"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus
R Scott wrote:Cool.
I think you could reconfigure an old ferguson plow without welding, they are entirely bolted together: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ferguson_Plow_with_coulters_and_jointers_hooked_via_3_point_hitch_to_600_series_Ford_tractor.jpg
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus
R Scott wrote:Thanks. Now I get what you are doing with the hiller disk.
I also see why you need a ~60+ hp, 6,000+ lb tractor to pull it. You have one shot to get it full depth.
Did you keyline/rip under where you placed the mound? Wondering if that would help infiltration and root penetration.
You could do it in multiple passes if you really wanted/had to, but you have to re-track your path perfectly or risk a wonky swale profile (or have to touch it up by hand).
What we learn to do, we learn by doing.-Aristotle
John Merrifield wrote:
You could do it in multiple passes if you really wanted/had to, but you have to re-track your path perfectly or risk a wonky swale profile (or have to touch it up by hand).
I'm not sure I understand how you could make multiple passes without compacting the swale berm. Could you elaborate?
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus
R Scott wrote:
I had been looking for a big one bottom plow, like an 18" or 20", to make swales but no luck around here (they were always rare). But a 2-12 or 2-14 is very common. If I set it up so I can drive in the furrow (like "normal" plowing), then I could do it in multiple passes and get by with my little tractor.
This is so cool!!! I was dreading the cost of getting a machine here and working between the machine's timeline, mine, and the weather. This will make me much more independent.
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus
Zone 5/6
Annual rainfall: 40 inches / 1016 mm
Kansas City area discussion going on here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1707573296152799/
J Anders wrote:I was driving by a farm field today and I started thinking about swale building plows.
The idea came to me that a person could take a two bottom plow, put in a cutter and a couple discs ahead and to the left of the front bottom, set a graduated depths. The discs on the left hand side of the front bottom would cut into the slope and leave a more "gradual" angle than what you normally get with a plow bottom. And then, behind the first plow bottom, put one more bottom aligned in the center so that it throws and you end up with two dead furrows and a relatively large mound of dirt on the far right hand side so you get a good swale.
Something else that would likely help is putting in a keyline plow ahead of the back bottom, along with a cutter for that as well. That would help to trap water flowing up to 18-24" below ground depending on how deep it could go.
I do realize that something this heavy and complicated would take a 100HP tractor to pull. Just an idea and I haven't seen a proper swale plow yet.
Here's one way to do it with a smaller setup: https://permies.com/t/28896/Swale-berm-planting-suggestions
Travis Johnson wrote:
J Anders wrote:I was driving by a farm field today and I started thinking about swale building plows.
The idea came to me that a person could take a two bottom plow, put in a cutter and a couple discs ahead and to the left of the front bottom, set a graduated depths. The discs on the left hand side of the front bottom would cut into the slope and leave a more "gradual" angle than what you normally get with a plow bottom. And then, behind the first plow bottom, put one more bottom aligned in the center so that it throws and you end up with two dead furrows and a relatively large mound of dirt on the far right hand side so you get a good swale.
Something else that would likely help is putting in a keyline plow ahead of the back bottom, along with a cutter for that as well. That would help to trap water flowing up to 18-24" below ground depending on how deep it could go.
I do realize that something this heavy and complicated would take a 100HP tractor to pull. Just an idea and I haven't seen a proper swale plow yet.
Here's one way to do it with a smaller setup: https://permies.com/t/28896/Swale-berm-planting-suggestions
I love your idea, and your idea had merit unto itself, but I wonder if there is a way to reduce the friction of the soil? I was thinking maybe something like the Viking Bulldozer Blade that can transfer 1-1/2 times the weight of the bulldozer in a single pass.
Another thought is to use your idea of discs or plows to bust up the soil, but to get the ideal shape of the swale...but without the friction of the soil on a blade, use Douglas type rotary harrows, but with much bigger paddles to get the profile. If these were on axis that were adjustable, and the diamters of the various harrows were bigger or smaller, the profile could be made with a lot less friction. All this would break up the clods as it was harrowed out too. I am wondering if they could be in mesh with guage wheels so that expensive angle drives and pto shafting would not have to be devised.
You'll find me in my office. I'll probably be drinking. And reading this tiny ad.
3D Plans - Sauna Rocket Heater
https://permies.com/t/193729/Plans-Sauna-Rocket-Heater
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