Building a drag to clear & level land

[mbryson]

Posting as I'll be wanting to use this idea in the Spring?

 

[ID Bronco]

I think I posted this already earlier in this thread. My old man uses a steal grate approximately 6x3 with a couple large tractor tires on it for weight and about 9’ of 3/8’s or bigger chain hooked to each corner on the back. It works awesome next time I’m over there I’ll take a pic. He drags 8 acres with it behind his truck.

I'd love to see this, I need something like this.

 

[mesha]

Here is a drag chain we ran across hunting this year. You could do something like this. It would fit all your wants, portable, cheap, easy to store. These get pulled with 2 D9s but I bet the Willy’s could do it.

 

[Hickey]

Here is a drag chain we ran across hunting this year. You could do something like this. It would fit all your wants, portable, cheap, easy to store. These get pulled with 2 D9s but I bet the Willy’s could do it.

The guy that excavated my rv pad on my recreation property told me about how they used those to chain over the dead burnt trees after the Wood Hollow fire went through the area. He said it took him and another D9 operator a month to get it done.

 

[Bart]

2 D9s = Willys. That's about right.

 

[Houndoc]

I will try to remember to take some pics of the drag a friend made for me this fall. Did a great job at clearing weeds and breaking up ground.

 

[Stephen]

2 D9s = Willys. That's about right.

I mean, they are farm implements, right?

 

[mbryson]

It was kind of funny to have people still using their vintage Jeeps and equipment in the '80s in Cache Valley. Not a lot of people had the implements but some were still in service. I remember a plow and post hole digger specifically but never paid much attention to how they worked.

 

[Jesser04]

 

[Jesser04]

He took the tires off for some reason. He drags his field about once a month with it and has for the last 20 years.

 

[Houndoc]

Couple pics of drag I had built. Mostly for our horse riding arena, but it had become pretty overgrown and it did good job tearing them out. Designed to have either deeper or shallower points.

 

[Greg]

Put the CJ2A to work yesterday pulling the drag, the weeds on the property were growing and I wanted to make some passes to keep leveling it out. The drag is still working well, plenty of weight and just the right width.

 

[Greg]

The drag now has a few RR ties on it to keep it down and really helps cut down the high spots. I pulled it around with the longbed Cummings and that's a lot of truck to be driving around less than an acre with a tree in the middle. Still, it cleaned up the property well. I had a lot of tumbleweeds growing and they clog up the drag, so I'd have to stop and remove them.

I honestly need to drag the property 2-3 times a year to stay on top of the growth, not once a year.

I really need a certain CJ5 running and driving, so I can use it as my 'tractor' vs the big Dodge.

 

[ID Bronco]

I need to do this, I fight weeds all summer. Spraying and weedwacking them down. I think I'm going to build the axle weed cutter thingy too.

 

[UNSTUCK]

The only drag I ever made was used for spreading pea gravel on a new driveway. It was just a pallet and a chain. It worked perfect for what I needed. The hard part was pulling it with my VERY rev hungry Yamaha Banshee. Not ideal, but I also didn't have a CJ5.

 

[Greg]

I need to do this, I fight weeds all summer. Spraying and weedwacking them down. I think I'm going to build the axle weed cutter thingy too.

I used to mow it, but the rocks would tear up blades and it was just hard on the mower. With the drag, it's really helped level out the land.

I'd like to kill all the weeds and plant something that looks decent, but being surrounded by 3 properties that have weeds, I'm not sure how long it would last. I'd also need to figure out how to water it, once I plant something. I put down some Clover seed down last Spring, but it didn't take.

 

[ID Bronco]

I used to mow it, but the rocks would tear up blades and it was just hard on the mower. With the drag, it's really helped level out the land.

I'd like to kill all the weeds and plant something that looks decent, but being surrounded by 3 properties that have weeds, I'm not sure how long it would last. I'd also need to figure out how to water it, once I plant something. I put down some Clover seed down last Spring, but it didn't take.

That's good feedback. I also want to plant grass or clover on mine, but I can only flood irrigate it, so how does one plant it and use flood irrigation without washing it all out? I haven't found a solution yet. I have an implement I can pull with a pick up. I'll do that as soon as it melts and dries out here. I have a few moto jumps my kids don't use anymore that I'll need a tractor to level out. Your place looks good in the photos.

 

[Greg]

Getting an early start on fighting the weed growth, weed killer mixed with marking die so I can see whats been covered. I started with a backpack sprayer and after a handful of hours, I had blisters on my feet, my pump arm was sore and I said Eff this... bought a 30 gallon, 3 sprayer boom at Tractor Supply to pull behind the yard tractor.



I picked up a ton of rocks too, 3 loads... and there's more out there.



I'm hoping to actually plant something this Spring and set up temporary irrigation watering to get it growing for the first year. I'm leaning towards Blue Grama, which is a type of Buffalo Grass. It's not easy to plant and get started, but it doesn't need frequent watering once established and fully grown is around 18" tall.

 

[Hickey]

I say plant the devils lettuce.

 

[Greg]

I say plant the devils lettuce.

I can't do anything with it... 🤷‍♂️