Surprise! Renovator gets results.

[gabby]

This spring I bought a Hay King renovator but I didn't use it much because it's been so dry.

I just noticed this spot where I did make a pass with it. All the grass is still green where it ran and the other grass around it is wilted. It's bahia grass.

I made this pass in April, and you can see how the grass died where the shanks ran due to the drought, but the grass between the rows is still green so it must have done some good.

 

[Jogeephus]

I got the same results after breaking my plow pan. Its amazing how packed the soil can get.

 

[rmcva]

This spring I bought a Hay King renovator but I didn't use it much because it's been so dry.

I just noticed this spot where I did make a pass with it. All the grass is still green where it ran and the other grass around it is wilted. It's bahia grass.

I made this pass in April, and you can see how the grass died where the shanks ran due to the drought, but the grass between the rows is still green so it must have done some good.

Thanks for posting the picture. Been trying to buy a used one that's on a boxwood farm. They bought it to use between the rows of boxwoods and the roots are so thick they have to have a bag of shear bolts to get from one end of the row to the other. So it's been sitting for 7 years now.

I use a cat.2 JD subsoiler at times. It's brought some fields back to life. Also found that where I have spots of broom straw/sage the soil is always harder there. Once subsoiled the grass thickens up and the broom straw goes away. But I'd like to have the renovator to cover more acres faster. Can also use it on hay fields where the subsoiler leaves to much of a ridge and only use it on old pasture.

I've seen the topic hashed over many times wheather it pays to renovate or not. Your picture is worth a thousand words. I'm sure there are soils across this country that renovating doesn't pay but here it does. Thanks.

 

[Brute 23]

They do work and it doesn't take long to do.

We renovate coastal patches every year and disk under every 3rd year. Keeps them nice.

 

[LaneFarms]

Gabby do you think the hay king does a better job of aeriating the soil than a aer-way aeriator.

 

[Cabo]

Do you by chance have a pic of the soil right after you ran the Hay King over it, curious about how much is disturbs the contour of the soil.

 

[gabby]

Gabby do you think the hay king does a better job of aeriating the soil than a aer-way aeriator.

Yes I do. I tried an Aer-Way several years ago and sent it back.

 

[gabby]

Do you by chance have a pic of the soil right after you ran the Hay King over it, curious about how much is disturbs the contour of the soil.

Don't have a picture taken just after a pass, but it works very cleanly. I learned that the slicer disks have to be perfectly aligned in front of the rippers. If they're off, the rippers will flip dirt out to one side and leave it on the surface.

 

[MrBilly]

There is a pic on the hay king site.

http://www.hayking.com/photogallery/Renovator-field.jpg

Billy

 

[Cabo]

Thanks Gabby and MrBilly, that looks like what I need, now if I can fit it into my budget, I'll be set.

 

[gabby]

There is a pic on the hay king site.

http://www.hayking.com/photogallery/Renovator-field.jpg

Billy

That makes it look rough. I can do a much smoother job with mine. I think they need to align their cutters and rippers better.

 

[Brute 23]

There is a pic on the hay king site.

http://www.hayking.com/photogallery/Renovator-field.jpg

Billy

That looks rougher than when we do it but how packed the soil is,, and how dry the soil is will make alot of difference.

The best time to do it is when it is just wet enough that it makes a perfect cut but stayes seperated. If the ground is so wet that it falls in on the cut that is no good and if it is too dry then you tear up more grass,,, like in the picture from hay king.

 

[Texas Gal]

I inadvertently conducted a renovation experiment in our front pasture (bermuda grass) this year. I ran the Hay King over the south side of the pasture back in April but never got to the north side due to all the rain. Both sides were fertilized and sprayed for weeds the same;now the south side that was "renovated" is noticeably thicker than the north side. I plan to run the renovator over the rest of that pasture and a couple of others in the spring.

 

[gabby]

Looks like Hay King is having a good day thanks to this thread. Reckon they will throw us a party?? :lol:

 

[rmcva]

Looks like Hay King is having a good day thanks to this thread. Reckon they will throw us a party?? :lol:

How deep are you running the shanks?

 

[gabby]

Looks like Hay King is having a good day thanks to this thread. Reckon they will throw us a party?? :lol:

How deep are you running the shanks?

I let it float and they run maybe 6 inches deep. I added some weight with some 1/2 inch log chain but it didn't make much difference.

 

[alabama]

How wide is that thing and what does it cost?
I want one and I want it now.

 

[The Bachelor]

kinda looks like a boxblade without the sheet metal. I'm almost thinking I can build one of those things

 

[Brute 23]

Hay King is probably marking everything up right now after reading this.

 

[alabama]

kinda looks like a boxblade without the sheet metal. I'm almost thinking I can build one of those things

It would be easy to make out of two pieces of 4X4 tube and bolt on shank and coulter holders. It works a lot like a strip till and in fact it could be used like one.