Small arena drag, HELP!

[Elizabethrxx]

Hi everyone,
Currently having an extremely hard time deciding on an arena drag. We paid a professional for an outdoor arena on our small farm. 120x80 with limestone base, some underground drainage, and 3-4 inches sand. Now, we have to decide on the best tool for maintenance.
It will be just me using the ring, 2 thoroughbreds that I do hunter/jumper with and a mini that will pull a small cart in the arena. Each horse is ridden/worked about 3 days a week, give or take weather permitting.
We will be pulling the drag with our 25HP John deer lawn tractor. I want to hear that something less expensive will work. But I NEED someone to be honest with me and our needs. I do not spend 20k for an outdoor arena to have it need repaired in a few years. I simply just did not budget as much as I should have for maintenance equipment.
Ones I am looking at - handozer (much less expensive, just concerned about it rotating the sand enough to prevent hard spots or too much and tearing into the limestone base)
ATI Arena rascal pro - probably the “best” choice but very pricey, no leveling bar
Pharma arena groomer - I like the leveling bar for this one as my arena has a very slight slope and it may prevent sand from migrating to the low points. It does not have the profiling blade like the rascal though and I do not believe it has adjustable tines? Also pricey, similar to rascal.
I just started researching the DP power grader but I am concerned with it not “turning up” the sand like the hanozer.

Any feedback would be very appreciated. TIA!

[SusanO]

I have a Premier arena drag that is almost identical to the Parma Groomer. It has teeth, a roller and a leveling bar. I really like it although I am still in a learning curve on how to use it. I like that you can adjust the angle of the groomer to determine how deep the teeth go in combination to the roller and leveler. A friend thought she was going to have to replace her footing in her indoor. Then she bought this groomer and realized her footing was fine, she just needed a better groomer. Mine was not cheap. I got the smallest one they had and I think it was $2K. I think it was a wise purchase though.

My groomer has really helped when we had to remove excess sand from my arena and the sand depth was not even. Also when the problem child digs up the sand with her antics I can get those holes filled in.

[lorilu]

Looks like the Premiere needs a 3point hitch. And their “smaller” version is $5K!!!

[Lucassb]

I have a DragNFly mini and like it very much - it is adjustable so you can regulate how deep the tines go and there are 2 sets of rollers so the finished surface is super level. However, I believe those are designed for fiber surfaces ( I have FutureTrack, which is fiber mixed with a super processed very fine sand) … not sure if it would be appropriate for a pure sand surface. It was around $1700 IIRC and is very well made.

[goodhors]

Any one have a Millcreek Arena Groomer? We just got one and heard excellent comments from the seller. They used it on the driveway as well as the ring, said it was great. He was downsizing, wife had died, so farm was going to be sold. The groomer seems nice, but husband wants to hold off using until he has worn out the grass as he puts horses back to work this fall. Crazy summer, just have not done anything over summer with him working and heat. He wants to avoid dust as long as possible.

I have taken the groomer up and down the drive, done the barnyard area and thought it did a nice job on hard packed gravel and weeds. A bit of learning curve here too, not putting it down too hard, which does not allow rotation needed for tines to do their work. Tines bite in too hard. Seller told us to use one 3-point arm lower than other side for best results and it spins freely, to work, so that is how we set it… It does “spin in” to remove piled up edge dirt (snow plow scraped dirt) beside the fence and return dirt to the other side for leveling.

We bought it to resell, already have a nice groomer (which has a big learning curve and adjustments to use well!), but I think I may keep this Millcreek one because it seems so easy to use. So there goes the profit! I will see more with using it after husband wears out the arena grass!! Ha ha

[SusanO]

Arena drags are not complicated technology despite what the companies that sell them want you to think. I don’t think they are patented either. So most of these brands will probably do about the same job. For $5k I would want the arena drag to hook itself up and drag the arena while I am sitting in the cool house:D And maybe break my horse too.

And keep an eye on CL. I have seen the Parma groomer like mine for sale on CL for $800 and $600 in a neighboring state. Of course after I paid full price for mine.

[2DogsFarm]

I have no arena grooming advice - neighbor does mine with his tractor & a length of chainlink fence.
Works pretty darned good.
Just me in there riding my TWH, although in the past I jumped small (2’) fences with my TB.

My $.02 is that your mini is going to have hard going in 3-4" of sand, even with pneumatic tires.
I have 2-3" in my indoor & neighbor asked to drive his Hackney Ponies in there. Told him I thought it would be too deep. He tried & agreed.

[YankeeLawyer]

I have a red master harrow that was pricey and fancy and works okay (it can make waves if you go more than 2MPH or so!). I found that a simple chain link harrow from Tractor Supply for about 100 bucks works best. I use it tines up and occasionally weight it with a tire. That is for an arena with bluestone “stone dust” footing. I think it would do at least as well on sand. I would try that before getting a more expensive one, and agree with the suggestions to look at craigslist.

[Gloria]

You need something that can move the sand and set the depth. You don’t want to dig into the base. We use TR3, which is excellent for our sand based outdoor arena. I’m almost certain your lawn tractor won’t be able to move it though. Sand is very heavy.

[Bluey]

@Gloria

You need something that can move the sand and set the depth. You don’t want to dig into the base. We use TR3, which is excellent for our sand based outdoor arena. I’m almost certain your lawn tractor won’t be able to move it though. Sand is very heavy.

We also use a TR3 and our sand arena footing is maintained easily to perfection with little work.

It does take a tractor and ours is on a cat 2 3 point hitch.
Other like UTVs or lawnmowers would not be able to pull that one.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I do not have a tractor and will be using an ATV/UTV. My plan is to get the arena rascal pro. I would do something else if I had a tractor/ 3 point hitch. I also already have a chain drag, but as arenas compact you can get waves with those. That said I have a friend who has more like an 1/8" minus for footing and she uses a drag. My sand will be finer than that (I want a bit more cohesiveness).

I have to upgrade my ATV to a much larger, liquid cooled version. I use it now dragging pastures and towing the big pasture mower, but I think real ground engagement will be too much. I can’t imagine a lawn tractor that won’t get fried pulling a drag. But if it’s older then why not. I would verify the specs you need with the drag companies if you don’t want to kill your mower. Might make the drag decision for you.