CLEANING DEBRIS FROM A FIELD

Phil H

Member
I want to clean up a field that I will be disking. There is mostly small limbs, and some rock . I was considering an 8ft. landscape rake, because it would clean up the debris and leave the dirt. Problem is, it would take me forever to go around a 20 acre field, 8ft. at a time, especially when you would need to go around several times, to really get it clean enough to disk, harrow, and plant. Does anyone have some good ideas to clean a field. thanks....Phil
 
I have made something similar that didn't cost an arm and a leg. I bought a cheap mounted field cultivator and remounted all the teeth on the rear bar. Functions similar to a landscape rake and works pretty well. I plan on remounting the teeth backward and making it so I can mount the whole unit on the front of my loader so I can push sticks instead of running over them with the tractor. Mike
 
Well a harrow-gadder will carry a lot of debris that your talking about, But it wont do anything with rocks. When ever I clean a fence row out I run a disk over it several time to brake it up the run the harrow-gadder over it and it will drag tree limbs roots weeds and other trash along with it so you can pull it to a pile. I dose not work perfect but it dose work. It's an idea. Bandit
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Thanks Mike, need to look around for something like what you are using, maybe make a double row, and make it wide enough to cover a wide area.
 
I have some horse drawn spike toothed harrows mounted to a common rail that I use for leveling and trash removal in small plots. The only problem is that I have to manually dump them. If you could figure out a way to dump them from the tractor seat, they might work for your application.
 
I like my landscape rake and use it a lot, but on my clay ground it does not work well at all for gathering roots and sticks. It balls up dirt rapidly. I like the other ideas.....

Paul
 
Landscape rakes never worked well for me. They seem to drag a lot of dirt along with them. I used one on dewberry and it was painful to clean the tines out after a single pass. It did work well for that, but had to be cleaned after every pass.

Larry
 
Thanks Larry, I don't have a lot of vines, just grass, and woody stuff, and not a whole lot of rock. I was even thinking about an old buck rake, but I think the tines would be too flexible. ????
 
I see what you mean Paul. My ground is dry, and I would use it when it wasn't wet. I think the idea of a lot of tines would grab most of the debris, and being dry would sift out the dirt. I hope so????
 
Yes, I agree the harrow would work, but I am afraid they wouldn't pick up the limbs, but just role over them. I've seen the rock pickers, how they kick things off to the side, maybe a combination of landscape rake and harrow pulled behind would work?? Just angle the landscape rake to work the debris off to the side.
 
I agree that the landscape rake will plug pretty quickly in my experience and start carrying dirt teeth too close together,may be able to remove some teeth and have some success?I like the spike tooth harrow idea they can be had cheap too,may have to try it myself,clearing some land now little too wet for the harrow though at this time.
 
8ft? Reminds me of when Dad put me on the 9N with the 6 ft. mounted cultivator and told me to dig quack grass all summer (I was 9 years old that summer). That was the only way that we had to kill quack grass back them (before chemicals).

I had about 200 acres to work with that 6ft cultivator. Got to be a boring job by the end of summer, but I killed a lot of quack by repeated digging at least once a week. I'd pull the roots up and let them dry and then go back and pull up more until the quack gave up and died.
 
I would Plow it under! Use a plow with notched, or fluted coulters. NOT PLAIN! Notched coulters will grab limbs, & hold them as the coulters brakes them into pieces under most conditions. Fluted helps keep that coulter spinning by clinging to the dirt sidewalls. If a limb hits one it will normally snap into rather than cut. This may cause the pieces to fly across the ground, & still be on top requiring someone tom throw them into the furrow ditch which will be filled in the next round. but when covered... they are gone!
 
Phil, Not a perfect thought, But here goes.....
Do what you Can to congregate the majority of the Limbs, rocks into small areas, piles, windrows!
Then go visit with You Churches Youth Group Leader!
For a day of 20 Kids or so ( the whole group) You will give a size-able Donation to the Youth Group for their next Function!, Also you can Furnish Lunch and all the cold drinks needed.
A Win/Win Both ways! You get your field Cleaned up win minimal Physical effort from you & Your Churches Youth Group get seed money for their next Function!
I did that one time to get a Semi Load of hay Unloaded and stacked for Me many yrs ago!
A thought! Hope this helps!
Later,
John A.
 
I should have posted this pic, The pile in front of the burn pile is ware I used the harrow-gadder ware I cleaned the fence line. I run over that 1/2 of the fence line several times and kept dragging up into one pile. The skid steer did a good job but was taking to long so I hooked the harrow-gadder up and had at it, Worked good. Just an idea. Bandit
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Hey GORDOSD, I think I will try this. I will strap a couple tines together, so they don't spread apart, and this will make them a lot more ridged. and I can add some weight if necessary to keep them down to rake close, not like loose hay. I can use the trip to dump everything and make it a lot easier to load out. Wish I was in your neck of the woods, and could get an old buck rake for $25.00. Where I am, what we used as parts, and called it junk, these people call it "YARD ART" go figure??? In the city they had pink flamingo's, when they move to the country they have junk and call it yard art. Oh well.
 
Thanks Scotty, I do have some notched coulters on my disc now but could use some new ones as they wear down pretty fast. I think you are right they will do a good job cutting up the soil and any debris that I can't or miss picking up.
 
Wow, I guess this is what they used to call, building character. Just not sure what they mean by character, but it was a good learning experience and it keeps you out of trouble.
 
Yep. That is what everyone seems to think also, depending on the soil. I think I will try an old buck rake. I will know a lot more after I play around with that idea.
 
Just have to add this. What a GREAT FORUM, after hearing from so many nice people, it really helps to formulate my ideas using other ideas, into a working idea. Thanks to ALL.....have a HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
You could fab up a bar to pull two dump rakes. Get two kids to ride em?
You could ride my 2 on a 16 ft car trailer.
 

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