Having a rough go around with horse arena footing. Have started using the wood grindings which is ground up lumber instead of sand. super nice and no dust. Problem is every time I try to smooth it with the gannon I get absolutely flustered. I get large washboard type finishes and the tractor just gets beat up rocking back and forth. Also just the slightest pressure of the gannon starts dragging it like a tablecloth being pulled off the dinner table. Tried different pitch settings. Also used 2 old blades to drag behind me without the gannon. It improved, but still seems to collect it instead of dragging...and I still suck. My Machine is a case570lxt. Any of you folks run into this?
You're using the wrong tool. Use a chain harrow. Tines up to smooth. Tines down to fluff.
Thanks for that. I have a chain harrow it tends to catch on the panels or whatever else so did not use. I will find a smaller one and give it a go. Appreciated.
Try attaching the chain harrow with a length of chain. The chain keeps the harrow away from the tractor wheels, allowing tighter turns. I use about 5 feet of chain on a 12 foot wide harrow.
I use an arena drag, works like a charm! Has a spring tooth harrow, then a roller bar. Then a drag.
Will look at that arena drag you mentioned. I have usually been able to get by with careful use of gannon. This is the first time I got really frustrated with a material, and the curses were flying.
Search rotary arena harrow. I bet it does the trick. One trick I learned was running it off kilter to the side just a bit to help with the rotating action. Adjust it dead level with the top link.
That's pretty neat Junkyard. I always used a home-built 3pt harrow with a batter board and rolling basket. Worked well, but was always fighting the sand piling up on the rail.
The equine place I worked at years ago had two sand arenas, which was naturally occurring there, and one “all weather” arena that was screenings. I could work them really slick with that setup as long as there was some moisture. On occasion I’d have to box blade them to level out the highs and lows from rain or a particularly busy weekend where they rode the same path repeatedly. Those were the days!
My mom used to host dressage competitions. By the time they were done the ridge along the rail was 4-5" tall. I remember somebody talking about belgians. There was a girl 10 years older than me that rode a Percheron. It looked perfectly normal until you got close and realized she was pushing 6'3"
Yeah those Percheron and Belgiuns are monsters. I used to drive teams with both of those breeds. We have not had any rain in Scottsdale for a couple of months. My place was a dustbowl riding. I am on hauled water at 4cents a gallon. Wells are garbage up here. Had to try and find some decent footing that didn’t need water. Seemed like a good choice
Did your problems with the gannon start with the wood chips ? I use wood chips as mulch (free with delivery !) I find the chips stick together and won't spread except in bunches. The long stringy pieces & sticks act like fiber reinforcing in concrete. Have to use a fork by hand to even it out.
Have not had much trouble with the gannon before ...Just installed new blades. The wood is spongy allowing the tractor to vary a couple of inches in height. I’m at 2”-3” depth with grindings. The blade no matter how delicately I operate it tends to just collect and drag it as I start touching the uneven parts. The earth underneath is hard packed clay = I’m guessing it’s too slippery underneath. I use my hand tools in place like you say for the fine work. My cost for 40yards of grindings is $535 delivered. Mr. Hoss that’s a great deal you have.
In my part of the country, tree services have to pay the landfill to get rid of the chips after trimming or felling trees. Tree guy, environment, and I benefit from our partnering.