Basic chain harrow? Log?!

[sandspider]

Hi all

I have a small paddock where I cut paths every so often with a topper, have an orchard and am working on a wild flower meadow, etc. I've never harrowed it, and it is getting a bit lumpy and thatchy in places.

I'm guessing the cheapest way to harrow it would be chain harrows, or even to drag a big log across it behind the tractor! Would these methods work? Or is it worth getting some sort of spring tine harrow and doing it properly if I'm going to do it at all?

Thanks.

 

[Bald Rick]

Harrows are used to pull out “feg” - the overwintered grasses that have turned yellow in the spring Ie dead.
Pulling a log will do very little as it won’t remove dead material or do much in the way of flattening out bumps.

Small chain Harrow will only be a few hundred pounds new or you may find one at a farm sale for a tenner. Mounted harrows are easier to use as you cannot reverse with a drag harrow

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Chain harrow be fine . Dont cost a lot new for a drag .
Tie some tyres on the back if you want more weight

 

[Dry Rot]

If it's just lumps and mole hills, an old railway sleeper might do but you'd be better off with chain harrows. Just be aware that folk sell old sets for a reason! Do you really want bits of metal distributed all over the place to break your mower when the links fall off? And make sure you get a chained spiked harrows, not the ones with just chains for covering grass seed.

 

[sandspider]

Thanks all.

Mole hills and tussocks, nothing too lumpy really I suppose.

Is it possible to hire harrows for a compact tractor? They seem quite pricey around here, even secondhand. Good point about broken bits of harrow, Dry Rot.

 

[Highland Mule]

Thanks all.

Mole hills and tussocks, nothing too lumpy really I suppose.

Is it possible to hire harrows for a compact tractor? They seem quite pricey around here, even secondhand. Good point about broken bits of harrow, Dry Rot.

Best way to hire any Agri kit, in my experience is to buy it at a collective, use it and then put it back into the next one. Especially so for something without any moving parts.

 

[puppet]

If you buy a second hand set then remember to grease it first

 

[ajcc]

If you buy a second hand set then remember to grease it first

What all the joints? often the cheaper ones do away with grease nipples.

 

[multi power]

If you want to improve the grass get some sheep on it
If you want to make yourself feel better chain harrow it

 

[Dry Rot]

If you buy a second hand set then remember to grease it first

What an ignorant comment! They all have sealed bearings these days!

 

[sandspider]

If you want to improve the grass get some sheep on it
If you want to make yourself feel better chain harrow it

Thanks, but I can't put sheep on it. I've got an orchard, a meadow and some energy coppice crops in there.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Sometimes it's just cheaper to get a contractor in

 

[sandspider]

Don't think a contractor would be interested, it's only 1/4 to 1/2 an acre with awkward access.

 

[Highland Mule]

Don't think a contractor would be interested, it's only 1/4 to 1/2 an acre with awkward access.

Quarter acre is pretty much in the range for a wide garden hand rake. Would only take a few hours and allow you to get right up to the trees and probably do a better job than any other way. I had a 3/4 acre garden kept neat with a push behind mower when I was younger.

If not, something like this would be grand.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chain-Harrows/362734498670?hash=item5474a9336e:g:pFoAAOSwM0RdX2U-

Tow it behind a quad for easier access to the corners than a tractor would achieve. I wouldn’t pay the buy it now price though, but aim for £100 or so as an upper limit.

 

[sandspider]

Hadn't thought of doing it by rake! I have done that in the patch where I'm trying to make the wild flower meadow, and it was pretty hard work. Perhaps I need a bigger rake, or to man up!

 

[Highland Mule]

Hadn't thought of doing it by rake! I have done that in the patch where I'm trying to make the wild flower meadow, and it was pretty hard work. Perhaps I need a bigger rake, or to man up!

He about a scarifier? You can get electric ones cheap enough. Wouldn’t need much of a long cable if the garden’s that small.

 

[sandspider]

It's quite a long way from a plug! Smallish area, but spread around a larger paddock. Will look at scarifiers though, if they'd be man enough for some fairly thick grass...