toothbar installed... can i use it for..

psuedofarmer · Sep 12, 2005

finally got around to installing the toothbar - why i waited nearly a year is beyond me..

i have a small pasture that needs to be reclaimed. no tree stumps, no rocks, just a few thousand briars, blueberry bushes, low-lying juniper, and hundreds of small (1-2" diameter saplings).

can i expect the toothbar to rip out all of this brush by putting the tractor in 4x4, lowering the FEL to just below ground level and moving forward slowly?

pf

JerryG · Sep 12, 2005

I know you did ask about this, but why don't you just brush hog it?

psuedofarmer · Sep 12, 2005

hmm.. well, no reason why i can't.

this field will ultimately be used for greenhouses, so i wanted all of the saplings, bushes, etc. out of there (including the roots).

now that you mention it, i think i'm going about this the wrong way (which is how i went about every other field restoration process.. the long/hard way). how does this sound:

1) brush hog it
2) disc it
3) put in cover crop (aka 'green manure')

pf

JerryG · Sep 12, 2005

Now that sounds like a good plan.

psuedofarmer · Sep 12, 2005

thx jerryG..

thank goodness this is the last field - every one started off with enthusiasm, then, after a few hundred hours it starts resembling work.

cheers.
pf

RoyJackson · Sep 12, 2005

"can i expect the toothbar to rip out all of this brush by putting the tractor in 4x4, lowering the FEL to just below ground level and moving forward slowly?"

More then likely, you'll run out of traction before you get too far. It'll help if your tires are filled and you have some kind of weight on your 3PH.
For the most part, I'd recommend using your cutter, but there are occasions I use the FEL (toothbar installed) to tear out vines, briars and such by back dragging. That works pretty good.

Give the toothbar a try...see how it works for you.

Bob_Skurka · Sep 12, 2005

Just my $0.02 on this but I agree with JerryG that you probably want to start out by cutting it all down. I also agree with Roy that you'd run out of traction by trying to cut it out with your toothbar by driving forward, you'd likely also fill up the bucket pretty quickly. As Ron suggests, backdragging might work better. I do think a Landscape Rake might work a lot better, it is a modest price implement but will clear out things fairly well without disrupting more soil than is needed to be disrupted. You can lenghten the toplink to make a more aggressive pass with the LR and to tear out more of the root crowns, etc.

ronjhall · Sep 12, 2005

As Ron suggests 
You got the RO correct. But I think you should be giving credit to ROY. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Code54 · Sep 12, 2005

Is there any drawback to installing a toothbar (can I hurt the tractor?). I do unserstand I would want to remove it to smooth things out and such but just dont know a lot about them and a search did not provide a lot of info.
Thank you

RoyJackson · Sep 12, 2005

( Is there any drawback to installing a tooth bar (can I hurt the tractor?). I do understand I would want to remove it to smooth things out and such but just don't know a lot about them and a search did not provide a lot of info.
Thank you )

Nope...the worst damage you can do is hit your knee or shin on it when (not if) you walk into it or the damage to your feet if you drop it during removal.

When you get your tooth bar, the mounting brackets will probably be slotted (depending on the manufacturer). When you install it, make sure it's fully seated on the bucket, then drill the mounting holes at the forward end of the slot. This allows you to loosen the hardware and pivot the tooth bar up when back dragging. I didn't do this when I installed mine. I read about it on TBN...learn from my mistake...

RoyJackson · Sep 12, 2005

( As Ron suggests 
You got the RO correct. But I think you should be giving credit to ROY. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

No problem...my wife says I look like a Ron...

Bob_Skurka · Sep 12, 2005

As Ron suggests
You got the RO correct. But I think you should be giving credit to ROY.
 
No problem...my wife says I look like a Ron... 

OH HECK does it really matter? You both give the right answers! At least I got the JerryG part right /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Code54 · Sep 12, 2005

"Nope...the worst damage you can do is hit your knee or shin on it when (not if) you walk into it or the damage to your feet if you drop it during removal."

Ha Ha - That is a good tip, I would not have ever gave that a thought! Thanks again. Now to find a decent price on one!

frank_f15 · Sep 12, 2005

( This allows you to loosen the hardware and pivot the tooth bar up when back dragging. I didn't do this when I installed mine. I read about it on TBN...learn from my mistake...
)

i made the same mistake /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

aloha · Sep 13, 2005

( Now to find a decent price on one! )
http://markhamwelding.com/

Although I am especially partial to mine from H&H Sales because of the V which adds strength to the cutting edge.

psuedofarmer · Sep 13, 2005

thanks for the info - i'll get started this weekend and will take some pics of the process (one of these days i'll finish the farm website that shows the entire farm restoration process).

frankly, i don't want to look at these pics until i'm done - looking at them makes my back hurt.

pf

Varmintmist · Sep 13, 2005

Yes you can use it for rooting out brush. If you just skim below the surface most I have run into have popped out.

If you are going to hog, then disk, then seed you are going to have to pick up the brush anyway. Try the tooth bar.

If it is multiflora rose, you wont even slow it down by cutting it /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Rip er out, at least you have the chance that you MIGHT kill some of it.

Tim_in_IA · Sep 13, 2005

I use this technique for ripping the multa flora out of timber areas. It works great! You can push it into a pile and the grass takes over after a month or so. I haven't found a case where I had to stop pushing unless I came across a stump. I take it slow and am carefull not to dig in, but just rip out with the teeth. What I've found is after you snag the first few multaflora, they actually HELP you snag the other ones. Their thorns act like velcro! Note: This is by far one of the funnest tractor activities so be prepared for a serious tractor therapy rush!