|
|
 Expert
Posts: 3534
   
Location: Stuck in a cubicle having tropical thoughts | I currently just ride around the edge of the yard and work circles in the hay field. I don't have an area worked up like an 'arena'. I used to live down the road from my parents and my dad has worked up a 200' x 300' outdoor arena by their house but he's worked on that arena for two decades and he started out by using a big farm disc with hydraulics and the big farm tractor. Now he has a small 3pt plow that he uses in the spring behind his Kubota and then he has a 7' disc he uses behind the kubota. I used to just ride down the road and use their arena when I needed to work on patterns. Now I live 20 miles away. We have 13 acres but no arena and I told my husband that next summer I want to have an area worked up so I can work the patterns a bit. Our only tractor is a 32horse power Kubota. Not overly big but should be big enough to get the job done. It's the largest in the B series. I've found a 7' 3 point disc on craigslist They are asking $350. I'd love to have a 4n1 but I know we can't afford that and our tractor isn't big enough for a 4n1. So I'm wondering if we should spend a few hundred bucks on this disc I've found or keep looking for something that is more specific for horse arenas. This disc looks just like my parents and seems to be in good shape in the photo, except it looks like it's sat outside for awhile and is sinking into the ground from not being used. Think I should go for this deal? Or what about a Box blade? I've read about people using box blades to work up their horse arena. any ideas, suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated. I'll attach a photo of the disc I've found.
ETA* whatever we buy we would be using to start and outdoor arena from scratch. Right now it's all yard or hay field so we'd be ripping through the grass, etc. I know it would take time to get it worked up with this type of disc so I'm wondering if this disc will get it deep enough and get the job done or if we'll just be going over it and over it and over it while burning up diesel
Edited by barlracr429 2013-12-09 10:31 PM
 (Disc.jpg)
 (Box Blade.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
 Disc.jpg (76KB - 473 downloads)
Box Blade.jpg (75KB - 292 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
 
Location: Broxton, Ga | We just picked up an old tiller..........it works great......!!!! |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3534
Location: Stuck in a cubicle having tropical thoughts | Never thought of a tiller......now I'm doing more searching. Do you think this would work to tear up the ground from scratch? The spot is going to be an area that has technically been yard that we've been mowing. unless we don't see eye to eye, then it's going to be a corner in the hay field.......either way, lots of grass to rip through. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: Kansas | I always thought that a disc wouldn't get into the ground, without weight or hydraulics for the down pressure. I have a tiller on my tractor and it works great. I have used it to till up a spot in a field (did take a few passes) and also use it to work my arena now. I will be using it to work up the riding track around the hay field also....when / if the ground thaws again.
|
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 902
Location: Qld Australia | We used one just like that behind our little tractor (We have just upgraded yah.) Then harrow, harrow, harrow. It takes time and some deisel but works great. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: Kansas | Tillers will work if you can get some moisture and work it before it dries out...but after it's muddy. That will help cut thru any grass. I don't set mine deep till after I make a couple passes to get the grass roots up a bit. It is time consuming, but any ground prep takes time. Just make sure that you get one wide enough to cover your tire tracks. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3534
Location: Stuck in a cubicle having tropical thoughts | runnin hard - 2013-12-09 11:41 PM I always thought that a disc wouldn't get into the ground, without weight or hydraulics for the down pressure. I have a tiller on my tractor and it works great. I have used it to till up a spot in a field (did take a few passes) and also use it to work my arena now. I will be using it to work up the riding track around the hay field also....when / if the ground thaws again.
So this is all making sense to me. The big disc my dad originally used when he started his arena did have hydraulics. And then after that broke, I saw him stack concrete blocks on the small disc behind the kubota. I know we could stack weight on it, but like you, I'm concerned it won't go deep enough.
So I'm looking up tillers and seeing they attach to the PTO shaft. I'm learning! Thanks everybody for the help and suggestions! |
|
| |
|
  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | We have bigger farm equipment. We used a field cultivator to rip up the sod. We went over the ground quite often to get it all even and worked. From then on we use a smaller field cultivator and a drag section to level it to keep it worked nice. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: Kansas | This is what I use...the tiller works on both my little tractors.
 (20130721_171332.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
20130721_171332.jpg (97KB - 271 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| Look for a 5' or 6' field cultivator. Put a drag behind it. A little disc like that will need to make 100 passes to get the ground worked up. Also spray the area with round up as soon as you can in the spring. I would also mow it as close to the ground as you can a a couple weeks before even starting to disturb the earth. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 307
Location: Florida | We used a disc but it was a BIG one behind a BIG tractor. The worst part was getting it started, after that we took a little wet dirt out and smoothed it, worked on that a little then in a couple weeks (after a few more rounds with the disc then dragging it smooth, we brought in a couple loads of hay. Now we have a small drag behind the rhino (ATV not animal slave labor lol!), and it smooths everything back down in a few rounds and it's been great! |
|
| |
|
| Can you post a pig of your drag behind the rhino? |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1313
Location: Georgia | Roto tiller and a home made drag behind my polaris to smooth it out |
|
| |
|
 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | A disc is not going to get the job done for you. We tried that....unsuccessfully. We used a cultivator, then a disk, then a harrow with a leveler bar on behind. To rip it up again in the spring we use our cultivator, with the harrow and leveler on behind, and the disc stayed parked unless we get serious "clods" then we use that to break them up. This has worked great for us. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 680
Location: Texas | Do y'all just not have very rocky soil? I am struggling with where to work up on my place, I think I've decided to try and put it on an old drill pad (10 years ago) but I'm worried about it being to much clay and gravel... Everywhere else is just solid rock...
 (image.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
image.jpg (92KB - 290 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: Kansas | Lbarrelracer08 - 2013-12-10 2:11 PM Do y'all just not have very rocky soil? I am struggling with where to work up on my place, I think I've decided to try and put it on an old drill pad (10 years ago) but I'm worried about it being to much clay and gravel... Everywhere else is just solid rock...
My area has clay and when it rains the ground gets very slick. You may need to look into using a harley rake. My neighbor is a landscaper and he used this implement when my small indoor would get rock hard, in the winter. If you google harley rake there are several youtube videos, on how they work. It can be used on a skidsteer. After you get a bit of ground scruffed up I suggest adding a lot of dirt, to mix. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
Location: Roping pen | IMO, the best bang for your buck is to hire a local farmer to come in with a big, heavy, field disc that is fairly new to go over 3x or so the first few years. You will spend hours out there with your equipment and find that you will ridge it, create clods, and just in general, be a real pain.
A late model disc, ran properly, will cut the sod and clods, and level it out. You don't have the horse power needed to cut up sod..IMO.
Your equipment will work to maintain it AFTER you get they roots, grass, and clods worked out. That will take a few years depending on soil type.
A 4 in 1 will not work if cloddy or much trash (grass/roots) as it will be a big rake....
A cultivator will work, but my experience with them, is that they make it like dust on cement--very slick. The top 2-4" is dust, but they pack the bottom into cement due to the vibration and the "mashing" effect the tines have on the hardpan....
BUT IT ALL DEPENDS on your soil type. I would talk to neighbors that have arenas and see what they have that works.
Good luck! |
|
| |
|
 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11493
Location: 31 lengths farms | My fiancé worked up a dirt patch for me in our lower pasture with his D-4 cat and a disc, had to tell him to Whoa up there as he got her a little deep, LOL!!! |
|
| |