Building a Root Ripper

[biggkidd]

Hi guys,

Went and bought another pile of used steel today.




Thats a friend of mines jet ski stand the rusty metal is sitting on. I picked it up for him today and put it to work.

What I have there is a piece of 6x6 3/8 thick by 79.5 long. A piece of 1/2 X4"X5' flat and a piece of 1.5X3X 4' box tube.

So far I have gotten some of the rust off and a few holes drilled.




I am planning to use the small box to make sleeves for the shank of the rippers. That way I can fill the 6x6 with concrete so its heavy enough to get in deep.

I am also setting it up to pin the shanks from top and bottom. As you can see there would not be much adjustment if I just pinned them from the top.



Those are the tallest shanks I have been able to find.

I am hoping this will break up the soil and loosen or better yet pull up the roots from all the trees I am taking down. I am still debating the spacing and the overall size. If I leave it 79.5" long I can space 6 tines at 1 foot on center and have a pretty good size piece left on the end. I'm not sure my tractor can pull six of them though. I would like to get them to go 6 inches deep.

Please shoot me some ideas you guys.. I have no idea what I am doing.

KIDD

[FlyHiFlyLo]

Any reason why you think you would need ripper adjustment?

Perhaps just make it super strong and heavy.

[biggkidd]

Scott,

Any reason why you think you would need ripper adjustment?

Yeah for when my 354 can't pull them all deep. I could set some shallow. Or I could leave every other one out. In reality I don't know if it needs to be adjustible. It just seems to me it should be.

I don noo.
KIDD

[FlyHiFlyLo]

I wonder if having the ripper rigid would be the way to go but have skid skirt around the ripper to set "Float Hight".

[3RRL]

Hi Kidd,
If I get your idea right, you are making a ripper bar that will hold 6 rippers, so to speak. One you can add weight too. And you want the rippers to go down about 6' deep. If I get the basic idea, then you should make them not only adjustable, but removable. If you have enough weight on the bar so it really will dig 6" deep, that would be pretty tough for your tractor to pull all 6, especially through roots.

I say that now, but I don't know what kind of soil you have. You saw the kind I have where I was pulling my rippers through that hard DG and pulling up chunks. But I had to pull up the rippers several times because sometimes my 8,000lb 554 would just spin all 4 loaded tires. Especially the deeper I went. The roots I run into are all Oak roots and they are really tough to cut through. Sometimes even a small 2" or 3" one will stop the tractor. So I would make it so you can remove as many as you need so the tractor pulls the remaining ones through your soil. At least give yourself that option.

Now as a true root ripper, I would seriously look at Scott's idea. His is more like a subsoiler with only 1 shank. That should pull though roots pretty good with a lot less effort than pulling 6 shanks at a time. I guess it depends all that you want to use it for?
Rob-

[FLICK]

I've ripped 2.5 to 3 miles, 12" to 18" deep, with my single ripper in the last few days, it's all fairly hard compacted ground, in some spots the bed rock is only 12" deep, it's been no problem varying the depth with the 3ph contol and/or the hydraulic top link, both methods work quite well....

Adjusting the toplink changes the angle of the tooth and varies how much it digs in... My ripper doesn't weigh a great deal really but it bites in well, when I shorten the toplink it dives straight down.... I wouldn't add a heap of extra weight unless you find you really need it... The angle of tip of your tines should drag it them into the ground quiet well...

Through rocky and very hard ground the DF's wheels spin at times, (the inner set of rears are 1/2 full of water and the fronts are 3/4 filled)... Traction is the main limiting factor...

Going 6" deep I think 3 tines would be a good number.... With 6 I think you'd be limited to only a couple of inches depth, unless your in real soft ground... I guess there's no harm in going for 6, you can always remove some if you find you can't get the traction... maybe 5 would be a good number, then you can drop 2 out and go with 3, or drop 4 out and go with a single in the middle....

I look forward to seeing what you come up with

Matthew.

[dougw]

I would say maybe 3 shanks would be plenty of resistance for the size of our tractors, but then my ground is RED DUST.

[GuglioLS]

KIDD,

Based on your description it sounds like your ripper will be similar to a box blade without the box. I would go with 5 or 7 rippers, always keep an odd number of rippers so the outside ones can be pulled to leave 3 or 1 left in the center for middle busting. Even though you may not be able to go too deep with all 5 to 7 rippers, you will have the option to rip up a large shallow area, like Rob did when he planted his food plot. Then remove the outer ones to do some serious deep damage.

The 6" square tube may me a little on the large side, limiting the overall effective length /depth of the rippers?, I would think a 4" square x 1/4" wall tube would do the trick.

You got access to a plasma cutter? otherwise it's going to be a challenge slotting the square tube to slip the shanks through? Maybe you have that part covered?

Larry

[biggkidd]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the pic Scott.

Rob,

The rippers are going to be adjustable and removable. They will be set up like the scarfers in my box blade. The only difference is no box and I can set them deeper.

All I am trying to do is to clean out the top 6 inches. That way I can grow grass or plant a garden. Since the areas I have to work with are completely wooded theres lots of roots.

Matthew,

Sounds like you have been BUSY Are you making a new road?
I have it set up with six rippers now but I can take them out.

Doug,

I hope you get your fuel system strait soon. I have no idea but I keep reading your posts hoping its fixed.
I'm hoping since I am digging the stumps out with the backhoe it will be broken up enough to get the six rippers six foot wide to clean the roots out of the top layer. But I can always take a few out.



I've gotten a little more done. Mostly broken saw blades. LOL



I am center punching the corners and drilling them out before cutting. I am hoping to keep the cuts tight as I can. With out going out of the pocket.



Well I went ahead and cut the first one out on the top side. Not a bad fit. I am going to cut that bar down in to 6 pieces for the sleeves.



You can see I am first drilling the corners.



Next I am cutting the long side with a circular saw. Then I come back with the jig saw and cut through the rest of the long side and cut the short side.

I am stopped now I have to go get some more jig saw blades. I did make the first four pockets with one saw blade. But broke 4 more on the next one.

After I finish cutting out this side I have to flip it over and try to line up the bottom side.

Thats it for tonight.

KIDD

[FlyHiFlyLo]

Now I get it... duh... This photo thru me for a loop... I thought it was single tyned...

[FlyHiFlyLo]

Maybe instead of all that crazy jig sawing you could weld bolt in tyne flanges to the back like mine?


This would allow you to mount the tynes even deeper? And, it would put even more weight farther out for better penetration.

[GuglioLS]

KIDD,

Any progress reports on your root ripper build?

Larry

[biggkidd]

Larry,

Its almost done. I just need to get some 1/2" stock to use as shims for the shanks (rippers). I'm not sure if I am still going to fill it with concrete its already heavy. I hope the welds hold. I am not the best welder and I let Darren and Robbie try a few welds it was Darren's first time welding. He has been wanting to learn to weld so this seemed like as good a time as any. I will see if I can't get some pictures soon.

Thanks for asking.

Larry

[linus69]

Hey Larry,
Nice handiwork you`re doing there. If as you say the ripper already seems heavy enough, then by all means try it out as is first. You can always fill it easy enough with concrete if needed later on, heavier than it has to be isn`t always better.
Way to go letting the kids try their hands at welding, nothing better than home schooling.

Paul

[biggkidd]

Paul,

Thanks.

Way to go letting the kids try their hands at welding, nothing better than home schooling.

Way to go letting the kids try their hands at welding, nothing better than home schooling.

HAHA

Not my kids even though it often feels that way. Darren is my oldest friend and Robbie is another good friend. Darren has never had a chance to learn things like welding or metal work. Thats not to say I know any more than he does as I am self taught. Robbie just likes to weld when he gets the chance. He works in an auto shop for a living and is a much better welder than I am.

I did pick up some more metal today so now I can finish this at some point. Then I get to start on my fork project.

Larry