Implement recommendation

[PapaJ]

So, as my personal tractor advisory team, I am tasking you to help me spend some money. Wife was playing director today, and we picked up and moved most of the horse manure that has been laying around in the pasture into 1 big pile. That turned into a conversation how I don't know what I'm doing because the bucket with the piranha bar in float was tearing up her grass. Regardless of her understanding of field physics, I have been given the go ahead to get another implement. I told her we should grab a landscape rake with a wheel set, but she wanted me to ask what's best for getting manure out of grass to be scooped with the least amount of damage to the grass. Let me know so I can place an order. Leaning toward EA, since Land Shark makes a 48 inch rake, and 60 is the smallest I can get from TSC.

 

[BigG]

How big is your field? How many horses? The landscape rake is still going to be rough on the grass. A chain harrow might do you more good. It will spread out and bust up the manure and for go the pick it up part of the problem. A lot less money also.

Concord 6 ft. Drag Harrow at Tractor Supply Co.

Find Concord 6 ft. Drag Harrow in the Drag Harrows category at Tractor Supply Co.The Concord 6 ft. Drag Harrow has been designed to be towed beh

www.tractorsupply.com

I am cheap so I would find a short piece of chain link fence and bolt a piece of 4 x 4 along one edge and try that first. Throw an old tire on it to help break up everything.

 

[SDT]

So, as my personal tractor advisory team, I am tasking you to help me spend some money. Wife was playing director today, and we picked up and moved most of the horse manure that has been laying around in the pasture into 1 big pile. That turned into a conversation how I don't know what I'm doing because the bucket with the piranha bar in float was tearing up her grass. Regardless of her understanding of field physics, I have been given the go ahead to get another implement. I told her we should grab a landscape rake with a wheel set, but she wanted me to ask what's best for getting manure out of grass to be scooped with the least amount of damage to the grass. Let me know so I can place an order. Leaning toward EA, since Land Shark makes a 48 inch rake, and 60 is the smallest I can get from TSC.

The only tool that I know will work consistently reliably is a pitch fork.

SDT

 

[GreensvilleJay]

A proper 'manure bucket' and a semiskilled operator will get most of the 'ponypucks' and leave the grass where it belongs. Hopefully you have SSQA so changing buckets will be easy.

 

[PapaJ]

How big is your field? How many horses? The landscape rake is still going to be rough on the grass. A chain harrow might do you more good. It will spread out and bust up the manure and for go the pick it up part of the problem. A lot less money also.

Concord 6 ft. Drag Harrow at Tractor Supply Co.

Find Concord 6 ft. Drag Harrow in the Drag Harrows category at Tractor Supply Co.The Concord 6 ft. Drag Harrow has been designed to be towed beh

www.tractorsupply.com

I am cheap so I would find a short piece of chain link fence and bolt a piece of 4 x 4 along one edge and try that first. Throw an old tire on it to help break up everything.

Whole property is 1.5 acres with a house, garage, 2 other buildings, and some yard I'd guess pasture is 3/4 acre and 1 horse. She wants to have 1 pile so it will turn to dirt to use in the future, so a harrow is not the answer, though it wouldn't hurt to run one through there a couple times a year.

 

[PapaJ]

A proper 'manure bucket' and a semiskilled operator will get most of the 'ponypucks' and leave the grass where it belongs. Hopefully you have SSQA so changing buckets will be easy.

I so have SSQA, but if I tell her I need a different bucket, it won't go well for me. I'll just tell her that a rake will not work. I'm very semi-skilled, emphasis on the semi.

 

[hope to float]

It maybe depends on how short your grass is, but has anybody tried a core collector for this. Usually they are pulled behind an aerator to collect the cores but could possibly be adapted for this.
Another option could be a PTO driven rotary sweeper like this

which is just a bigger version of this

 

[PapaJ]

It maybe depends on how short your grass is, but has anybody tried a core collector for this. Usually they are pulled behind an aerator to collect the cores but could possibly be adapted for this.
Another option could be a PTO driven rotary sweeper like this View attachment 45738 which is just a bigger version of this View attachment 45739

As small as my pasture is, we'll probably be fine with the bucket if she doesn't wait 6 months to clean up again. Thanks for the ideas though.

 

[PapaJ]

As small as my pasture is, we'll probably be fine with the bucket if she doesn't wait 6 months to clean up again. Thanks for the ideas though.

Found this on Amazon this morning, might be good since I already have the forks. Just a bit pricey though.

Amazon.com : Bucket Solutions 9 Spear Debris Fork Adapter for Pallet Forks : Pallet Trucks : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : Bucket Solutions 9 Spear Debris Fork Adapter for Pallet Forks : Pallet Trucks : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

 

[michigander]

PECO 6036 36 Cu. Ft. 5.5HP Tow Behind Pasture Vacuum

PECO 6036 - 36 Cu. Ft. MowersAtJacks.Com

www.mowersatjacks.com

vacuum cart .. little pricey

 

[SidecarFlip]

I don't get the point of that. I've never picked up road apples in the pasture when my wife raised and sold Percherons and they lay some serious road apples. When they were stalled, she cleaned the stalls, I didn't. That went in a compost pile and eventually was put in the garden

Now with only a couple nags and the cattle, I drag the pastures a couple times a year with the Fuerst drag mat set on aggressive. It breaks up the apples nicely and lets them decompose and provide nutrients for the alfalfa and grass.

Looks to me like a 'rich person's toy' and just extra work.

 

[PapaJ]

PECO 6036 36 Cu. Ft. 5.5HP Tow Behind Pasture Vacuum

PECO 6036 - 36 Cu. Ft. MowersAtJacks.Com

www.mowersatjacks.com

vacuum cart .. little pricey

Only 4 grand. I'll get 2 on order immediately! Nice idea, but we barely qualify as a hobby farm. I will probably end up not getting anything and just continue using my bucket. Maybe take the tooth bar off so it doesn't dig into the ground as easy. Since she waiting 6 months to try to get the manure up, I'm sure that played a part, if she keeps on it, it won't get like it was this time hopefully.

 

[NHSleddog]

Personally, I would get the rake. Make sure you get the wheels, they turn it into a grader. You can run along the ground without the rake even touching the ground if hurting the grass is an issue. You will find many more uses for it as well.

 

[Mlarv]

I would take the piranha bar off before trying it again. Any little angle on it and it will start to dig.

 

[jimr63]

My chickens do a good job of spreading the cow paddies from my two cows. Just have to keep a 22 around to ward of any foxes that come around during the daytime, then they get cooped up at night.

 

[PapaJ]

My chickens do a good job of spreading the cow paddies from my two cows. Just have to keep a 22 around to ward of any foxes that come around during the daytime, then they get cooped up at night.

My Border Collies have a history of herding chickens to death. We can't have any free range chickens anymore, they have to stay in their hotel.

 

[jbolt001]

Use some turf skids on the bucket. Had horses for 30 years, shoveled many a ton of manure. Loader bucket worked better than debris forks.