Comments on: Barth K150 Draining Machine

By: Vintage Tractor Engineer

Vintage Tractor Engineer — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:04:01 +0000

Hi Alf,

When we survey the first field we’ll see if we can achieve this level of slope. I think we will struggle to achieve this, but it would have been good to do so especially seen as we are draining in sand.

We have installed a new drainage tank, with each pipe entering in individually so they can be washed out (in England we call it ‘jetting out’).

We have had heavy rain here in over the past few days. Many fields are flooded and the drains are all running at full capacity. It is conditions like this that really show the value of a good drainage system. I think it is going to be a late Spring here in the UK. It is still cold and it will take a few weeks to dry up, before we can start ploughing and drilling the crops.

Steve.

By: Alf Werner

Alf Werner — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:51:28 +0000

Hello again.
Seems like you never get rid of me! I have always been learned that never dig a slope less than 2/1000. When I have asked Why? I have been told that it is just so! Many years later I found out why: With that slope the water-flow is high enough to keep the pipe self-cleaning from sediment. If the slope have to be less, try to arrange the system so it is flush-able. “Over an out” Alf

By: Vintage Tractor Engineer

Vintage Tractor Engineer — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:04:26 +0000

Thanks again Alf,

I really appreciate you taking the time to offer your knowledge. It is good to hear all these different suggestions and methods.

I will think about all your suggestions and then let you know what we decide to do. This particular field doesn’t seem to have too much iron oxide in the soil. The old drains that exit into the ditch don’t run any ‘orange’ colour. Only a couple of fields away there is certainly iron oxide (locally we call it ochre), as the ditches are an orange/red colour and there are lumps of iron stone (150mm irregular shaped metallic iron pieces) in the soil that cause all sorts of problems with the potato harvesters.

Most of the fields in our area are very flat and have little fall into the ditches. We have been told to try and achieve 1″ fall over a chain (a chain is 20 yards – about 18.3 metres), as a standard. OK, that may not always be possible but on the other hand we may be able to get more fall than this in certain places.

Thanks,

Steve.

By: Alf Werner

Alf Werner — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:50:47 +0000

Hi again Steve, are you in winter-quarters too, waiting for the spring in the workshop?
The pipe I normally use is just the normal one. Some years ago I was asked to re-drain a field someone ele have failed with. It was a very silty ground, so we made an experiment. We used normal perf. pipes wrapped with cocos-fiber, and it seemed to work! As I said in my first komment, if the gravel os to “open” it will be filled with sand ( or clay ). Important is that the gravel is clean from silt. “In old times” the tiles was covered with topsoil only, in modern books they suggest to put topsoil on the gravel. Some do, most don´t.
Spec.perf.2,5×5 mm is normally used when you drain in soil with iron oxide, then sawdust is used as filter. I suppose you know that the bigger slope you have the more sand the water can transport, but nomally you have less slope than you want! IMPORTANT, I have only experiece about swedish soil, but it must be similar at your place -wherever it is.
Hope this helps you, or mabe you knew it all before!
Keep digging!
Regards. Alf

By: Vintage Tractor Engineer

Vintage Tractor Engineer — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:44:59 +0000

Hi Alf,

Good to hear from you.

Thanks for the advice on how to work in running sand. There is a gravel pit just 2 kilometres from our farm that will have the perfect gravel material I think.

Can I ask, do you have any experience of which pipe to use in running sand? ‘Normal’ perforated, or perforated and wrapped with a filter?

The problem that people have is that either the sand gets into the perforated pipe and blocks up the inside of the pipe, or the filter material gets blocked when using wrapped pipe.

Using a fine (2-16mm) gravel seems to be a good idea to try to prevent the sand from getting down to the pipe. Or maybe it would work OK by putting a loamy soil over the pipe?? – a soil that would allow water percolation, but prevent the sand from ‘running’ through and into the pipe.

I am hoping to have the Barth working this spring. We can’t wait to have a go!!!!

Kind Regards,

Steve.