller. A neighbor just brought his 70hp Kubota (M7040)over with a 5' Woods tiller and hit some hard and bare spots for me and that is an awesome piece of equipment but the tiller gets everything it it's path. Maybe a drag harrow or something like that will break the crust up without destroying the first years grass. Then I can over seed with Bermuda, fertilize and water. What do y'all recommend for an attachment?

 

[MarkV]

Bear your right that a tiller will take everything in its path so that is not the tool for over seeding. Bermuda is a running grass that takes a couple of years to establish so you may need nothing but time if you got a good starting stand. Being a running grass I would think that a drag harrow would tend to tear it up a bit more than is desirable. I use a core aerator on our clay to get water and fertilizer to the root system. That works well when I over seed my fescue and allows the seed to collect in holes left where the plugs are pulled out. The correct tool is a vericutter which cuts slits for the seed to collect in or a seed drill which cuts the slits, drops the seed and then covers the slits. Both are pretty expensive pieces of equipment for the non-professional.

MarkV

 

[Gizmo36]

If you have Bermuda grass you can not cut it and destroy it. If you have Bermuda grass in a field if it is 5 ft and you cut it and drag it you will have 20 ft the next year.If you cut around the Bermuda and drag it them put more fertilize on . It will spread like wild fire.next spring were he did the bear spots it will loosen the ground up and the Bermuda grass will cover it up if you fertilize it.

 

[daBear]

Thanks, both replies make sense to me. I am thinking about a small chain harrow with 3 pt frame so you can move it from spot to spot. Seems like that will be a good tool to aerate the grass and loosen the soil every once in a while.