Wash board back yard...how to fix?

[Mike in Ohio]

So my wife and I have moved into a new house...we have about 4 acres, pond, woods, grass, long drive...nice to be out in the country. Convinced her that we needed to spend $14K on a new tractor...by the way, thanks Shane at Mutton Power in Fort Wayne!! Super nice guy and great price! Had a new 2305 delivered with a 54" FEL and 62" belly mower.
After 10 hours on the tractor (hope my wife doesn't read this) wish I bought a bigger one! Already finding projects around here where I THINK I should have a bigger tractor...not that I have run into something that I can't do with the 2305...but another instance where bigger is probably better!
Anyway...on to my dilema...
The back acre of my lot is like trying to mow on a wash board! If you were to see how many times I have shaved the grass down to soil with the mower, you would all laugh at me! I have it on the highest setting, but still looks like crap! The yard needs to be leveled/graded.
I have had several landscape companies come in...WOW...4,5,10K to level my back yard, move topsoil around, then seed. You kidding me??
What would you guys say to me buying a 48" or 55" tiller and spending a day tilling then leveling with my FEL? Or, what about a box scraper? I really don't know what these things are used for...drawn or not drawn? Will it do what I want to get done? Level out the mounds in my yard...smooth the ground so I can seed and mow at 10mph?
Bottom line...If I am going to spend that kind of money, why not get my own equipment so I have it for future use...and spend about 30hrs and a couple weekends doing the work!
Thanks for all the feedback/input!
Mike

 

[dave1949]

If you any access to decent fill at a decent price, it will be easier to fill the low places than to level what is there.

Could you rent a tiller for a day and give that a try in a small section? Then you would know if buying is worth it.


Dave.

 

[TCowner]

Mike, I agree with Dave. Rent a tiller or get yourself a 5' disk. I think after a little rain and the soil is softened a bit you could loosen things up. Forget hiring it done, thats why you own the tractor.

Once your have a top 4 inches or so loosend up then a single section drag should smooth it out nicely. It just takes time and be patient. ONce your satisfied its smooth then you can put down the new grass seed with either a pull behind broadcast seeder which are fairly inexpensive or do it by hand.

I used a 60" drop seeder (picked up at a garage sale for $50) on mine after an hour of dragging and then another hour after seeding. I was lucky that we got rain the night after I seeded it. The rains stayed farily steady for about 3 weeks and the grass came in perfectly. That was 4 years ago and its the best part of the lawn (I mow three acres) I have.

 

[rjkobbeman]

I have been smoothing out some really rough spots of my property lately. We moved in to our new home last year and before I got some grass growing we had lots and lots of mini canyons where the water eroded the ground.

I took my grading scraper (a box scraper would work better, but I am using what I have) with the scarifiers down and went to town. After a few passes, I raised the scarifiers and went over it again. Pretty amazing how it looks now. I'm no landscaping expert either.

It isn't fairway quality but it is NICE for "acreage yard".

 

[ray66v]

I agree with the box scraper.

Depending on your expectations, and your budget, you could potentially end up pulling the high areas into the low spots, and not need any fill.

Tilling it all first would be fine, if you have the money for the tiller, and the time.

I have done this without tilling it first, with great success.

I have a 4" box I should sell, I probably will never use it again. If your interested, I will consider parting with it.

 

[Mike in Ohio]

Thanks for the replies guys...
The biggest reason I jumped right to the tiller is the fact that I know my wife is going to want a garden next year...I have used walk behind tillers in the past, and they worked GREAT for getting the garden ready. I just had the thought of $1500+ for a good one.
I did think about the top soil thing....odds are pretty good that I will need top soil brought in (lots of sand and clay in my soil) for the seed to germinate, so my thought was to fill in the low spots at the same time.
I am having my pond dug out here in the next couple weeks (if not sooner). If the muck being pulled out of the pond would dry in a fairly quick period, I thought about using that to level out the spots.

So, TC, you think a 5' disc would also do the trick? Several passes then go over it a section of chain link fence? I say that only because I have some laying around

Biggest concern for me is to get the seed down before mid Oct. I would certainly like to have this all done for next years mowing, and this is the best time of year to seed!
Mike

 

[scoutcub]

Mike -

If it's real hilly I would either add topsoil or get the box blade and level.....box blade are relatively cheap, and sounds like you might need some topsoil anyways. I don't think the tiller will "level" the high areas, but will definitely soften them up and them you can move the soil with a drag rake, chain link fence with some weight on it, old box spring, etc. something to drag/level the ground. A disc harrow will also loosen up the soil, but not really level, and it won't go as deep as a tiller.....but, you can go faster with the disc.
You can also find a good used tiller under 1,000, I've seen many, hope to get one sometime in the future.
You've got several options, just depends on what you want to rent/buy.

BTW, where are you guys at in NE Ohio? I'm in Dover, just south of Canton.
Good Luck!

 

[MarkV]

I had my best luck using a tiller in a similar situation. I found the tiller went a long way towards getting things level after a couple of passes. A disk works but with a small tractor I think the tiller works better. After tilling a homemade drag did the final smoothing. The hardest part was removing all the old vegetation. Once smooth add lime, soil test called for it, fertilizer and seed. Drag lightly again and keep it damp.

MarkV

 

[Egon]

new 2305

Might help if folks new how big this tractor is.

 

[Cold Camel]

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I have a similar problem.

My yard looks great, but the grass hides lumps or depressions everywhere. Average size is 5" dia and 2" high (or low). Walking is a chore. I mow with a push mower which bounces all over. Tilling and seeding would fix it, but I live in the land of mud with dogs, so I prefer filling in the low spots. If I buy sand and spread it with a chain harrow will I end up with a yard? My soil drains poorly so sand won't hurt.

Secondly I have hard packed trail issues. I established grass by placing a temporary fence, but it is not the same as the rest of the yard. Will sand help?

To me, a tiller in established grass is a nuclear option - only as a last resort. What are my other options?

The lumps seem worst in spring, so they must be frost related. No rocks, no critters.

Cold Camel

 

[Car Doc]

In my yard it mattered what I used after the new lateral system had a few years on it because my wife didn't want to start the yard over. I brought buckets of dirt into the low spots and smoothed them with the loader bucket and a rake and then seeded the new dirt and it worked real good.

Now if I was to do a yard that it wasn't a problem with existing grass etc I would till and drag it or disc then drag. A box blade takes some finesse in order to not induce bigger hills and valleys least it does for me on road work where a drag seems to do a better job on loose materials anyway.

 

[wedge40]

Might help if folks new how big this tractor is.

I'm guessing it's a Green thing. So that would be about 24 HP. But thats just a guess.

Wedge

 

[jlsmith]

Mike, I agree with Dave. Rent a tiller or get yourself a 5' disk. I think after a little rain and the soil is softened a bit you could loosen things up. Forget hiring it done, thats why you own the tractor.

Once your have a top 4 inches or so loosend up then a single section drag should smooth it out nicely. It just takes time and be patient. ONce your satisfied its smooth then you can put down the new grass seed with either a pull behind broadcast seeder which are fairly inexpensive or do it by hand.

I used a 60" drop seeder (picked up at a garage sale for $50) on mine after an hour of dragging and then another hour after seeding. I was lucky that we got rain the night after I seeded it. The rains stayed farily steady for about 3 weeks and the grass came in perfectly. That was 4 years ago and its the best part of the lawn (I mow three acres) I have.

I agree i would use a disk and chain harrow to smooth the land.

 

[Mike in Ohio]

Yep...it is a green thing...2305.

I am near Mantua...can't remember who asked me wher I was....the soil is mostly clay and small rocks. I know I need to bring top soil in before I seed anything....but wanted to try and keep the cost of brining dirt in to a minimum...that is why I wanted to level it first.

I did find a neighbor with a box scraper....he is going to let me give it a try. If it goes pretty well, no need to buy anything....other than a case of beer for the use of it.

If it does not go well, I am going to purchase a tiller (or possibly rent one) and have at it....then drag, seed, fertilize, then roll (oh yeah...will either have to buy, rent, or build my own roller too.

Thanks to all for your feedback....I know what I will be doing this weekend.

Mike

 

[Egon]

When you do bring in the top soil you may consider building a drag for the leveling. After using the drag you may not need the roller.

 

[Ford tractor]

I'm guessing it's a Green thing. So that would be about 24 HP. But thats just a guess.

Wedge

18 pto hp and 1450 pounds. Fairly small, but a good size for the lot it's on.


A tiller in the 4' wide range will work. Till N-> S then E->W then a week later reverse directions and that will get all the old grass tilled under and kill off many weed sprouts. Then a home made drag using two to four 8' long 4x4's. Use the big screw in loops and chain. Chain them so they are 18" separated and about 6-8' behind the tractor. Drive around in circles as well as up & back and it will smooth out quick. Go fast, but no so fast that the drag bounces or skips. After smoothing, you may find that some high areas are still high, so a retill in those spots may be called for.

I would not recommend a box scraper. Your tractor can only pull a small one and trying to level an area with a small one is really a challenge.

It would be smart to get a soil sample done and have a ag lime truck spread before tilling. Many areas need 2 or more tons per acre. I've got food plots that needed 7.5 ton per acre.

 

[5030tinkerer]

If you had access to a larger tractor and a power rake, it would solve your issues in one step. Something like http://www.landpride.com/ari/attach/lp/public/manuals/314-132m.pdf would do the job nicely, but the better (newer) ones have carbide teeth that put this variety to shame.

 

[pat32rf]

Build your pond FIRST. Its amazing how plans can change when you have lebenty leben cubic yards of pond diggins to use (or get rid of). A flat yard may be nice, but it can be BORING when you can add a few gentle hills and swales, keeping drainage issues in the back of your mind while you create....
For now, just lower your mower to the lowest setting and knock off the high spots ;-)....

 

[charlz]

The tiller really fluffs the soil so you have to water it or otherwise let it settle before being able to work it. Problem with a chain harrow is it will follow the contours.. including dipslow spots. A bar harrow would be better.

The best prep I have seen in bare soil is a skidsteer with a Rockhound:

YouTube - The Original RockHound Landscape Rake

Not sure how that would work in grass but you could spray kill the grass first and let it dry out some. Probably best to kill off everything existing even if you till, some of the grass will live through the tiling process unless you do it more than once.

You might be able to rent a SS with a Rockhound locally, I'd see what the prices are.

 

[Maxfli]

I had a similar situation. JD 2210 so it is nearly the same tractor as the 2305. I took my time and found a used 46" Tiller for around $500. I have leveled off a few area's in the back and they turned out fine. Just tilled them and threw down grass seed. Works great for the garden too. My thoughts are that this tiller is sized right for this tractor, I think 48" would be good as well. Not sure I would consider anything larger. I have about 3/4 acre that is low and with it being dry I have been mowing it the last few times. It is an ideal spot for a pond, but I really have no place the county will let me put the spoils if it dig it out.