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Need Help on top-dressing a lawn

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bmeyer
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 175 Central Wisconsin
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2005-07-04          113043


I've finally spent enough money on tractors (JD2210) and implements (rake, BB, FEL, 52" tiller) and now my wife says I need to use them to fix the lawn!!

We are on some hard packed dirt (not soil) in the rear of the house. Mostly rotten granite/clay with lots of rocks.

I tilled the surface down about 2-3 inches yesterday. I used my landscape rake to smooth out the area and pick out the bigger rocks/roots. Then I spread 14 yards of good screened topsoil at about 4-6 inches over the whole area with the FEL and back dragged it.

Now I need to smooth out or level the topsoil. I know I could use a hand rake, but I'd rather play with the tractor. What implement works best for this task?

Years ago I used a small garden tractor and pulled an old piece of metal railing with weight on it for leveling a short grantie driveway. Can I just pull an piece of angle iron? Or and 2x8? Or a ____? I seem to have heard discussion on a "Harley Rake" for this. I could rent one but the job is pretty small.

What suggestions do you have for sreading this soil more evenily? Thanks for any help.

B. Meyer




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Oliver
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 210 Massachusetts
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2005-07-04          113057


I am in the final stages of building a new house. It's in the middle of an old hay field and required significant changes in the topography. I put in some lawn using just a York rake to create some green around the house and hold the soil in place. Once the house is done and there are no more people and trucks tearing up the lawn, I will make things look better. My plan is to rent a Woods turf renovator when I put in the rest of my lawn. It also seems like it will overseed the lawn that is already in. ....


Link:   Woods turf renovator

 

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Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 955 Central Iowa
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2005-07-05          113076


bm - I'm no expert, but I would use the box blade to level the soil out. I know Murf and a few others have recommended towing around a section of metal chain link fence to do the final smoothing. It seems to work well, but I have yet to try it myself as I haven't had to do a large enough patch to require it. ....


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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2005-07-05          113081


I usually drag around a wood pallet that is tipped up-side-down and loop a chain through the tractor's clevis and attach it at the front corners of the pallet. Then put a couple of cinder blocks and rocks on the pallet. When you pull it around with a lawn tractor the front edge lifts slightly. It acts like a leveling device and fills holes and breaks up clumps of dirt. You may need to slightly rake the overlapping edges but that is minimal. I usually go E to W, then N to S and than at a diagonal. With a 2210 you could nail two pallets side by side. ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2005-07-05          113087


We use chain link fencing.

Put a cross-bar at each end and make a V-shaped hitch out of a length of chain to pull it by. The longer the fencing, the better it grades, the worse it turns, it's a catch 22.

We use no weights other than the steel of the fence, cross-bars and chain.

Best of luck. ....


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bmeyer
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 175 Central Wisconsin
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2005-07-06          113096


Thanks for the tips. I looked at a small (4 foot) spring tooth harrow at Fleet Farm yesterday. You can pull it in two directions which changes the angle of the spring teeth or you can flip it on its back and use it like the chain fence you were talking about. It runs $259 though. Sounds like a section of old fence might be a cheaper option at first. ....


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