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Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Has anybody here made their own sod lifter?

A couple of last minute conferences had me out of town for a few weekends in a row. Now I'm trying to cut out a new patch with nearly frozen ground. A spade isn't working. So I've been thinkng of building a simple lifter of my own. I have already cut out the edges of the strips. But, that's not the bulk of the work.

I've got a couple of ideas 1) Add a blade (or sharpened piece of metal) to the back feet of a wheelbarrow. 2) Add a straight blade under an unused lawnmower. 3) Attach a blade to an 18" piece of 2x4 and pull that along. 4) Use some sort of wire, like those used to cut blocks of potting clay.

Any more suggestions?

11/11/2004 11:46:13 PM

Ottawa, Ohio

Could you just use a moldboard plow and turn in the sod for organic matter? Or set the plow very shallow and then remove the turned sod?

11/12/2004 12:47:41 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

I should mention that the area to be "sod busted" measures about 20'x20'.

Also, I could eventually till in the sod. But, it's gonna get really cold, really fast here. I don't think I'll have time to do it before everything is covered in snow. But, since the area has been part of a lawn treated with who knows what chemicals, I want to dig out at least a foot deep.

11/12/2004 1:52:00 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

For large areas of turf growing in heavy soil, you might consider renting a gas powered sod-cutter. At the hands of an experienced user, mine can remove about an acre a day without killing the user. Most can be rented for half days. Around here a half day rental is about $35-$50.

11/12/2004 7:05:01 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Till it under....The lawn chemicals aren't gonna hurt ya these are for show not eating!!

11/12/2004 7:53:09 AM

Follansbee, Wv

Just set your tiller to about 1-1/2 to 2 inches deep. Till it then rake off the sod.

11/12/2004 1:49:51 PM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

I don't have a tiller :-( And, even if I did, would it even work with mostly frozen ground?

I think that I am pretty stuck with low tech solutions at the moment until I can afford the rental of power tools. That's why I am trying to see if anyone has built their own. But, if I could use a tiller as a sod lifter, that may help. That would save me renting two tools.

Now I just have to figure out if I can even rent that stuff this time of year.

11/13/2004 12:15:03 AM

Whidbey Island

Consider High School Football players with liberal sprinkling of cash. Have 'em dig and turn it manually.

11/13/2004 10:38:11 PM

Mill Creek West by god Virginia

if you can find a old bicycle wheel like a ten speed wheel you can take two 2x2 for handles bolt them onto wheel where forks would go and then add two pieces of wood straight down about half way back of handles to this attach a old hoe or maddic you can use this like a old fashioned row plow just takes elbow power!

11/13/2004 11:55:11 PM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Today I put together a makeshift sled style lifter. I used a pannel from an old wooden composted as the sled, screwed a 2x4 accross, used some 6" bolts to go down through the 2x4, and strung some wire around the two bolts.

I hope that the wire will act like a blade and be strong enough. Otherwise, I may need to buy some flat piece of metal and file it into a blade. I suppose that I could use a planer blade. But, that would be expensive and I don't have the right tools to make holes in it for the bolts. I also thought a bandsaw blade may work. But, they really need friction to work. I need something that can be super sharp to cut through the grass roots like butter.

11/14/2004 12:22:06 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Does Ginsu make 20+ inch long blades that I can drill holes in? :-)

11/14/2004 9:55:07 AM

Follansbee, Wv

Here is another thought: Know anybody with a truck and snow plow blade? I don't know if it would work or not. In any case, what ever cutting tool you use, there will have to be a moving blade. If the ground is indeed frozen as you say, I don't think a passive cutting method will work. I think you are going to need a serrated, moving blade to cut through the roots and frozen soil. When does the ground begin to thaw there? Is it early enough to maybe till it under in early spring?

11/14/2004 11:37:08 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

In truth, the ground isn't frozen solid. For the next week or so temperatures will stay above freezing (according to http://www.weathernetwork.ca/features/gardening/pages/CAON0686.htm ). It probably thaws soon enough, come Spring. But, I am anxious to get the sod up so that I can grab some leaves from outside my neighbours' houses and dump them in a newly dug pit to decompose over the Winter.

The truck solution won't work. My backyard is surrounded by a fence. There's a gate, but it's probably only 4ft wide. (which may become interesting if I do manage to grow a truly giant pumpkin. I may need to write some posts next year askind for creative lifting designs)

I have thought, though, that something like a long blade attached to a jigsaw, or electric carving knife, might work. The problem there is getting the right kind of blade to work at the right kind of angle. Like I said, I tried using a hand saw. But, that was too labour intensive. I managed to do about 10% of the work that way. But, there's no way I'd be able to finish it using that method. I wonder if a multiple blade system would work. Something like a men's shaving razor with two or three blades (but blown up to 20 times the size) might work. But, I need something that I can build with relatively simple tools.

11/15/2004 12:58:30 AM