[AT] Disk Plow or One-Way Plow

[Greg Hass]

I think a subsoiler is the way to go. Last year we had a power line go 
through (we were given no choice) ; they promised to restore the land as 
close as possible to original conditions (surprise, all lies). Some of 
their equipment was upwards of 80 tons. Although they promised to try 
and avoid damage as much as possible, every time it rained they came in. 
When they pulled the cement trucks in they left ruts over a foot deep. I 
thought they would come in with a bulldozer with ripper teeth to break 
up the hardpan but when I asked they said they had no intention of doing 
that. Several years ago I bought a one tooth subsoiler from a company 
called Monroe-Tufline. At the time I only had a 50 hp tractor. I can go 
16 inches deep so last fall I tried breaking up under the power line. I 
could only pull it 8 inches deep and then would have to turn around and 
re-rip the same pass. It was slow going but I got the one half done. 
With the one prong my passes are about 28 inches apart. The second half 
was wet so I put it on my 140 hp tractor. I know that was overkill but I 
thought going slow would be ok; well it wasn't as I broke the subsoiler 
in half.  I thought I had hit a large rock so I had a backhoe come in to 
dig it out. Well, there was no rock, the heavy equipment had packed the 
ground that hard. I haven't fixed the subsoiler yet but I do have the 
things I need to do it. My point is, big equipment can really pack the 
soil, and as has been pointed out, I don't think disk type equipment 
will break up the soil.