After several years of very wet winters and summers our land is poached with a very clear 'pan'. What's the difference between with these and which is best? Can any be used behind a JD2140 (60 hp/cat 2)? We have a tine harrow and a pasture slitter but land is beyond these at the moment. As its probably something that needs to be done periodically it would be good if we could do inhouse - or is it one for contractor. land is generally sloping, some steep in parts.
Mole plough, pan buster, sub soiler?
- Thread starter oldgoat
- Start date
clbarclay
Member
- Location
- Worcestershire
To do either right can be easier said than done. Moling done wrong can turn a large wet area into a drier area with a swamp in the middle of it. It is a rather steep learning curve if you want to do it yourself. Your tractor could pull a crude mounted single leg mole, but depth control with them is an issue with them if the ground is uneven or there is very little fall on the feild.
Sub soiling should be easier to do yourself. The important part is the spade work identifying where you actually have compaction and just how deep sub soiler legs need to go.
Sub soiling should be easier to do yourself. The important part is the spade work identifying where you actually have compaction and just how deep sub soiler legs need to go.
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
snipe
Member
- Location
- west yorkshire
mole ploughing if the soil at working depth (aprox 20 inch min) can be rolled in balls with your hands. but make sure water will drain where you want it to go, might struggle with 80 hp tractor. subsoiling if soil at working depth(12 to 16 inch) will not stick together if rolled in your hands. If you struggle to pull a subsoiler at full depth you can do it at half depth first then again at desired depth. different points can be fitted. some will give a cultivating action some will give minimum surface disturbance. if subsoiling grass a straight disc can be fitted in front of the leg to cut the grass sword to prevent the grass been ripped up.
chech with a spade before you do anything and dig down after you do a couple of passes to see what sort of job you are doing.
chech with a spade before you do anything and dig down after you do a couple of passes to see what sort of job you are doing.
Roy_H
Member
Only 60? I thought it would be more than that if its 82 at the engine.
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Engage a contractor? I have a similar problem on pure sand. The pan is quite noticeable where surface water drains into a ditch. Where the surface water flows, it has eroded a small channel and the pan shows up as a definite shelf. My tractor is 90HP, good tyres, and 4 wheel drive.
- Location
- Acton Scott, South Shropshire
We run an Erth Panbuster which is excellent, but you wont get far with 60hp - 180hp is comfortable on the job as it comes with weight and wide tyres. We went to a place where another contractor was having a go with another make on a 120 hp with less than ideal tyres - couldn't pull it at the required depth - just stood and spun - so came above the pan and thought he was doing a good job 
- Location
- Acton Scott, South Shropshire
Not sales talk - do you need to mole plough as well? we have seen a massive improvement in drainage after pan busting. When we first had it we would work a field in the most convenient direction but a chap called Charlie Morgan advised us to work in a direction that would allow water to follow the drain downhill - and it works. We did some work for member of the forum last year on what he said were his wettest fields that were much drier this winter.
Also, I would have thought the fracturing from the panbuster (if done at the right time) would mean the mole plough channel would collapse/not stay intact? If done at the wrong time you would effectively be mole ploughing
Also, I would have thought the fracturing from the panbuster (if done at the right time) would mean the mole plough channel would collapse/not stay intact? If done at the wrong time you would effectively be mole ploughing
buakaw cvx
Member
- Location
- cheshire
how deep have you got the pan buster ? i thought mole ploughing is supposed to be 24 inches deep at the least , and its the big expander behind that leaves the mole not the legNot sales talk - do you need to mole plough as well? we have seen a massive improvement in drainage after pan busting. When we first had it we would work a field in the most convenient direction but a chap called Charlie Morgan advised us to work in a direction that would allow water to follow the drain downhill - and it works. We did some work for member of the forum last year on what he said were his wettest fields that were much drier this winter.
Also, I would have thought the fracturing from the panbuster (if done at the right time) would mean the mole plough channel would collapse/not stay intact? If done at the wrong time you would effectively be mole ploughing
clbarclay
Member
- Location
- Worcestershire
Depth of both is dependant on the soil and sub soils in question, typically though a mole is put deep in sub soils that are not suitable for pan busting. For example, I put moles in about 18" at home, where as the shakerator rarely goes bellow 9". The plough used to be set no more than 7" deep to avoid pulling up sub soil in most fields.
I don't think of moles as temporary measures, they are a cost effective part of the drainage system that is maintained by periodic remoling.
Prossibly best to get in a contractor/expert who will dig some inspection holes and discuss with you what your particular soils need in the poached areas.
I don't think of moles as temporary measures, they are a cost effective part of the drainage system that is maintained by periodic remoling.
Prossibly best to get in a contractor/expert who will dig some inspection holes and discuss with you what your particular soils need in the poached areas.
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When using the Erth machine on sloped ground we go across the hill , this helps the water to get into the ground quicker and not run down to the hollow where it will form a pond , we have proved this system to work , I was talking to a farmer who got a contractor to pan bust a field and the driver went straight up and down the hill , the farmer was giving out that the pond in the hollow is now worse than before .Not sales talk - do you need to mole plough as well? we have seen a massive improvement in drainage after pan busting. When we first had it we would work a field in the most convenient direction but a chap called Charlie Morgan advised us to work in a direction that would allow water to follow the drain downhill - and it works. We did some work for member of the forum last year on what he said were his wettest fields that were much drier this winter.
Also, I would have thought the fracturing from the panbuster (if done at the right time) would mean the mole plough channel would collapse/not stay intact? If done at the wrong time you would effectively be mole ploughing
- Location
- Hampshire
Get yourself some decent deep rooters inthe mixture such as chicory plantain, red clover etc. Bloody sight cheaper than diesel!
- Location
- Acton Scott, South Shropshire
However deep it needs to be top get under the pan - I take your point, was just pointing out that we have seen dramatic improvements in drainage after the panbuster.
- Location
- Acton Scott, South Shropshire
OK - we tend to go at an angle because going straight up and down can result in damaging the sward as the tractor tyres for grip but down to the circumstances and customers preference I guess
buakaw cvx
Member
- Location
- cheshire
i think it makes a difference also , had a good go with it last year and the ones that got done are drier now , usually go 12-14 inches
- Location
- Acton Scott, South Shropshire
We always dig some test pits to see where the compaction is - amazing how the position of the compaction varies from field to field - I don't like burning extra diesel by running at 14" if the pan is at 6"