Ripper to address Soil Compation ?

[Stocker Steve]

Radishes did not get it done. Now looking for a ripper to put on a 125 hp tractor. Any tips ?

 

[wbvs58]

This will do the trick, minimal surface disturbance but really lifts and aerates the soil deep down. Probably not available where you are. The tractor is 70hp but that was when they measured the hp in Clydesdales not ponies like todays hp ratings.



Ken

 

[SmokinM]

What is pictured above is what you are looking for. I have visited Minnesota many times but haven't ever dug in the soil. I know a lot of places they have that deep black prairie dirt and it probably won't pull to bad in that. If you have clay or that gravel layer they have up there it will take all 125 of your horses to pull 3 shanks like that. If you can find it you want one with the wheels like that, it will do the best most consistent job. If you have decent dirt and a good tractor it's kinda fun, it's like a tractor pull that lasts for hours. Also check the air pressure in your tires, it will make them squat out when it pulls & make them spin on the rim.

 

[ERNIBIGB]

http://www.hayking.com/renovator.htm
I have one of these for sale. Works good but I just don't use it. Mine is the 10 shank but I took 2 off and pulled it with a 85 hp tractor. If the ground is really compacted it may not work for you.

 

[highgrit]

It takes 10-15 hp per shank. And a renavator pulls harder than what it looks like it should.

 

[Nesikep]

This 3 shank takes everything our 90hp can throw at it.. and then some once in a while. I haven't even bothered trying it on the 75hp

The shovels on it are essential to get any real action happening, if you're just cutting a slice you'll never get anything done.

 

[littletom]

Here 3 shank but everyone has different dirt. Other things to consider are duals,weight, 4wd do you have a loader on.

 

[plainsman53]

wbvs58: Are those some kind of seeder or planter boxes behind the shanks? If so, I'd like to know a little more about them.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I did not find any Yowans plows or Hayking plows on Tractor House, but they did have a couple other 4 or 5 shank rippers.

Any comments on using a 3 pt mount vs. trailer style unit ?

Any comments on Tebben vs. NH built ?

 

[Brute 23]

The three shank pictured is a subsoiler. It will get deeper then the renovator. It requires more hp per shank. We have one of each.

I like the one with the wheels. It would be easier on your 3pt hydraulics. The others you can adjust pretty good with your draw bar but it can be tricky. Even with good adjustment it really sucks in in soft ground.

With these pieces of equipment we have them hooked up ready too go after a good rain. It's not like a plow or disk where it will ball up if it's too wet. After a good rain you get out out there as soon as you can stand it. If you do it while it's good and wet it will cut perfect slices with very little damage to the grass.

 

[Angus Cowman]

We run subsoilers but we want the ground dry so we get the shatter in the hardpanif it is just slicing thru it isn't beneficail to us

 

[Nesikep]

I'm with Angus Cowman.. We like to do it after a grain crop, but when it's wet it's useless if you want to break the hardpan. If it slices and doesn't take any power, it's not doing much. A rejuvenator is fine for pasture that needs a scratching, but you aren't getting rid of compaction problems with it

Here's the tow rig we have.. I think it's about 75 horse at the wheels but weighs about 8 ton (yes, the tires are full, plus wheel weights, and it's not built light to begin with)


For a subsoiler, I'd say definitely 3pt hitch, especially if your tractor has draft control, which will make it possible to sink it as deep as the tractor has the power to pull it.. also, since most tractors will spin before running out of power, being able to lift will boost your traction dramatically.

Yes, this thing finds rocks, and it will bring them up.. Biggest I was able to bring up with it was about 3' around, and it took a lot of scratching around it until I got a bite on it.. biggest problem is the tractor doesn't have live hydraulics (they're PTO powered, and that's on the same clutch as the drive) so I couldn't pull and lift at the same time, it was one or the other. It was real fun trying to get that rock from between the tractor and the ripper once it was out of the ground too

 

[wbvs58]

wbvs58: Are those some kind of seeder or planter boxes behind the shanks? If so, I'd like to know a little more about them.

Yeh they are just seed pots I made up to sprinkle seed into the broken ground behind the shank. The pot is 100mm PVC drainage pipe glued onto a 100 to 50mm reducer and a couple of end caps, all very cheap from the plumbing supplies. There is that plastic coated flexible curtain wire suspended through it and out the hole to just touch the ground and as it moves along it gets a bit of a jiggle and the seed trickles out works very well.

Just on those tines the feet just slip on the shank and a bit of heavy wire pushed through and bent back stops them from slipping off. Those feet would be as wide as those on Nesi's so they give plenty of lift and seperate. They are great to watch as the ground lifts up yet the grass is minimumly disturbed. The ground becomes a real mongrel to drive over afterwards though. The feet are a wear item but there are replaceable inserts available which will double their life. In that photo you can see the shear pin end on in the red part in the top left of the photo, it is just 12mm steel rod cut in 120mm lengths. They are easy to replace in less than a minute and I break plenty of them.

The bottom has an end cap with centre bolt and a variety of holes to select the most suitable for the size of the seed.
Ken

 

[plainsman53]

wbvs58: Thanks for the reply! Especially those detailed pictures of the seeders. Making your own leaves quite a bit of money for seed or fuel.