Where would you hook up to this?

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  • phylodog

    Grandmaster
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    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,748
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    Arcadia
    So my lawn is rough, like craters on the moon rough, and in spite of the $800 suspension seat on my mower I still almost dislocate vertebrae on occasion while mowing. I've looked for over a year for something I could use to try to level it out and finally decided to build my own. I saw something like this on a Youtube video and it seemed to work well except it would flip over forward occasionally when it hit a decent size clump of dirt. He had attachment points along the top angle iron pieces which I think was part of the problem. I'd like to avoid that by hooking up to it lower, maybe the midpoint on the front length of C channel. I should be able to get 6 cement blocks on it for weight which will help as well. The front and back sections are 1/8"thick 2" C channel and the center section and brace pieces on top are 1/8" thick 2" angle iron.

    I need to space the two attachment points wide enough so it doesn't create too much stress across the width yet close enough that it'll drag straight and not want to wobble back and forth (hopefully). I'm thinking if I divide it into 3 equal length sections and put an attachment point at each end of the center section it should work as good as it can but I'm wrong on a pretty regular basis with this kind of thing so figured I'd ask before drilling any more holes in it. I can always experiment but I'd like to keep as few holes in it as possible.

    Should I also put another support piece of angle iron wherever I end up putting the attachment points to spread out the force across all three lateral sections?

    1Ra0NR3.jpg
     

    maxwelhse

    Grandmaster
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    0   0   0
    Aug 21, 2018
    5,415
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    Michiana
    I'd stick chains on eyelets at each forward corner and then attach it to your draw bar with a piece of angle that can pivot.

    So... Fancy ASCII schematic (0s represent "spaces" where INGO wouldn't let me put them):

    00|00
    -------

    Put a chain on each end of the angle (---------) such that the bar can pivot about your draw bar (|) in the center.

    Then attach those chains () to the forward ends of your apparatus:

    ↓0000↓
    --------
    |0000|
    --------

    I've seen guys built pretty much exactly what you've got and that seems to be how most of them did it. They seem to want to track pretty straight that way too. I've also seen guys make "teeth" for them with nuts and bolts so they tear up the soil a bit as they go so they work a little more effectively. Basically I'm proposing you build a really mild grader box out of it. It's going to tear the hell out of your yard, but for it to work I think pretty much anything would.
     

    phylodog

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    Mar 7, 2008
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    Arcadia
    I've got a rear blade and a box blade with scarifier teeth. I'm not looking to tear up what's there, I will be using it to spread top soil over the existing turf. Thank you for the advice though.
     

    Rookie

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    Sep 22, 2008
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    Kokomo
    I would attach the chains on the outside corners but I would extend the ends about four feet and add some weights. Something like a backwards U.
     

    Jaybird1980

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    Jan 22, 2016
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    North Central
    Is it about 8'? With 1/8" I don't think I would go all the way to the corners, I would divide it in 1/2, then put it in the center of those halves. The chains to a pivoting bar is a good idea for turns. It's easy enough to change if it doesn't work.
     

    maxwelhse

    Grandmaster
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    Aug 21, 2018
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    Michiana
    I've got a rear blade and a box blade with scarifier teeth. I'm not looking to tear up what's there, I will be using it to spread top soil over the existing turf. Thank you for the advice though.

    The plan is more clear now. ;) I see guys use those things to bust up land before planting grass or bringing in driveway stone so I wasn't sure what you were aiming for.

    Same attachment system suggestion stands. As Jay said, easy enough to undo it if you don't like it. Chains at the 1/4 and 3/4 seem like a reasonable suggestion as well.
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
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    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,748
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    Arcadia
    I'd stick chains on eyelets at each forward corner and then attach it to your draw bar with a piece of angle that can pivot.

    So... Fancy ASCII schematic (0s represent "spaces" where INGO wouldn't let me put them):

    00|00
    -------

    Put a chain on each end of the angle (---------) such that the bar can pivot about your draw bar (|) in the center.

    Then attach those chains () to the forward ends of your apparatus:

    ↓0000↓
    --------
    |0000|
    --------

    I've seen guys built pretty much exactly what you've got and that seems to be how most of them did it. They seem to want to track pretty straight that way too. I've also seen guys make "teeth" for them with nuts and bolts so they tear up the soil a bit as they go so they work a little more effectively. Basically I'm proposing you build a really mild grader box out of it. It's going to tear the hell out of your yard, but for it to work I think pretty much anything would.

    Thanks again for this idea but I'm having a tough time picturing what you're describing. Is there anything out there already built like that I could search for a photo of?
     

    maxwelhse

    Grandmaster
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    0   0   0
    Aug 21, 2018
    5,415
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    Michiana
    At some point I just need to learn to post pics here. ;)

    What I'm suggesting is to set your draw bar up like a load lever, but it wouldn't need to be adjustable side-to-side. Just permanently fixed in the center about a single pivot. That way it can steer side-to-side and hopefully not get too bound up.

    Then run the chains down to the forward corners of your box, or as Jay suggested, perhaps the forward 1/4 and 3/4 positions.
     

    patience0830

    .22 magician
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    28   1   0
    Nov 3, 2008
    17,587
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    Not far from the tree
    you could order a couple triaxs of dirt, push it around with the bucket and blade then rent a harley rake for a real perfessional lookin job. I've seen guys level a lawn with a triax of sand, a four wheeler with a skid chained to the back, and shovel and wheelbarrow for the gross movement of the media.
     

    Rookie

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    14   0   0
    Sep 22, 2008
    18,155
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    Kokomo
    Another option we used to do way back when I worked on a golf course...

    Rent a plug aerator, plug the yard, spread sand and then roll it with a large roller. The fairways were smooth as glass. Best to do it when the ground is soft though.
     

    Jaybird1980

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    5   0   0
    Jan 22, 2016
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    North Central
    At some point I just need to learn to post pics here. ;)

    What I'm suggesting is to set your draw bar up like a load lever, but it wouldn't need to be adjustable side-to-side. Just permanently fixed in the center about a single pivot. That way it can steer side-to-side and hopefully not get too bound up.

    Then run the chains down to the forward corners of your box, or as Jay suggested, perhaps the forward 1/4 and 3/4 positions.

    You can just hook each side to one clevis, just watch it in your turns so it don't get in your tires. If it's about 8' (which I'm just guessing by looks) it might bow in the middle if you hook it all the way at each corner.
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
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    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,748
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    Arcadia
    At some point I just need to learn to post pics here. ;)

    What I'm suggesting is to set your draw bar up like a load lever, but it wouldn't need to be adjustable side-to-side. Just permanently fixed in the center about a single pivot. That way it can steer side-to-side and hopefully not get too bound up.

    Then run the chains down to the forward corners of your box, or as Jay suggested, perhaps the forward 1/4 and 3/4 positions.

    Now I gotcha, good idea. Thank you
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
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    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,748
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    Arcadia
    you could order a couple triaxs of dirt, push it around with the bucket and blade then rent a harley rake for a real perfessional lookin job. I've seen guys level a lawn with a triax of sand, a four wheeler with a skid chained to the back, and shovel and wheelbarrow for the gross movement of the media.

    Are you trying to say I'm not capable of creating a professional looking job with my new fancy drag? (I'm not saying I am, just making sure lol)




    Another option we used to do way back when I worked on a golf course...

    Rent a plug aerator, plug the yard, spread sand and then roll it with a large roller. The fairways were smooth as glass. Best to do it when the ground is soft though.

    I wish I could use sand, it would be much easier. From the research I've done you can use sand if you plan to do all of the maintenance, watering and fertilizing that a golf course does. If you don't keep up daily the grass won't survive as the sand won't hold the nutrients or something like that. I plan to do this once or twice a year for likely 10 years before I get it how I'd like it to be. It's the large open area where we were trying to call the coyotes.
     

    patience0830

    .22 magician
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    28   1   0
    Nov 3, 2008
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    Not far from the tree
    Are you trying to say I'm not capable of creating a professional looking job with my new fancy drag? (I'm not saying I am, just making sure lol)
    .


    I expect you'll have some luck. A roller in the spring while the ground is moist will help some too. Rookie's idea about aeration has merit. It would give your drag some free fill to move around.
     

    jd4320t

    Grandmaster
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    23   0   0
    Oct 20, 2009
    22,891
    83
    South Putnam County
    Is this the video? I remembered watching it a while ago.

    I think with that style drag no matter where you place the chains it’s going to possibly flip over forward when it catches on something.



    [video=youtube_share;c6DKAk1dJ50]https://youtu.be/c6DKAk1dJ50[/video]
     

    Gluemanz28

    Grandmaster
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    29   0   0
    Mar 4, 2013
    7,430
    113
    Elkhart County
    When I lived in Alabama I bought the lot next door to me. The house that was on it caught fire and was a total loss. I rented a bobcat and purchased five tri axle loads of dirt. I buried what was left of the house then spread all the dirt with the bobcat. My neighbor was an old widow woman that told me to use the old set of wire box springs to drag it. It was a twin mattress size. I tied a few concrete blocks to it then chained it behind the lawn tractor.

    A couple hours later that acre lot was as smooth as silk with a nice powder on the top. The next day was Saturday so I put out the KY 31 seed then grabbed my four teenage daughters to help spread straw over the seed. I scared them girls for life. All I have to do is show them a straw bail and they start mean mugging me.

    Phylo that drag will do great at spreading loose dirt.
     

    bocefus78

    Master
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    39   0   0
    Apr 9, 2014
    2,023
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    Hamilton Co.
    Phylo, I have a pull behind top dresser at work designed exactly for this. Look up an eco 50 tow behind top dresser. It you think it'll work for you, I could probably convince the powers that be to let it be rented. Call the shop....I don't get alerts from pm.
     
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Dec 5, 2008
    1,202
    129
    Terre Haute
    So my lawn is rough, like craters on the moon rough, and in spite of the $800 suspension seat on my mower I still almost dislocate vertebrae on occasion while mowing. I've looked for over a year for something I could use to try to level it out and finally decided to build my own. I saw something like this on a Youtube video and it seemed to work well except it would flip over forward occasionally when it hit a decent size clump of dirt. He had attachment points along the top angle iron pieces which I think was part of the problem. I'd like to avoid that by hooking up to it lower, maybe the midpoint on the front length of C channel. I should be able to get 6 cement blocks on it for weight which will help as well. The front and back sections are 1/8"thick 2" C channel and the center section and brace pieces on top are 1/8" thick 2" angle iron.

    I need to space the two attachment points wide enough so it doesn't create too much stress across the width yet close enough that it'll drag straight and not want to wobble back and forth (hopefully). I'm thinking if I divide it into 3 equal length sections and put an attachment point at each end of the center section it should work as good as it can but I'm wrong on a pretty regular basis with this kind of thing so figured I'd ask before drilling any more holes in it. I can always experiment but I'd like to keep as few holes in it as possible.

    Should I also put another support piece of angle iron wherever I end up putting the attachment points to spread out the force across all three lateral sections?

    1Ra0NR3.jpg

    I've got a rear blade and a box blade with scarifier teeth. I'm not looking to tear up what's there, I will be using it to spread top soil over the existing turf. Thank you for the advice though.

    Dont know your metal working skills, but if there is a way to cut your drag in half, and reattach the halves back together at an angle, it would work better to drag and spread topsoil, less chance of snagging and flopping over. Doesn't need to be a radical angle, just not full straight across. Then you could just attach chains to the front.

    Hope you have fun and get it figgered out....and smoothed out, too.
     
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