Chain harrow advice please (for quad)

johngalway

Hi folks,

One of the items on my list for my future quad is a chain harrow. Now, I'll admit I don't know much about them

From what little I've read they can be used to open up the ground a bit and let air in to promote grass growth? They can be used on tightly grazed or sprayed off land as part of a reseed? And can be used to break up dead vegetation?

Are those correct?

Eventually I wouldn't mind giving a reseed a go, land isn't suitable for a tractor so it'd be pulled by quad. I'll be spraying off some creeping gorse too and was wondering will it break them up after they die off?

Also, I've a lot of rushes sprayed off now. After I cut them and finally do them in will the chain harrow help to break up any tufts or "stumps" left by the rushes to level the place a little?

I guess the two most important questions are will a chain harrow of this size/weight be of any practical use? And, will it tear the guts out of the quad?

I just need to be educated a bit on their uses and pitfalls really.

The one I was looking at is on Ebay, number 120393931234.

ATB,

John

5live

We used use a chain harrow afer reseeding to cover the seed but i would doubt it could break up rush lumps in the ground. Hoping to use roco weedlicker with roundup to get regrowth after cutting last week and hope the base dies off over winter. Guess i still believe in miracles:rolleyes:

Muckit

Hi John

We've a 10' one we pull behind tractor, but they are all the same principle regardless of width. They are excellent to level grazing ground that has been poached by livestock etc. Sometimes if ground is extra rough, 2-3 passes in different directions may be needed to level things out.

As for removing tufts of rushes, I'm not so sure I'm afraid:rolleyes: They are designed to glide over anything extra tough so that they don't pull out grass, just light weeds and moss. We used it in the spring time before spreading manure and it did a great job.

As for using them for reseeding, As 5live said, they are mainly used just to cover grass seed by turning them upside down (tines facing upwards). Lads however are using them to ruffle the ground a bit before just broadcasting grass seed on top, but this practice would be better described as 'overseeding'. Better still if slurry is spread on top straght after, but this isn't any option for you.

You could burn off old grass, gorse, rushes etc in spring with round up. Ruffle then with chain harrow, scatter grass seed (bag/acre) and shake 3 bags 10-10-20/acre and don't forget to LIME, this is especially inportant when not ploughing as acid in the decaying burnt off grass will effect new grass seeedings growth, 2 bags gran-lime/acre. It's come down alot in price now and well worth doing at €7.50/bag. You'I get better bang for your buck from fertiliser too when land is limed right too;)

Your sheep will hopefully then be enjoying good grass for the next 10years:D

Bodacious

johngalway wrote: »

Hi folks,

One of the items on my list for my future quad is a chain harrow. Now, I'll admit I don't know much about them

From what little I've read they can be used to open up the ground a bit and let air in to promote grass growth? They can be used on tightly grazed or sprayed off land as part of a reseed? And can be used to break up dead vegetation?

Are those correct?

Eventually I wouldn't mind giving a reseed a go, land isn't suitable for a tractor so it'd be pulled by quad. I'll be spraying off some creeping gorse too and was wondering will it break them up after they die off?

Also, I've a lot of rushes sprayed off now. After I cut them and finally do them in will the chain harrow help to break up any tufts or "stumps" left by the rushes to level the place a little?

I guess the two most important questions are will a chain harrow of this size/weight be of any practical use? And, will it tear the guts out of the quad?

I just need to be educated a bit on their uses and pitfalls really.

The one I was looking at is on Ebay, number 120393931234.

ATB,

John

Did you buy the chain harrow in the end? I bought a 6ft one there for the same crack behind the quad and its a dinger.... €220 brand new in the west also if you didnt get sorted pm me

johngalway

Bodacious wrote: »

Did you buy the chain harrow in the end? I bought a 6ft one there for the same crack behind the quad and its a dinger.... €220 brand new in the west also if you didnt get sorted pm me

I didn't. The recession and Department asshattery interfered in my finances, hoping to get at least one of the two sorted out soon

johngalway

Bodacious wrote: »

Did you buy the chain harrow in the end? I bought a 6ft one there for the same crack behind the quad and its a dinger.... €220 brand new in the west also if you didnt get sorted pm me

Hi Bodacious, where is that one in the West you mention?

Bodacious

johngalway wrote: »

Hi Bodacious, where is that one in the West you mention?

Its Johnston farm equipment in Longford town they have an ad on donedeal ask for Kane or cyril.

Mine is a great machine and quality is good, i think they import them from holland but i think they also have gone up a bit

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/machinery/1857658

johngalway

Jaysus, when did Longford move to the West? :pac: I've fired them off an email anyhow.

Username John

This is a ittle off topic - but when ye discuss "chain harrows" I know there is the type shown in the donedeal link above,

But do any of ye use the old "zig-zag" type harrows? Like this one

We have one of these at home, and it wasnt used in a long time. But it was used before for after reseeding to cover the seed.
I always thougt it would be too light for harrowing on grass, and was kinda half afraid that I'd make sh'ite of it.

Be interesting to hear if ye do. As I might give it a go on some old grass that I have, that could badly do with pulling the old dead grass out of it....

reilig

Username John wrote: »

This is a ittle off topic - but when ye discuss "chain harrows" I know there is the type shown in the donedeal link above,

But do any of ye use the old "zig-zag" type harrows? Like this one

We have one of these at home, and it wasnt used in a long time. But it was used before for after reseeding to cover the seed.
I always thougt it would be too light for harrowing on grass, and was kinda half afraid that I'd make sh'ite of it.

Be interesting to hear if ye do. As I might give it a go on some old grass that I have, that could badly do with pulling the old dead grass out of it....

That's a horse harrow, we have 2 at home also. i think they join together to make a full harrow. They were used on ploughed land to break up the sod after ploughing with a single furrow horse plough - the sod wouldn't have been very thick or deep. Theywere used for covering seed as you rightly pointed out. They were also used to break up bedding and manure that would have been tipped from a horse or donkey cart and spread with a grape.

The pins in them are very long and very well spaced, so i don't know if they would be suitable for harrowing grass - removing the dead grass etc.

Username John

reilig wrote: »

That's a horse harrow, we have 2 at home also. i think they join together to make a full harrow. They were used on ploughed land to break up the sod after ploughing with a single furrow horse plough - the sod wouldn't have been very thick or deep. Theywere used for covering seed as you rightly pointed out. They were also used to break up bedding and manure that would have been tipped from a horse or donkey cart and spread with a grape.

The pins in them are very long and very well spaced, so i don't know if they would be suitable for harrowing grass - removing the dead grass etc.

Yes - it is a horse harrow, and yep, they join together to make a bigger harrow. The last time it was used, was with a horse, which was a while ago now...

You could be right re the pins being too far apart, I didnt think of that to be honest... Thinking about it, I guess the grass / soil would only be pushed to either side, and then pushed again by the next pin behind it, which would be grand for covering seed...

Must have a closer look...

Thanks Reilg

reilig

Username John wrote: »

Yes - it is a horse harrow, and yep, they join together to make a bigger harrow. The last time it was used, was with a horse, which was a while ago now...

You could be right re the pins being too far apart, I didnt think of that to be honest... Thinking about it, I guess the grass / soil would only be pushed to either side, and then pushed again by the next pin behind it, which would be grand for covering seed...

Must have a closer look...

Thanks Reilg

To be honest, I think that the biggest issue with them would be the length of the pins in them. Pins in a modern chain harrow are short whereas these are 4 to 6 inches long.

Horace

Does anyone have a contact number for the guy who were selling chain harrows on donedeal or have any details of anyone else selling chain harrows in Ireland ,im in Cork and would be looking for either a 7 or 8 ft one for use with a ford 4000 i found some on ebay but they are all in the UK. Also which are better the ones which are mounted on the lift or the ones that are towed i would be using it to rake out moss from grass land and level/spread the dung heaps (cow paths ) and a over seeding

blue5000

Username John wrote: »

This is a ittle off topic - but when ye discuss "chain harrows" I know there is the type shown in the donedeal link above,

But do any of ye use the old "zig-zag" type harrows? Like this one

We have one of these at home, and it wasnt used in a long time. But it was used before for after reseeding to cover the seed.
I always thougt it would be too light for harrowing on grass, and was kinda half afraid that I'd make sh'ite of it.

Be interesting to hear if ye do. As I might give it a go on some old grass that I have, that could badly do with pulling the old dead grass out of it....

Ya we have a few of them, pins aren't v long anymore. Local blacksmith used to hate re-doing the pins when he was young. Now they are used to block gaps in the hedges.

Congrats Johngalway on the new mod appointment, only noticed it today.

johngalway

blue5000 wrote: »

Congrats Johngalway on the new mod appointment, only noticed it today.

Cheers Blue, I've been double jobbing for a few days now, you're the first to see it

reilig

Congrats John.

I didn't even notice.

Well done!!