Ground Prep/Leveling

[mml373]

We made a loop out of our driveway last year, which required removal of fencing, and I'm looking at putting new pasture fence up, set in from the driveway extension. The ground is undulating/uneven, and I was wondering how best to prepare it/make it flat. Is a tiller appropriate? We will want to do some garden bed prep work, also, is the reason I ask...my hope is a tiller could do both. Looking at a tiller somewhere between 48 and 72 inches, could pull with the big or the little tractor (although a 35hp 2wd tractor may not be sufficient for even a 48" reverse tine tiller in our rocky soil).

Pluses or minuses for reverse tine? I'm looking into a reverse tine tiller for better ground work. We do have rocks here in the Ozarks, so am guessing I'll have to pick rocks/debris out from in front of the tiller (reverse tine) at least the first times through.

Thanks for any helpful replies.

 

[Mountain trapper]

How uneven is your ground? Are you talking about hills, or just what was chewed up from the excavation equipment? Can you use a back blade on your tractor to smooth it down some? What kind of fence are you putting in, how long of a run? If you have very rocky ground a tiller of any type probably wouldn't hold together very long.

 

[mml373]

How uneven is your ground? Are you talking about hills, or just what was chewed up from the excavation equipment? Can you use a back blade on your tractor to smooth it down some? What kind of fence are you putting in, how long of a run? If you have very rocky ground a tiller of any type probably wouldn't hold together very long.

A few hundred feet of high tensile, with at least one gate. Ground is fairly rocky, but the tillers I've considered are supposed to be able to handle rocks. Most of the rocks are fist sized or less.

A back blade may work, but the issue there is cost...for something I may not use much, meanwhile...garden season is coming. I don't own either piece of equipment at this time but we have a legitimate need for garden bed prep this year.

 

[Peanut]

In this case a picture is worth a thousand words... Seeing the ground would make an answer simple. Post a pic looking down the proposed fence line. But from your description... if you got dips and bumps 3 or 4ft high... for several hundred ft... I'd rent a small track hoe.

 

[Mountain trapper]

A few hundred feet of high tensile, with at least one gate. Ground is fairly rocky, but the tillers I've considered are supposed to be able to handle rocks. Most of the rocks are fist sized or less.

A back blade may work, but the issue there is cost...for something I may not use much, meanwhile...garden season is coming. I don't own either piece of equipment at this time but we have a legitimate need for garden bed prep this year.

I see. With small rocks like that a tiller should work, especially with a short run. Can you rent a back blade? I use my back blade a lot. In fact it's worn out and I need to replace it this year.

 

[Peanut]

Rental prices aren't that bad... even for 4 or 5 ton, a 1-ton is cheap

 

[Weedygarden]

In this case a picture is worth a thousand words... Seeing the ground would make an answer simple. Post a pic looking down the proposed fence line. But from your description... if you got dips and bumps 3 or 4ft high... for several hundred ft... I'd rent a small track hoe.

I so agree. It's really hard to give advice if you have no idea what it really looks like.

We made a loop out of our driveway last year, which required removal of fencing, and I'm looking at putting new pasture fence up, set in from the driveway extension. The ground is undulating/uneven, and I was wondering how best to prepare it/make it flat. Is a tiller appropriate? We will want to do some garden bed prep work, also, is the reason I ask...my hope is a tiller could do both. Looking at a tiller somewhere between 48 and 72 inches, could pull with the big or the little tractor (although a 35hp 2wd tractor may not be sufficient for even a 48" reverse tine tiller in our rocky soil).

Pluses or minuses for reverse tine? I'm looking into a reverse tine tiller for better ground work. We do have rocks here in the Ozarks, so am guessing I'll have to pick rocks/debris out from in front of the tiller (reverse tine) at least the first times through.

Thanks for any helpful replies.

Much missing information. How much land are you talking about? An acre? More, less? You mentioned a pasture. How big is the pasture? Is it the pasture that is uneven? Are you wanting to make the pasture more level? What do you want to do with the land once you've leveled it? Field? Garden? Crops?