I found this helpful animation showing various patterns for dragging your arena. Who knew I’ve been doing it wrong all along?
As any landscaping company knows, you mow in a different direction every time, so you even your cut all along, in one direction some is cut a bit less, in the next time from a different way, it will be cut more.
The same to evening an arena, especially with our disc plow, you better change your patterns regularly or you ended up with hills and valleys if you use one pattern all the time.
The standard, first pattern is the most common, that can be used in any direction, as just going around and around from the outside in leaves you one very narrow spot in the middle that you can’t quite turn around enough to cover it without several passes
It works a bit the same when plowing a field, you figure which way is best for the land, the least run-off, least passes over it so the tractor tires doesn’t compact it, etc.
Thanks for posting that.
Well done animation, especially for those who can’t visualize patterns from written descriptions.
star
For some reason, that was really satisfying to watch.
[QUOTE=Mosey_2003;8765971]
For some reason, that was really satisfying to watch.[/QUOTE]
I know what you mean. Smooth it all out – ooh, yeah, that’s it…
Now I want my BO to let me take the ATV drag to the indoor to do that last pattern. It gets some undulations due to varying moisture content with the sprinklers, and I think the staff always drags it with the standard pattern and the tractor. (Also, I think the kickboards may not be safe if I drive the tractor)
I haven’t tried the last pattern yet…next time for sure.
I always drag both ways, every time. I drag side to side about every other time, both ways.
The sand is so pretty when it’s done and the early morning sun shines in the big door.
[QUOTE=ezduzit;8768415]
I haven’t tried the last pattern yet…next time for sure.
I always drag both ways, every time. I drag side to side about every other time, both ways.
The sand is so pretty when it’s done and the early morning sun shines in the big door.[/QUOTE]
Yes, early morning on the just raked sand makes it glow with a golden hue, magical.
I’m an OCD dragger and drag a lot.
But I need them to add 10,001 additional animations with jumps added to the arena to accurately reflect my options 
When we bought our farm four years ago the footing in the indoor was in rough shape and in my learning how to rehab it I inadvertently made the hills and valleys. I recently bought a D60 DragNFly with the leveling blade attachment and have literally spent hours doing the spiral pattern after seeing this link on another COTH thread. It is magical. The arena is getting so much more level.
