You're more than likely better off hiring the job out unless this is something you'd just rather do yourself. If you do get the tractor, just spend about 5 minutes through the gears and any attachments to get a feel for it. If you can fly an airplane, you can figure a tractor out pretty quick. Just stay off of slopes, stay away from a spinning PTO and don't drive it with the bucket any higher than it needs to be. And keep kids completely away if you have any. That's my biggest fear with farm equipment. I've taught my kids to never try to come get me if I'm on a tractor.
Good advice. Also good for a new tractor driver is just to turn the thing off completely when you're not on it.
It's tougher than it seems, depending on how particular you are and how level you want it. Also depending on the ground and equipment you have, you may need to break any sod up first. YouTube is your friend!
I drove myself nuts trying to get stuff "really level" at first with my tractor. It takes practice.
Leveling can be done with a tractor. It's nice to have a box blade but it can be done with a bucket. I do a lot of backdragging if I have to use a bucket. The nature of the leveling is also of interest. A simple drag can do wonders on a dirt road or baseball infield.
Dragging is underrated. It works very well. People get all wild with the digging implements and all they really needed was to drag the area/field.
Here is the area. Basically I want to scrap up all the weeds and flatten down high spots. I prepping that area for winter grass seed. That the side yard.
That's box blade work for me, because that's what I have, but with the tines installed to bust that up and kill the weeds, and getting it leveled, that little space would take about ten to fifteen passes for me. But as someone said, if you have access to a disc set, and a seed scatterer, that's about three passes and it's done. Maybe four if you're picky.
Right tools for the job is a big deal with tractors. But you can get away with the wrong tools and do an okay job, too. To really do that right, a seed planter would use a lot less seed to get gorgeous coverage.
How you going to water that? Got irrigation that can soak that area? Also, wrong time of year to get grass to germinate, really... I'd just tear that area up with the box blade tines and spray it for the weeds and leave it until early spring. Around here, the perfect time to scatter or plant the seeds on a dead patch like that would be just before the last spring slushy snowstorm so the whole area gets plenty of water and I don't have to water it at first.
Think like a farmer. You need to tear up the weeds first, make good soil, and then plant at a good time for a best possible outcome.
