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What Do I Need To Break Up Soil

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snmhanson
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 27 White Salmon, WA
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2004-03-29          81447

I'm getting a tractor this week which will probably be a Kubota B7510. My first big job is going to be to get about an acre and a half ready to put in a sprinkler system and plant grass. It is pretty level for the most part right now but has tons of smaller and medium sized rocks as well as some pretty large ones (12+ inches in diameter). The soil is also quite compacted and hard. I want to break up the soil down to at least six inches and preferably a foot or more and remove all of the rocks and then level and grade everything. I was hoping I could do this with a box blade (along with the FEL) but I really have no idea if that is the right implement or not. I like the idea of a box blade because it isn't too expensive compared to a tiller but of course it has to be able to do the job. Will it work? Also, is the B7510 enough tractor to do what I'm trying to do? I'm going to get a price on a 7610 but I think my budget and wife may only let me go as far as a 7510. Oh yeah, anyone have good ideas on how to quickly get rid of all of the weeds growing over the area (besides using weed killer)?

Thanks,

Matt


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agentorange
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 117 Pacific Northwest
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2004-03-29          81450

Get a heavy duty box scraper. On my 7510 I use a Bush Hog SBX48. Don't get a 200# box, make sure it has at least 3/8" sides and heavy duty teeth. If I need more down pressure for the box (none with 3ph) I take the same type of weights I use for rear-wheel weighting and slide over posts welded onto corners of box. Instant down pressure. Stay within weight limits of 3ph of course. With the teeth all the way extended you should be able to dig up the soil pretty good. May take a couple or 3 passes, working in increments, but you'll get it. Then retract teeth and smooth with same.I have actually used one of the teeth extended all the way down to dig a shallow trench for low-voltage wiring. I will soon create a single tooth that is longer to use for this purpose.

For the weeds: just spray 'em and be done with it.

good luck - have fun

-ao ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2004-03-29          81454

WOW, sounds like you love a challenge, I can't add much to what Agentorange said only in similar situations I learned the killing the sod with roundup and letting it die completly before doing anything else will make your job a lot easier. Those big clumps of green sod mixed in with rocks just don't work down real easy. Good luck, Frank. ....

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grinder
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 677 central Maine
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2004-03-29          81455

Unless those 12" rocks are laying on top of the ground you
might want to get them dug out first. Rent a mini excavator? ....

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snmhanson
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 27 White Salmon, WA
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2004-03-29          81474

I think it is a great idea to remove the larger rocks first, however, they are mostly buried so I don't know where they are until I hit them. When I do find one I will probably just use a SHOVEL (thought I was buying a tractor so I could throw all my shovels away) and dig it out. It sounds like the 7510 and box blade will do what I need, though it may take some time. I think I'm going to get a quote on a 7610 and maybe even a 7800 just to see if I can stretch our budget and get a tractor that may be a little more suitable for my needs. Thanks for the input.

Matt ....

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timgren
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 7 OFallon MO
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2004-04-07          82438

I use a B7500 with a 48" 350lb boxblade (king Kutter), it does a great job at pulling up stones. Plenty of power and weight.

Sure your going to get jolted a few times with you hit a stubborn rock that's buried, but they'll move eventually if you take it slow and easy (and in LOW Lock). The cost to upgrade vs working at it a little longer is your call, but if this is the heaviest work your tractor will do, it may not be needed.

The B series FEL isnt really meant for digging. Especially 12" down. That'll take a while to inch down. I can get down about 3-4 inches max with mine, dump it, and take another scoop. If you wanna dig, perhaps a toothbar would be helpful, but I'm still not sure how much they'll help with a 48" bucket.

....

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BigBob
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 27 ohio
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2004-04-08          82457

I am going to be doing the same chore this spring for 2 acres. I have a rake and a ground driven pulverizer. Here in Ohio it was dry for ten minutes one Sunday so I played around a little bit and was very disapointed about the lack of down pressure on my B7500. I never thought that would make any difference for what I was going to use this thing for. It is a great tractor otherwise. Do any of the other colors have this feature? I have some weights I will rig up.Good luck to all! ....

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beagle
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1333 Michigan
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2004-04-08          82462

You may want to try a middle-buster before working with the box blade. They are very useful for breaking up hard ground, and can generally dig 8 to 10" without any trouble. If you hit a fair sized rock with the middle buster, it won't jar you out of the seat, as it tends to push material up or over. I have used a middle buster to dig sprinkler lines and it does a great job, even on a lawn. It rolls the sod back evenly enough to replace after the pipe is layed.

Because of the way the blade if formed, it doesn't require excessive weight to dig. The blade is formed to dig it's way down as you move forward. This makes it a little easier on the tractor than dragging around a lot of weight. You will definitely want to grade with a box blade after working the soil with the Middle-Buster, but I think you will find it a good way to loosen up and bring the rocks to the surface. ....

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tk_csa
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 28 western New York
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2004-04-19          83617

This is what I do and it works pretty well for our heavy-clay type soil; I put a 2 bottom plow on my JD4700 and plow it first. Then I hit it 2-3 times with my KK 72 tiller, pick up rocks between passes. Important to do other wise they be buried from one pass to another. To pick up rocks in this situation a rock bucket is ideal. Works about as well as anything I've found. As for the weeds, I don't use chemicals. Given that most weeds are annuals you can break their reproductive cycle by tilling before they seed AT LEAST twice (I like 3-4 time)during the first season. Works pretty well. Note - you're better off not doing it at all then doing it once because that will make 'em grow like crazy. ....

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sgt1985
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 21 north carolina
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2004-04-24          84184

You have pretty much what your going to need. First,prep your soil with a $40.00 a day rear tine tiller. Once accomplished,determine and mark your waterlines. This will save time and possibaly get away with renting 1/2 day ditchwitch.Mark areas that may need the boxblade, rippers down. Tractor for the big stuff. Once done, turn rippers up on boxblade and smooth a soft prepped soil that you just readied for seeding and a new sprinkler system installed at the same time. ....

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oneace
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1490 south central pa
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2004-04-25          84244

ok my suggestion is to get a single bottom plow the are pretty cheap and can normmaly find a good used one on any bodys lot. They will roll any large rocks you encounter to the surface. Gp over and scope the large rocks with your fel. Then use the box blade to smoth out the area. The next step would be to rent a power rake and go over the area to remove the smaller rock from the top 2" of soil in to a wind row. Then again use your fel to scope the rocks away. ....

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