Chain Harrow

Grecco

My place is badly poached this year, its like a garden in places!!
Anyway there used to be an old chain harrow growing in the briers years ago but I stupidly gave it away to one of those charity scrap collection days that go on though it wasn't used on the farm in over 50 years I still felt bad about letting it go like that. Now I don`t want to pull the roller n the land again when it dries out a bit as its destroying the structure of the ground so I`m in the market for a chain harrow.
Any recommendations for types and manufactures. (My land is heavy muddy ground) and would a disc harrow be worth considering or is that only used after plowing ???
And what about a spike harrow are they any good and what are they used for???

massey woman

Like yours our land is in sh**te also. For the last few weeks we have been rolling the drier fields with a half filled 30" steel roller. I agree with your concerns on soil structure but feel the land will recover quicker when all the tracks are levelled rather than the current situation where tracks are full of water. Not sure that chain harrow will have much impact on wet ground,,?

reilig

Same problem here. A lot of poaching which has filled up with water. None of the land is trafficable with a tractor so its not an option to roll. I plan to go over it all with the land leveller when it dries - perhaps twice, then overseed, then roll lightly. It's probably going to be next spring when its dry enough, but that's the plan for now. Don't think a chain harrow would be any good for the reinstatiing poached ground.

Black Smoke

reilig wrote: »

Same problem here. A lot of poaching which has filled up with water. None of the land is trafficable with a tractor so its not an option to roll. I plan to go over it all with the land leveller when it dries - perhaps twice, then overseed, then roll lightly. It's probably going to be next spring when its dry enough, but that's the plan for now. Don't think a chain harrow would be any good for the reinstatiing poached ground.

Chain harrow, with a bit of weight added on top can do a good job on poached land, after a good frost!
Top of ground breaks up nicely. Light roll afterwards if you want.

bob charles

probably best to forget for this year if the land is currently too wet. You will be surprised how well the land will heal over the winter. I have often found a heavily stocked light bunch of weanlings during dry conditions can correct allot of poaching problems. With poaching avoiding it in the first place is the most economic way of doing business but fancy trying to do that this year

RobinBanks

I bought a chain harrow this year Greco. It's a beaconsfield. Like you my land is very badly poached. As the year was going on I was using the harrow and it worked a treat in some of the drier fields but the heavier land which was heavily poached did not benefit from chain harrowing. It's just rips up to many scraws. I find that the land needs to be dry for chain harrowing. My advice is to leave it until things dry up. I agree that it will take a while to dry the way it is at the moment but if you go at it now have the seed ready because it will be ready for seeding when you finish with the harrow. The disc harrow sounds like a good idea though.

sprouty

Anybody use a Cambridge roller (corn roller ) on grassland- takes the tops off the poached areas without compaction & you can cover a lot of ground quickly?

pakalasa

Which is the best type, this type with the solid rings;




Or This type, the normal twisted steel chain type?

Conor556

pakalasa wrote: »

Which is the best type, this type with the solid rings;




Or This type, the normal twisted steel chain type?

We have the 1st one, find it good there is good weight to it makes a good job of hoof prints and if you leave the sides folded up makes a great job of tyre ruts

ootbitb

which would be the best for bringing up dead grass/moss in springtime?

Robson99

ootbitb wrote: »

which would be the best for bringing up dead grass/moss in springtime?

We have the second type and find it very good for pulling out dead grass. Ground needs to be good and dry though

Black Smoke

pakalasa wrote: »

Which is the best type, this type with the solid rings;




Or This type, the normal twisted steel chain type?

First one is in Mayo colours!
Is that a good or a bad thing?

pakalasa

Well, I'm asking the same question again. I went looking at both types and don't really know which type to go with. I need it for levelling land for silage and propably for reseeding (overseeding) too, down the road. The star cast type looks very strong, but I don't think it will bite into the ground like the Hackett Ranger type.
Anyone?

PN14

Lads & lasses,
Any comment on which type harrow is better for repairing poached land.

Had a look today at the ritchie 4m folding star type harrow galvanised frame similar to the red & green mayo colour one above.
Also looked at the more traditional harrow mat on a Hackett Framed Grass Harrow similar to the harrow in picture 2 above except if has a full painted frame all round.

Both are a similar price so thats not an issue. What I'd like to get anyones experiences on which is better for repairing poached ground.
Thanks in advance for any comments

lab man

i bought a ritchie way better made than all the others gave 1500 for it great job for reseeding

PN14

Hi Lab Man, similar price quoted myself to day well 50 quid more to be exact. Have you used it for repairing any poached bits around gaps or in soft patches in paddocks. Bits or repair work is really driving me to buying it. Any reseeding we have done over last couple of years has been plough & power harrow jobs by contractor but that said if I had the harrow would definately try a bit of over seed in a couple of fields where ploughing is not really suitable.

djmc

Thinking of buying one myself are they any good levelling on rushy ground or should I stick with the roller land is in a bad way after last year

PN14

Be interesting to find out to be honest. We're trying to decide between the landroller or harrow route and to be honest we kind of wanted to stay away from the roller if possible to be honest fields get enough of compaction as it is. However there's nothing worse than forking out for something that doesn't work afterwards hence looking to hear of lads first hand experience on here. I never mind paying for something that would improve things and be used regular enough. From speaking to the few local dealers they all seem to be selling more harrows this spring than they ever did. Guy I called to this morning had three in the yard all sold and said he had 16 sold this year.

1chippy

If it was a choice between a roller and a chain harrow, the harrow would win hands down.

TUBBY

Listened to Joe duffy today. one of the lads on described a harrowing experience :-)

Sorry

Dupont

TUBBY wrote: »

Listened to Joe duffy today. one of the lads on described a harrowing experience :-)

Sorry

He got it tangled in roots l???

bogman_bass

I spent an hour on saturday manhandling a 12 foot drag harrow through a muddy gap. if land isnt in one block go for the mounted option!

ootbitb

bogman_bass wrote: »

I spent an hour on saturday manhandling a 12 foot drag harrow through a muddy gap. if land isnt in one block go for the mounted option!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84162205

PN14

Was pretty much decided on going with a richie harrow with cast rings and levelling bar on the front however teagasc guy at discussion meeting last night kind of put me off and he was more in favour of the more traditional harrow type. I'm sure they both serve a particular purpose but for repairing poached ground what would be best.

Ritchie Harrow cast Rings/Star type galvanised frame with levelling bar


Hackett Harrow Traditional type harow mat.

lab man

sorry pn, only seen post now, ya they good for levelling keep the front off the ground by 2 inches ,, what do the teageasc fella know will he be using it i doubt it,, ground has to be dry for levelling for thm to work i always plough for seeding too but this year went this way for the cheap option thre a month ago and the grass is up anyway so i suppose thats a good sign.. lab man

lab man

oh ya you can turn the mat upside down on the richie so you can get a softer scratch if you know what i mean

PN14

Cheers Lab Man thanks for reply. Will have another look at the Richie one. Haven't bought yet rain last wednesday night / thursday morning down our way put off doing any work on repairing fields for a week or so

limosine

does anyone know where i can get the chain with solid rings? i only need the chain as i have a frame made up.

td5man

limosine wrote: »

does anyone know where i can get the chain with solid rings? i only need the chain as i have a frame made up.

http://chainharrowsireland.com/wp/