Moldboard vs. Middle Buster?
 

Ok, I 've been lurking on this site for long enough. Finally bit the bullet and bought 100 acres here in WV. With the property came a Kioti CK20HST tractor, a 48" disc harrow, a 500 lb fertilizer spreader, a 48" finish mower and a heck of alot of work. About 25% of the property is old hayfields that haven't been more than brushhogged in the past 20 years. I've had the soil tested and it's fine. I'd like to plant a couple acre or two-acre food plots and need to know if a Middle Buster (that tractor supply sells for $99) will turn over the soil as well as (or adequately) a moldboard plow (that's $348)? I'm not new to tractors (mostly cutting and putting up hay) and using them, but I've no experience plowing, harrowing and planting. If the middle buster will get the soil ready to harrow as well as the moldboard, I could use the extra $ to buy seed and fertilizer.
Thanks in advance for any replies.
Jeff

RE: Moldboard vs. Middle Buster?
 

The middle buster will not work ,it would be good for ditching, I have 2 sets of moldboard plows, bought cheap at a farm sale, they are sitting around farms everywhere in the country because no one uses them anymore for farming, you would be better off getting your disc weighted down and disc the plot several times. I have disced over a 125 acres today, not for plots, for field corn, but the deer will be in there soon enough. We are trying to get 1800 acres of corn in the ground, pronto...

RE: Moldboard vs. Middle Buster?
 

i'm pretty sure you can get an ancient 2 bottom plow for less than $100 at an auction or farm estate sale. i'm also pretty sure that it will take you several months and many hours of your time and many gallons of gasoline.

you probably want to start doing the food plots in the next few months. so that means no plow.

take the above advice and just disk the heck out of it. tighten up your toplink so that the front set of disks dig deep and break up the root system. it will take several passes. bone dry ground can be difficult, and so can moister soils.

it might be a good idea to give the grassy areas a pass or two with the disk, then come back a few days later and hit it again.

RE: Moldboard vs. Middle Buster?
 

I Use a 2 bottom moldboard for 10-12 acres per year with a 50-70 hp tractor.

If you have a larger tractor - the "middle buster" might be an option - otherwise - I like the moldboard plow - alot.

FH

RE: Moldboard vs. Middle Buster?
 

Thanks alot for all of the replies. I'm thinking that maybe I need more weight on the discs, I ran them over a part of the field the other day and they just sort of scored the ground. What about the possibility of a tiller run off the rear pto? Certainly this would be the more expensive alternative, but I'm looking to do the job right and the tiller would last years with proper maintneance.

Thanks again,
Jeff

RE: Moldboard vs. Middle Buster?
 

You need more weight on the disc. Also, try to eliminate all the vegetation off of the fields before you disc. This will allow your disc to cut down deeper as well. Burning is good. Don't know about the rear tiller, but I wish I had one for my garden. I think they would be kind of slow going on multiple acres and I think a plow would get you down deeper.

RE: Moldboard vs. Middle Buster?
 

how tall/thick is the grass on the ground you are trying to disk? i use a 5' disk with a 35 horse tractor. if i'm going over established grasses, it takes several passes to make an appreciable amount of difference. and that is with the toplink tightened up (only the front disks will cut in).

to me, a rototiller is just a more expensive piece of equipment that can break. and more expensive to repair.

RE: Moldboard vs. Middle Buster?
 

The grass isn't really that tall (I cut it with the mower late last fall) but it's pretty thick. The hay hasn't been taken off it for years. The neighbor would come and sicklebar mow it for the people I bought it from and then let it lay just to keep the fields cleared. So it's really got a good bit of thick thatch. I'll try tightening the top link and adding some weight to the disc and see how that works. Really don't want to buy a tiller and probably will just break down and borrow a moldboard plow if I can find one. At this point I'm shooting to plant annual plots in late summer, that way I can prepare the seed beds this summer, then maybe next spring plan some perennials.

Thanks again for the replies.
Jeff