Food Plot Equipment

H80Hunter

New Member
If you were building up your equipment from scratch, what would you buy to maintain a couple food plots ~1 acre in size? We have access to a small garden tractor (27hp) and a Polaris Ranger UTV. Would you buy a small disk and pull with the tractor? Would you buy UTV implements and use the UTV? I'm kind of leaning toward a small disk to pull behind the tractor and just using the UTV for spraying and hauling.

Thoughts?
 
For my use, as I intend to never till the soil in my plots, only use "Throw and Mow" methods.

DR Power Mower - Pull behind (walk behind if you are trying to mow narrow trails and bushwhack which is what I have now)
25 Gallon sprayer
Spreader
Cultipacker or drag
 
If you were building up your equipment from scratch, what would you buy to maintain a couple food plots ~1 acre in size? We have access to a small garden tractor (27hp) and a Polaris Ranger UTV. Would you buy a small disk and pull with the tractor? Would you buy UTV implements and use the UTV? I'm kind of leaning toward a small disk to pull behind the tractor and just using the UTV for spraying and hauling.

Thoughts?
That sounds like the best idea, use the garden tractor for tillage and the utv for spraying. However, for the price of the small disc, it might just be easier to hire someone to till the soil for you, and get your clover or whatever seeded and established, then just use your equipment to mow and spray the plots. If you mow clover twice a year, keeping the mower set as high as possible with your equipment, and spray for grass twice a year, and frost seed the thin spots every couple years, your clover plot can last up to twenty years or more, with no further tillage. There's a big difference between a 27 hp garden tractor and a 27 hp compact tractor, a 27 hp garden tractor pulling a small disc to try and till an acre to prepare a seedbed is going to be like scratching an elephants behind with a toothpick. Good luck with your plots. There's nothing quite as satisfying as hunting over a nice green food plot that you've planted yourself and watching the deer come out and start eating!
 
I think your on the right path as well. Tractor for the brute force type stuff and the UTV for the lighter duty stuff. Not that the UTV can't do it, I just think each tool is better suited for those tasks in my opinion. I plot around 3 to 5 acres with only a 30 hp compact tractor. Sometimes the speed of a UTV/ATV would be handy and save me some time, while I would never give up the power of a tractor.
 
First - Flail mower
Second - Sprayer
Third - Packer

Then get a PhD in winter rye. It can replace any other implement not listed above.
 
That sounds like the best idea, use the garden tractor for tillage and the utv for spraying. However, for the price of the small disc, it might just be easier to hire someone to till the soil for you, and get your clover or whatever seeded and established, then just use your equipment to mow and spray the plots. If you mow clover twice a year, keeping the mower set as high as possible with your equipment, and spray for grass twice a year, and frost seed the thin spots every couple years, your clover plot can last up to twenty years or more, with no further tillage. There's a big difference between a 27 hp garden tractor and a 27 hp compact tractor, a 27 hp garden tractor pulling a small disc to try and till an acre to prepare a seedbed is going to be like scratching an elephants behind with a toothpick. Good luck with your plots. There's nothing quite as satisfying as hunting over a nice green food plot that you've planted yourself and watching the deer come out and start eating!
I agree with Mennoniteman. The difference between compact and garden tractor is huge. I started with small compact and 3 acres. the disc for it was all most too much for it. You could mow it with tractor,spray with utv. I still use my little tractor with harrow and cultipacker for my small plots. I spray then harrow/cultipack with small tractor. I will just warn you that you are going down a slippery slope.. No one told me how much I would end up spending on bigger and bigger equipment. I think this food plot stuff is about like getting addicted to crack..LOL. so just get started with what you have to work with and have fun.
 
I agree with Mennoniteman. The difference between compact and garden tractor is huge. I started with small compact and 3 acres. the disc for it was all most too much for it. You could mow it with tractor,spray with utv. I still use my little tractor with harrow and cultipacker for my small plots. I spray then harrow/cultipack with small tractor. I will just warn you that you are going down a slippery slope.. No one told me how much I would end up spending on bigger and bigger equipment. I think this food plot stuff is about like getting addicted to crack..LOL. so just get started with what you have to work with and have fun.
Ok, I'm an addict. I started with a compact tractor and one half acre plot. Now I'm doing around twenty acres with a 65 hp JD ag tractor and a 10' great plains NT drill. And I'd really like to get about an 80 hp cab tractor with heat and ac... power shift... Is there a treatment center for this disease?
 
Ok, I'm an addict. I started with a compact tractor and one half acre plot. Now I'm doing around twenty acres with a 65 hp JD ag tractor and a 10' great plains NT drill. And I'd really like to get about an 80 hp cab tractor with heat and ac... power shift... Is there a treatment center for this disease?

Lol. Treatment is simple. Tractor/farm implement Dealer. Lots of sunshine and diesel.

Ps. Get the cab. It’s as good as sweet baby rays and wood grille.


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