- Location
- Central Idaho
Can anyone recommend the best sod kicker for removing turf before doing air spade work? I am hoping to get away with just a high quality kicker instead of buying a motorized sod cutter, thoughts?
Sod kickers for air spade job prep?
- Thread starter arborcareidaho
- Start date
- Location
- Retired in Minneapolis
I have no clue as far as brands, there probably aren't many choices.
Some advice learned from my first landscape foreman:
Get one with good steel in the blade. They'll stay sharp longer
Keep the blade sharp. Having a wide, long file with you on the job will mean that you can touch up the edge after you hit rocks.
Keep the depth set only as deep as you need to cut the sod roots.
Keep the blade angle parallel with the ground. Since each person holds the handles at a different height it will change the blade angle.
Why not rent a kicker? Rental yards usually have pretty good tools. or...ask if you can buy one of their used ones.
Some advice learned from my first landscape foreman:
Get one with good steel in the blade. They'll stay sharp longer
Keep the blade sharp. Having a wide, long file with you on the job will mean that you can touch up the edge after you hit rocks.
Keep the depth set only as deep as you need to cut the sod roots.
Keep the blade angle parallel with the ground. Since each person holds the handles at a different height it will change the blade angle.
Why not rent a kicker? Rental yards usually have pretty good tools. or...ask if you can buy one of their used ones.
cerviarborist
Very stable member
- Location
- Florida, USA
Jeff,
Without knowing the scope of the air-spade work you're going to do, here's my thought. If you're going to be working on or near trees, either a sod kicker or cutter will amputate tree roots.
The air-spade in and of itself will remove the soil from the sod roots, as well as the tree roots, making hand grubbing to remove the sod relatively easy, while preserving more of the tree roots.
Without knowing the scope of the air-spade work you're going to do, here's my thought. If you're going to be working on or near trees, either a sod kicker or cutter will amputate tree roots.
The air-spade in and of itself will remove the soil from the sod roots, as well as the tree roots, making hand grubbing to remove the sod relatively easy, while preserving more of the tree roots.
jmcscrap
Participating member
- Location
- Woodbury, MN
Or if you have the time before the job, lay some old cardboard boxes or a sheet of plastic down for a week and kill the grass - reseed or mulch afterwards. It's been amazing how much easier the job is after that when you're not fighting the grass, or a lot less of it....
guymayor
Branched out member
- Location
- East US, Earth
Totally agree w mr. cervi on this. We use a pick/mattock tool that will scrape off the turf layer while avoiding woody roots. The hairy tree roots we do not worry about so much.
Are you doing the radial trenching? I am not sure what brand or type works best. I have to disagree with Mr. Cervi though on the damaging of roots. There might be minimal damage if done properly. I do like the suggestions on killing the grasses but some homeowners are touchy about their lush green lawns.
- Location
- Central Idaho
thanks for the feedback everyone. We are just getting into air spade work and there does seem to be some disagreement about removing sod so I am trying to do whats best and most efficient. BTW, How do you guys bid air spade jobs?
I've read conflicting info about grass removal. I actually just read in the TCIA Tree Worker January 2013 "Consider the removal of grass or sod beforehand. The air excavation tools will not easily cut through grass so removal with other methods is recommended."
So if TCIA is recommending grass removal, is it truly necessary or not?
What about applying roundup on the area beforehand?
I would say that 50% of the jobs I have scheduled for this spring have turf in the work zone. The jobs are a mix of radial trenching and crown invigorations.
All feedback is much appreciated!
I've read conflicting info about grass removal. I actually just read in the TCIA Tree Worker January 2013 "Consider the removal of grass or sod beforehand. The air excavation tools will not easily cut through grass so removal with other methods is recommended."
So if TCIA is recommending grass removal, is it truly necessary or not?
What about applying roundup on the area beforehand?
I would say that 50% of the jobs I have scheduled for this spring have turf in the work zone. The jobs are a mix of radial trenching and crown invigorations.
All feedback is much appreciated!
- Location
- Retired in Minneapolis
My guess is that the turf that is grown in Idaho will have fine roots making it easy to churn up with the air tool. There are some southern turf varieties that have root systems as tough and thick as bamboo mats.
For radial trenching your customer would probably like to see the turf strips return to normal quickly rather than having new sod or seed added in the blown out areas. Using a kicker with the knife setup shallow will allow you to do that with minimal to no tree root damage.
For radial trenching your customer would probably like to see the turf strips return to normal quickly rather than having new sod or seed added in the blown out areas. Using a kicker with the knife setup shallow will allow you to do that with minimal to no tree root damage.
cerviarborist
Very stable member
- Location
- Florida, USA
Soils vary from region to region and location to location. I can't presume that what works gangbusters for me in my part of Florida, would suit you in Idaho. You might want to just rent a compressor for a day or a weekend, and try it out in various soil profiles, to see what work for you.. and what doesn't.
I learned, the hard way, to bill air-spade work on a time and materials basis, with a minimum charge, to cover travel, compressor rental and fueling. If you're doing root collar excavations, be careful about what you promise as results, since there's really no telling what you'll find when you begin removing soil. (3 days on a one-day job to "excavate and root-prune to expose the buttress roots) taught me that lesson quite well, thank you!)
In my experience, I've found that vertical mulching decompacts a much larger area of soil than radial trenching, goes faster and cleans up quicker. I try to steer clients in that direction, whenever possible.
Good luck on your new business offering!
I learned, the hard way, to bill air-spade work on a time and materials basis, with a minimum charge, to cover travel, compressor rental and fueling. If you're doing root collar excavations, be careful about what you promise as results, since there's really no telling what you'll find when you begin removing soil. (3 days on a one-day job to "excavate and root-prune to expose the buttress roots) taught me that lesson quite well, thank you!)
In my experience, I've found that vertical mulching decompacts a much larger area of soil than radial trenching, goes faster and cleans up quicker. I try to steer clients in that direction, whenever possible.
Good luck on your new business offering!
- Location
- NJ
Roundup, wait a couple weeks, blast away
guymayor
Branched out member
- Location
- East US, Earth
how does a crown get invigorated? you do mean crown examination and root invigorations, right?
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