Plow Question...

CaveCreekRay

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L3800 HST, KingKutter box scraper, KingKutter 66" rake, County Pride Subsoiler
Jul 11, 2014
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Cave Creek, AZ
My Kubota came with a Kingkutter roto-tiller. After four years of ownership, I realize that I will not have a use for that implement so I am planning on selling it.

What I would like to do, is get/make a plow that can be used for trenching. Is there an implement that can be used, with one tooth on the rig, that will do a decent job of digging behind the machine?

I was thinking of making a custom ripper for my box scraper that would be half again as long as those it came with. The thinking there is I could mount it in the scraper and rip a single line. The boys at the local welding shop said that would be a tall task to weld up a longer tooth that would withstand the pounding of the additional moment arm. It would be good practice to use my stick welder to create a gusseted longer tooth. But then, you get into issues with the box digging in and disturbing adjacent areas.

Arizona has pretty rocky soil so a sod cutter from Illinois is unlikely to have the same success here. Anyone have any advice? I may have to make up a smaller version of the ripper tooth you see on the back of big Cat dozers.
 

Creature Meadow

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2012 L4600, Disk, Brush Hog, GB60 Garden Bedder, GSS72 Grading Scraper
Sep 19, 2016
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Central North Carolina
With the money you get for the sale of your tiller you could but a subsoiler. I bought one from Everythign Attachments to use for subsoiling my garden adn for putting in electrical and small diameter pipe.

This route has a bolt that breaks should you contact something large thus not damaging your implement or tractor. I just keep few spare bolts in tool box on tractor just inc case. I also use it to break roots that have grown above grown then I hook strap to them and pull them up with the loader.

here is a link to EA.

https://www.everythingattachments.com/searchresults.asp?Search=subsoiler&Submit=Submit
 

D2Cat

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L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
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I picked up a sub-soiler on CL last year for $100. King Kutter, I think. Brand new never used by previous owner, still is I haven't used it either!! (kinda like having a spare tire, never know when you'll need it)

And if you wanted to change the shape of the tooth, you'd have a welding project to modify it.
 

bucktail

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L1500DT, 6' king kutter back blade, boom, dirt scoop ford disk JD212
Jun 13, 2016
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MN
I picked up a sub-soiler on CL last year for $100. King Kutter, I think. Brand new never used by previous owner, still is I haven't used it either!! (kinda like having a spare tire, never know when you'll need it)

And if you wanted to change the shape of the tooth, you'd have a welding project to modify it.
pretty sure that the middle buster and sub shovels interchange. As close as you can tell with a tape measure anyway.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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Jun 9, 2013
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Sandpoint, ID
From my experiance in AZ, none of the cheap Subsoilers are going to work very well for you, my experience they will break or bend.

Here are two styles that might work, and that is if you can get enough traction and put enough grunt behind it to work.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200649012_200649012?cm_mmc=Google-pla

https://www.ebay.com/i/362121817004?chn=ps

This is a little lighter but might get the job done.

https://www.everythingattachments.c...act-Tractors-p/kk-sub-g-yp-pro-sub-soiler.htm
 

SDT

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multiple and various
Apr 15, 2018
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SE, IN
My Kubota came with a Kingkutter roto-tiller. After four years of ownership, I realize that I will not have a use for that implement so I am planning on selling it.

What I would like to do, is get/make a plow that can be used for trenching. Is there an implement that can be used, with one tooth on the rig, that will do a decent job of digging behind the machine?

I was thinking of making a custom ripper for my box scraper that would be half again as long as those it came with. The thinking there is I could mount it in the scraper and rip a single line. The boys at the local welding shop said that would be a tall task to weld up a longer tooth that would withstand the pounding of the additional moment arm. It would be good practice to use my stick welder to create a gusseted longer tooth. But then, you get into issues with the box digging in and disturbing adjacent areas.

Arizona has pretty rocky soil so a sod cutter from Illinois is unlikely to have the same success here. Anyone have any advice? I may have to make up a smaller version of the ripper tooth you see on the back of big Cat dozers.
A "potato plow" or "middle buster" can be used to dig a modest-sized trench but your expectations must be realistic. Such tools are intended to work in tilled soil. They are not excavation tools.

SDT
 

CaveCreekRay

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L3800 HST, KingKutter box scraper, KingKutter 66" rake, County Pride Subsoiler
Jul 11, 2014
2,631
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48
Cave Creek, AZ
GREAT advice, as I expected!

Wolfman is right... it better be hefty or, in AZ, its gonna be a disposable item. Amazingly, the KingKutter looks the most stout. The lighter EA looks like it would get a nice deep trench cut.

Now that I know what to look for, I am gonna keep an eye on CL. Don't need it right away.

Thanks!
 

Creature Meadow

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2012 L4600, Disk, Brush Hog, GB60 Garden Bedder, GSS72 Grading Scraper
Sep 19, 2016
1,063
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Central North Carolina
I use the EA brand and it is a beast, should you buy new take a look at it vs. the King Cutter.

I use it 3 times a year in my garden behind my L4600. The garden has been in place for 30 years and a root or rock will stop me even in 4x4 low 2 sometimes.

Like as been said have reasonable expectations and guessing you will have to make 3 or 4 passes to obtain full depth.

https://www.everythingattachments.com/3-Point-Hitch-Subsoiler-p/eta-subsoiler.htm

Good luck.

Jay
 

CaveCreekRay

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Equipment
L3800 HST, KingKutter box scraper, KingKutter 66" rake, County Pride Subsoiler
Jul 11, 2014
2,631
100
48
Cave Creek, AZ
Jay,

I will follow your suggestion if I buy new.

Often, I trench and then water fill. In ten minutes the ground really breaks up. I don't mind making shallow passes and taking time to clean out the trench. For what a couple of trencher rentals run, I'd have the capability to do some better work than a pick and shovel.

Thanks.