Subsoiler Question

I have a one bottom 3pt subsoiler I bought. Does a coulter on a subsoiler make much difference? Does it keep the clods from forming on each side of the furrow?
Also how well does a mole help?

A coulter will help with ridges on he sides of the cut. Very worthwhile having.

I'm not overly experienced with subsoilers but I'd think that the coulter would only be helpful in trashy ground, especially if vines are present that would ball up on the shank. As for the mole, its purpose is to create drainage tunnels through the ground, not for increased tillage of the soil. If using the subsoiler to shatter hardpan the drier the ground and the higher the speed the better since you'll get more shattering action. If you're wanting to create drainage pathways with a mole you'd want the ground to be more moist.

Never used one without a coulter.

Yes makes almost every crumb of soil go one way.

If your talking about the simple single shank three point subsoiler I have never seen them with a coulter. Most of them do not have a frame as such for a coulter to mount on. The shape of the shank makes difference too. The parabolic ones, with the big curve, the coulter does not do much good with chunks and such but will help keep trash from building up. The straight shank ones where the front face is right at a 90 degree angle to the ground then the coulters help a good bit. They will disturb the surface less.

Keep in mind you should be using any ripper when it is dry. You need to lift and shatter the hard pan. IF the ground is wet then you will just cut groves in the ground and can actually make the drainage worse. The straight shank rippers require more speed to get as good of shatter compared to the parabolic ones but the straight shank ripper will leave a smoother surface.

Running amole behind the ripper shank only helps if you have some where to start that allows natural drainage to happen. Meaning like backing up to a creek bank and starting out. The "mole" will make a route for water to drain. If your starting at a level surface the mole will do little if any good.

Always subsoil ground like the water should drain too. Think like you where going to run tile lines. So if you go across a ditch finish by running once up the ditch so the water brought into the ditch can run out. IF you do not you can turn your field into a wet area.

Google Hay King Pasture Renovator. It has the coulters and tells you what they are for and what the subsoiler does and why. I have had one for 6 years now and won't be without it. It gets down deep, depth depends on tilt of the unit but 8-10 inches in one pass in hard clay is what I get running 4 shanks level in mid range gears on a 65 hp 4wd. The coulters split sod and hard clay and keeps ground disturbance to a minimum. Coulters also cut bermuda grass runners making a new plant every time it cuts one.....that's where it gets it's name.

wOW! YOU must have dramatically different ground then I have up here in So. Mn. I pull 4 shanks with a 210 horse Cat trac.

(quoted from post at 20:08:18 02/17/17) wOW! YOU must have dramatically different ground then I have up here in So. Mn. I pull 4 shanks with a 210 horse Cat trac.

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I agree on different ground! We currently pull 2 -7 shank rippers but it takes 480 hp

You're probably ripping twice as deep as what a Hay King renovator does, though.

The subsoiler like he is asking about will generaly cut omly 10-12" deep, not the 2' like what you guys are talking about andthose around are refered to as deep eippers, Have never heard of a subsoiler with more than one shank. Several years ago a friend ran his 1 shank over my field and it seemed to do quite a bit of good. And his was a bigger tractor than most of thase single shank subsoilers were made for, it was an Allis WD. And never heard of one having a coulter but under trash it would be a good idea. And as for leaving the ground smoother the more it is piled up beside the cut means the better it has cracked up the hardpan as loose dirt will always take up more space than hardpacked dirt will. You always use a subsoiler in later driest part of summer, never when ground is damp let alone wet. The mole that takes more power to pull than the average tractor that would be pulling it has will crack up the ground more than a shank without it. Unless you have a heavy duty pull type, no 3 point hitch and made for the mole the unit would not be strong enough to add one. And chaces are it in just a short will would be no ware to be found being burried underground someplace. Your disk chisels are designed to work deeper than yjose single shank subsoilers were designed to go as they were designed to break up the plow hardpan that was 6-8" down.

The AC Sub-Soiler I HAD (Now Stolen) always was used on my WD-45 and I am SURE it went in way further than 12"..!!

My Grandad used to pull it in 3rd gear..but I only used 2nd..that thing will PULL Harder than a 3-mottom plow, for sure..

Would anyone know of an AC Sub-Soiler ( Preferable for the Snap-Coupler..but one for a WD is fine too)...

They are the next best thin to putting in Tile..!!

The usual idea is to rip DEEPER than the Hard-pan and if it goes that deep..I Doubt you would pull even 2..and if so..no more than 2..!!

What works for you is Great...

There are times when the "Traction Booster" will raise the front wheels ( with the lever all the way down and holding the Hand Clutch Back to help lower the front) with my ONE shank (In some of my ground)...!!!

Makes the job interesting..almost fun.. I like seeing the tall Blue Flame above the muffler pipe..!