Which Type of Grass Harrow

PN14

Looking for advice as to which harrow type is best for poached ground and general grass maintenance, the older traditional chain type mats (beaconsfield type), or the cast iron ring mats with levelling bar (ritchie type)

Asked this question last year but didn't really get a definite answer then the weather turned and places dried up I never actually bought a harrow. Thinking of purchasing again now. I can buy both within about 5 miles of home for similar money both 12 or 14ft mounted units.

We would have heavyish ground if this would make a difference as to which type in better. Both salesmen reckon their type is superior to the other.

Any opinions? Anyone use both in their time and what did ye find better? Most reason for buying would be for repairing any poached areas. All field s would have been reseeded relatively recently so would be using it on any older lays.

onyerbikepat

I bought one of these last year. It's a heavy duty Hackett type with 7/16" tines so it should last a lifetime if minded. It is made up of 2 four ft sections. It can be worked 3 ways, on it's back, tines back at high angle and tines back at low angle.

http://www.williamhackett.co.uk/products/chain_harrows/paddock_harrows/s-444

PN14

Thanks Pat how do you find it? Was it for repairing poached ground you got it and what kind of a job did it do for you? What type of soil would you have?

It was a mounted version of one of these I was thinking of or else this type

onyerbikepat

Bought it for repairing all the poaching damage done last year. I used it in the mid way, with the tines back at a high angle. Very happy with it. Don't have a lot of experience with other types so cant compare.
I plan to maybe use it for scrathing the land too for reseeding. We'll see. It may need a weight added on top for this.
Land here is all types.:D Upland with good red earth to low lying corcas type.
The main reason I went with this type is it looked the most sturdy of all. Seen enough of other types on Donedeal in bits to stay away from those types.

PN14

Cheers Pat. Similar set up here with regard land type with plenty of corcas land which invariably gets some poaching every year around troughs and gaps etc. Very few harrows around local and if possible I want to get one that suits land type etc. I don't mind paying for a thing as long as it does what you want it to.

Reggie.

We use an einboch. It's expensive but does a great job on grass growth

49801

Reggie. wrote: »

We use an einboch. It's expensive but does a great job on grass growth

Be interested to know what sorta money they are.... They look the business to me with the seeding kit

agriman27

I priced them this week a 3metre is 2500+ vat and a 4.5metre is 4300+vat pity they're so dear I hear they're a good yolk

Greengrass1

agriman27 wrote: »

I priced them this week a 3metre is 2500+ vat and a 4.5metre is 4300+vat pity they're so dear I hear they're a good yolk

A few pop up on DD the odd time if ye keep your eyes on it ye might get a good one

Reggie.

Greengrass1 wrote: »

A few pop up on DD the odd time if ye keep your eyes on it ye might get a good one

Ya nearly want to buy new as they are easy broke tbh

Greengrass1

Reggie. wrote: »

Ya nearly want to buy new as they are easy broke tbh

seen a few in good condition on it though

Reggie.

Greengrass1 wrote: »

seen a few in good condition on it though

The tines are where the money is and hard to see them broke or bentt on a photo

Greengrass1

Reggie. wrote: »

The tines are where the money is and hard to see them broke or bentt on a photo

Are they dear?

Reggie.

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Are they dear?

I think a fiver a tine. Now I could be wrong as I haven't looked for any in a while

agriman27

Reggie. wrote: »

I think a fiver a tine. Now I could be wrong as I haven't looked for any in a while

Would you buy one that might need all he tines replaced if ya got it cheap enough or do you think the whole steel in the body and tine bed of it would be shook aswell

Reggie.

agriman27 wrote: »

Would you buy one that might need all he tines replaced if ya got it cheap enough or do you think the whole steel in the body and tine bed of it would be shook aswell

They ain't too strong and have to be minded

agriman27

Reggie. wrote: »

They ain't too strong and have to be minded

Thanks it's good to hear the real truth about them. Did you ever use yours to reseed by just spraying off with round up and using the einbock to ruff it up an sow the seed, that's what I'd be hoping to try and use it for because my ground doesn't suit ploughing

Reggie.

agriman27 wrote: »

Thanks it's good to hear the real truth about them. Did you ever use yours to reseed by just spraying off with round up and using the einbock to ruff it up an sow the seed, that's what I'd be hoping to try and use it for because my ground doesn't suit ploughing

It can be done but the seeder is 1200 again on top of the 4500. Wouldn't mind giving it a go sometime but trying to get the FIL to agree is another thing altogether

satstheway

How do you rate the rakeman on dd? Irish made . Do they all have adjustable tines like this?

Reggie.

satstheway wrote: »

How do you rate the rakeman on dd? Irish made . Do they all have adjustable tines like this?

Very same as the einboch only stronger built. Would hold up to more abuse. It uses the same seeder as the einboch but can't be got as wide as the einboch. 3m is the width of it.
Prices should be as follows (there abouts)
Einboch 4.5 with hyd folding is €5000
Einboch 3m is €3500
Rakeman 3m is €2950
Rotaspreader seeder for either harrow is €1200
All them prices include vat.

onyerbikepat

You could use your fertiliser spreader and just pull the harrow behind it.

PN14

Seen the rakeman & einboch types on DD alright they do look the business to be fair but I doubt the budget would extend that far.

nhg

After following Reggie's posts, took the plunge & bought the Rakeman 3000, it cost €2700. Didn't bother with the seeder as it can be purchased later on (in the region of €850).

Very happy so far. Below is a picture from a spot where the cattle had a made track up a hill and around a quarry heading to the water tank before being harrowed.

nhg

This is the same spot after a few runs of the harrow, threw a few grass seeds on it, will spread fertiliser today as this is one of the fields we plan on cutting pit silage on.

Reggie.

Good to hear it's working out for you

I said

nhg wrote: »

This is the same spot after a few runs of the harrow, threw a few grass seeds on it, will spread fertiliser today as this is one of the fields we plan on cutting pit silage on.

Fair job lad

fixitagaintomo

Any use on moss?

PN14

Anyone notice more moss than normal in fields this year. I noticed in a couple of paddocks that there is some moss creeping in. I can't say I ever noticed much of it until this year.

GrandSoftDay

PN14 wrote: »

Anyone notice more moss than normal in fields this year. I noticed in a couple of paddocks that there is some moss creeping in. I can't say I ever noticed much of it until this year.

Ya, I noticed the same thing here!

Sami23

PN14 wrote: »

Anyone notice more moss than normal in fields this year. I noticed in a couple of paddocks that there is some moss creeping in. I can't say I ever noticed much of it until this year.

Anyone know how to reduce or get rid of moss in normal conditions ?

Muckit

Nitrogen+S (sulphur) I think a few lads said. Isn't it sulphate of iron that is used on lawns?

also a rattle of a chain or grass tine harrow wouldn't do any harm

fixitagaintomo

Hoping to invest in the Rakeman myself in the next month or two to try tackle the moss that has taken over

Damo810

It might be worth getting the mossy areas soil tested, as moss can be a by product of a slightly low pH! Liming should get rid of it in these circumstances.

Damo810

nhg wrote: »

After following Reggie's posts, took the plunge & bought the Rakeman 3000, it cost €2700. Didn't bother with the seeder as it can be purchased later on (in the region of €850).

Very happy so far. Below is a picture from a spot where the cattle had a made track up a hill and around a quarry heading to the water tank before being harrowed.

Would it be any use for a full reseed? And would that seeder at 850 just be a simple spinner like a fert shaker?

Reggie.

fixitagaintomo wrote: »

Any use on moss?

Does a great job on it

Reggie.

Damo810 wrote: »

Would it be any use for a full reseed? And would that seeder at 850 just be a simple spinner like a fert shaker?

Yeah it's like a little spinner. Not sure on the whole re seed tho as never tried it

Zr105

Damo810 wrote: »

Would it be any use for a full reseed? And would that seeder at 850 just be a simple spinner like a fert shaker?

Used an einbock(same idea) to do reseed here last year, it was ploughed tilled and rolled before sowing. It did a great job on sowing in the grass and gave it just a nice covering to,

the seeder on it was one with the pipes though, about 6 pipes or could be 8 across 4meters. Rolled again then after!

Greengrass1

Zr105 wrote: »

Used an einbock(same idea) to do reseed here last year, it was ploughed tilled and rolled before sowing. It did a great job on sowing in the grass and gave it just a nice covering to,

the seeder on it was one with the pipes though, about 6 pipes or could be 8 across 4meters. Rolled again then after!

Ye the pnumatic ones are 2500 more I think

Reggie.

Zr105 wrote: »

Used an einbock(same idea) to do reseed here last year, it was ploughed tilled and rolled before sowing. It did a great job on sowing in the grass and gave it just a nice covering to,

the seeder on it was one with the pipes though, about 6 pipes or could be 8 across 4meters. Rolled again then after!

The pneumatic seeder that was

Zr105

Yeah thats the one couldn't think of the name! And as gg says serious money..... but at the same time i wouldn't be mad on the spinner type, as a single disc will throw more out to one side, and then there's also the risk of wind blowing around such a light seed... I suppose your only trying to throw it across 3-4meters tho...

Greengrass1

Zr105 wrote: »

Yeah thats the one couldn't think of the name! And as gg says serious money..... but at the same time i wouldn't be mad on the spinner type, as a single disc will throw more out to one side, and then there's also the risk of wind blowing around such a light seed... I suppose your only trying to throw it across 3-4meters tho...

Friend reseeded last year with an einback on a power harrowed field and it had the little spinner on top.
It was a brilliant job. Lovely thick bed of grass

onyerbikepat

This is the kind of result I got from the 'Ranger' type grass harrow. This was an area inside a gate that was badly poached.

Reggie.

onyerbikepat wrote: »

This is the kind of result I got from the 'Ranger' type grass harrow. This was an area inside a gate that was badly poached.

That's a right job there

fixitagaintomo

Damo810 wrote: »

It might be worth getting the mossy areas soil tested, as moss can be a by product of a slightly low pH! Liming should get rid of it in these circumstances.

Got the soil tested there a few weeks ago pH is fine low P and K. put stuff out on it there on Saturday. still needs a harrowing though. I was trying one of those spike tooth harrows I have, but I may as have been using the back of me bollix to lift the moss

Zr105

http://www.dhfm.ie/new-farm-machinery.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=295&category_id=6

Spotted this in the journal today and thought it sounded like a fairl decent job, sort of a mix of both types of harrow, so should be good for levelling off... The blurb in the add says its 10mm tines.

Anyone seen one up close?

Reggie.

Zr105 wrote: »

http://www.dhfm.ie/new-farm-machinery.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=295&category_id=6

Spotted this in the journal today and thought it sounded like a fairl decent job, sort of a mix of both types of harrow, so should be good for levelling off... The blurb in the add says its 10mm tines.

Anyone seen one up close?

Noticed it on donedeal before but never seen it in the flesh

Muckit

Wouldn't like to be going the road with it with those tines sticking out. Easy pull the side of a car!:eek:

Zr105

Muckit wrote: »

Wouldn't like to be going the road with it with those tines sticking out. Easy pull the side of a car!:eek:

Be no different to an einbock or the likes when they have the seeder on and have to fold up with tines pointing out..

You just have to adjust them so there in as tight as can...

RightTurnClyde

Zr105 wrote: »

Be no different to an einbock or the likes when they have the seeder on and have to fold up with tines pointing out..

You just have to adjust them so there in as tight as can...

Einbock doesn't fold up with tines out, it folds up with tines facing down and raised to tractor cab height. It's very safe there's frame at 8ft wide and nothing outside that.
I wouldn't like to meet a pedestrian or cyclist on a narrow road with that other harrow.

Zr105

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Einbock doesn't fold up with tines out, it folds up with tines facing down and raised to tractor cab height. It's very safe there's frame at 8ft wide and nothing outside that.
I wouldn't like to meet a pedestrian or cyclist on a narrow road with that other harrow.

Neighbours one with the seeder folds tines out tho... Dont think there's room for them to fold with tines facing down over the seeder on 4.5m one, think tines would be stuck into the seeder box

lab man

PN14 wrote: »

Seen the rakeman & einboch types on DD alright they do look the business to be fair but I doubt the budget would extend that far.

i think i told you last yr pn the richie type are the best going, i think they are the biz.
the einblock dont have a levelling bar on them richie do have