Levelling a garden for lawn, rotavators?

[Cobbler]

yea 95 percent of the older folk and kids walk past my house and are welded to the bloody things one lad walkng along the slip road and path to my house was so engrossed i stopped my engine and he fell over my bonnet another day blasted him from behind with the horn

When I use a mobile, I hold it up to my ear, it’s a phone, most now seem to hold it in front looking at whoever they are calling & on loudspeaker so everyone else can hear. That’s before they walk into a lamppost not looking where they are going

 

[Smallfry]

I could level that in a couple of hours with the my mini digger. Why on earth work up a sweat ? I have got a rake with it that would grub out the roots very quickly too, and I fail too see how you could tip one over on this site/garden. I can only conclude that these guys were not very good at it.

 

[Kram]

I could level that in a couple of hours with the my mini digger. Why on earth work up a sweat ? I have got a rake with it that would grub out the roots very quickly too, and I fail too see how you could tip one over on this site/garden. I can only conclude that these guys were not very good at it.

The guy was driving over roots and all, and his pile of dirt, he made the ground uneven. It was smaller than the one in pic, limited space.

 

[Kram]

I worked with some guys last week, removing stumps and helping to dig for a new turfed lawn. They used a mini digger to rip out the old top soil but it was painfully slow. Small diggers move slow and want to tip over! it'd be better to dig with it and have a groundy pushing a wheelbarrow than try all with mini digger.
They went back another day to level, topsoil and turf. I looked tonight and its not flat at all. Perhaps it will settle?
Their mattocks were much wider than mine, no good for root smashing but much better for breaking up dirt. I may have to buy another..


Started the levelling today. First job was to trim the weeds and grass as low as possible. Mattock to dig it, I found a lot of 1" sized leylandii roots in the humped area and most of the day was spent chasing those out.
From the previous stump grinding, there was about 1.5 foot of soil and chips onto of the concrete slab, so breaking that up and raking it back over the low spots. Not easy work.. but plan to get a lot done today and Friday.

View attachment 505710

View attachment 505709

Feel like I'm making a bit of progress

The path is to come out, atleast as far back as the camera. A wider mattock would be much quicker for breaking up dirt, but not half as good as this for chopping larger roots.

 

[Smallfry]

The guy was driving over roots and all, and his pile of dirt, he made the ground uneven. It was smaller than the one in pic, limited space.

The orange one ? That is twice the size of mine. Only ever tipped mine on its side once, and that was on a 40 degree slope, trying to be clever and pull something I knew was too heavy.

 

[Kram]

No I didnt get a pic of it, Kubuta U17 1.5T if I remember correct. It was also a hire shop digger.

I dont have much experience of hydrualic controls but watching it, it seemed very jerky, off or on. I used a tracked chipper like that once and almost launched into a ditch as I hadnt turned engine speed down.


Anyway back to project above, Im aware I dont currently have a sensible way to compact the fluffy aereated soil from where its been dug or mixed with stump chippings, so the process of levelling may take some time for it to settle.

 

[Smallfry]

No I didnt get a pic of it, Kubuta U17 1.5T if I remember correct. It was also a hire shop digger.

I dont have much experience of hydrualic controls but watching it, it seemed very jerky, off or on. I used a tracked chipper like that once and almost launched into a ditch as I hadnt turned engine speed down.


Anyway back to project above, Im aware I dont currently have a sensible way to compact the fluffy aereated soil from where its been dug or mixed with stump chippings, so the process of levelling may take some time for it to settle.

Don't use a compactor on soil. I have found it compacts too much and impedes drainage. Rolling it is about as much as it needs, but it needs to be properly levelled first, or you end up with lumps again.

With the digger, smoothness and coordination comes with practice. I guess the operator was not used to using one. Bigger machines are actually easier to use, as the weight seems to supress movement

 

[Kram]

The driveway guy suggested not to make a perfectly flat lawn, it should have a slight slope for drainage otherwise it could end up being a pond in the middle. Im unsure how much of a slope that would be

As he does driveways and a large part of that is clearing the existing mess. Id say he's experienced but just not very good with a digger!
I could have had a play with it and learnt the basics however there were some potentially shallow utilities/phone/tv cables and gas pipe along the house wall, quite a small area and my car parked right next to the garden so I thought its a bad idea.

 

[gaz1]

its about the same we use with gutters over a 3m length

1" drop over 3m is adequate enough

so a 1" drop over 6m is enough is ok to use and in your case more than plenty

 

[Turbo]

No I didnt get a pic of it, Kubuta U17 1.5T if I remember correct. It was also a hire shop digger.

I dont have much experience of hydrualic controls but watching it, it seemed very jerky, off or on. I used a tracked chipper like that once and almost launched into a ditch as I hadnt turned engine speed down.


Anyway back to project above, Im aware I dont currently have a sensible way to compact the fluffy aereated soil from where its been dug or mixed with stump chippings, so the process of levelling may take some time for it to settle.

I would suggest that you don't use the stump chippings to level your lawn. They will rot away eventually leaving hollows in your lawn. The grass won't grow as well in them compared to top soil.

 

[Kram]

They are/will be spread evenly mixed with the dirt and after a few months I can see already turning into good soil.
Unavoidable as the stump was large, a lot of soil had to be dug to get at the roots and it all become somewhat mixed.

It will be good enough.

 

[Islander71]

I've used 2 types of walk behind rotavators. The wheeled type (where the wheels are driven) like the Howard rotavators, these are very civilised and quite easy to control to get the desired result. Then there are the type where only the rotavator tines are driven like the Merry Tiller, these are totally different and if there are stones or hard bits can be like trying to control a bucking bronco with the whole machine leaping into the air at times - they do the job but are hard work and not easy to get the desired result. The wee attachments on the original post I would think a waste of time unless you are just wanting to mix up some already well broken tilth.

 

[Kram]

I've 100% abandoned the idea of using a rotovator for this. There are/were 1" + leylandii roots everywhere. Hard work with a mattock and rake but could be extremely frustrating with a small machine I think. They wouldnt have the weight or power to lift or cut them.

Digger and drag the surface off, but then theres a huge amount of dirt to dispose of and replace.Theres enough dirt here and its good quality in my opinion.

 

[m_c]

A rotavator combined with a mattock would likely do what you need.
Provided the ground isn't absolutely rock solid, even a merry tiller type will aid with breaking the soil up. Even if you need to go over it initially with a mattock to do the initial loosening, the rotavator will smash up it better than anything else you'll fit in that space.

If you're not in a great rush, being able to let the ground settle naturally for a few weeks (maybe more/less, depending on lack/heavy rain) in between cultivations will show up high/low spots.

 

[Migmac]

I did all my lawns with a fork and rake. Then top
dressed them with 22 ton of top soil, all barrowed in by me and my oldest son who at the time was only 4. Now I’m older I’d use a rotovator and rake to make them

 

[Kram]

When the hard work is done by a mattock I dont see any need for the rotovator? It would only smash up the roots that the rake will quite easily seperate.

 

[8ob]

When the hard work is done by a mattock I dont see any need for the rotovator? It would only smash up the roots that the rake will quite easily seperate.

It all depends on existing ground conditions, you wouldn’t want to rotorvate if it’s going to churn up roots, clay, hardcore or stones. The advantages are leaving a surface that gives the seed or turf a good chance of rooting down and a better chance of a free draining lawn.

Bob

 

[gaz1]

the spike adaptors on the merry tiller helps to prebreak the soil up

also known as a scuffle hoe attachment and you pre break the soil up with that first then rotorvate it

 

[Kram]

It all depends on existing ground conditions, you wouldn’t want to rotorvate if it’s going to churn up roots, clay, hardcore or stones. The advantages are leaving a surface that gives the seed or turf a good chance of rooting down and a better chance of a free draining lawn.

Bob

My point is that a mattock and rake does the same thing, but better. The first time with rake seperates all the roots out to be disposed, unlike a rotavator whoch would cut and churn the fine roots. Rake also breaks up the dirt into a fine grade that will be good for planting.

Today a new project. Last week I helped prepa new lawn and there were 10 spare rolls of turf, given to me as they would rot otherwise. Collected yesterday, unrolled, watered, rolled. Layed them out and watered today and they will stay out now. I'll keep them watered and hope I can roll them back up to lay them.

I'll do two wide along the left fence which will be 7 rolls, the remaining three either along the top or a 3rd row.

Currently

It was a new fence in November and I'd left a lot of ivy/rosehip/bramble roots on this side and it was starting to come back so first job is to smash those out.

 

[Nederlands]

I would use one off these.

RDL 150 - Stone burier with roller by Rotadairon | AgriExpo

This soil preparer and stone burier is designed for tractors. It allows the building or renovation of green spaces by preparing the seed bed before seeding. The machine is multi-purpose, it allows tilling, burying (stones, rubbish, herbs, etc.), levelling, mixing and rolling the surface. The use ...

www.agriexpo.online

Buries stone and debries and levels the ground