subsoiler, how big would you go?

casered · Oct 17, 2008

We switched over to no till on our farm this past year and I was thinking that a subsoiler would be a good idea now that we are no longer tilling the ground. We have a 2wd 7120 magnum with duals. Our soil is mostly shale knobs with some lighter topsoil bottom ground. What would be the maximum number of shanks that I would want to put behind this setup and still be able to handle comfortably? I am thinking probably a three point setup but would be interested in what people think would be a most appropriate setup. I want something that would have minimum ground disturbance, we have some neighbors that pull a subsoiler and their grond seems to be really "rooted" up on top.

kyplowboy · Oct 17, 2008

I know differnt pieces of iron are called differnt things in differnt areas but around here what I have always heard called a subsoiler is a long straight shank with a big shoe on the bottom and it brings every thing 2' down up to the top. Some contraptions I have heard called a ripper don't have as big of shanks and alot smaller shoe on'm. Any ground I have ever seen that was subsoiled had huge ridges in it and had to be worked down in the spring. Depending on how they are set up some rippers will do this and some will not. Most of the ones used around here in min-till or even strip till situations are the disk rippers, they leave most of the residue inplace. People then can come back in the spring and not till over where it has been. I am thinking that a rule of thumb is around 50 hp/shank.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Dave

casered · Oct 17, 2008

Thank you, I was thinking of a ripper when I wrote it and didnt even realize I was writing subsoiler. I was thinking 3 or maybe 4 shank but just wasnt sure what it would handle.

Thanks again

davpal · Oct 17, 2008

I think Iowa Gary has posted some pictures of his setup on here before. Seems like he had a 7120 magnum or something similar. Maybe he will chime in here for you and show you the pics he had on here last fall.

Ole Shovel · Oct 18, 2008

There are lots of different kinds of rippers now. We always called staying on top of the hard pan chiseling and going below the hard pan subsoiling no matter what was used to do it. Paratill is one made near here that doesn't leave the ground so rough on top and works on beds or flat ground with or without other attachments behind it.
Paratill

Anonymous-0 · Oct 18, 2008

I borrowed a 7 shank ripper/chisel last week for a tobacco field (very hard and dry)8-9" deep White 2-105 was glad to take it home. Kyhayman would have rec. a two shank subsoiler but neighbor did'nt have one.

jwal10 · Oct 18, 2008

I always used a subsoiler to get below the hardpan and get the soil opened up to the drainage tile. I found that a 3 point, V model John Deere pulled the easiest. The V type have the teeth staggered so they don"t push the soil out against the next shank. The shanks are curved so the point is ahead of it"s mounting so it creates some lift that puts weight on the tractor. I pulled a 7 shank model with 5 shanks with a 4240 with duals at 16". a 9 shank with 7 with a 4640 and an 11 shank with 9 shanks with a 4840. This put the shanks at 30" apart. The tractor needs some speed to keep from heaving and making fields too rough, 4th gear in a power shift tractor worked well for me. I usually went at an angle across a field in 2 directions at 90 degrees to each other. I know some people thought that deeper was better just like plowing but I found that if I plowed at 6-7" and subsoiled at 16" it was most cost effective plus I put my tile at only 30" deep...James

Leland · Oct 18, 2008

Fill the tires add lots of weight and go a 3-4 shank should work the old girl ,around here you can rent rent them from the local soil and water office .

subsoiler, how big would you go?

casered

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kyplowboy

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casered

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davpal

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Ole Shovel

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Anonymous-0

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jwal10

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Leland

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