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How to Make a Drag From Chain Link Fence

G.K. Bayne

Dragging loose soil with a mat levels the ground and covers fresh seed. Drag mats can be constructed from many scrap pieces of material. The most popular material is a section of chain-link fence. The drag mat is either pulled by hand or attached to a piece of machinery such as a garden tractor.

Scrap pieces of chain link fence make a good drag mat.

With repeated drags, the chain link fence will level loose soil and help in collecting rocks and other errant vegetative materials. Storing the completed drag is easy because the chain link fencing will fold up onto itself and take up little space.

  1. Lay the section of chain link fence, 4 feet wide by 6 feet long, on the ground. The overall length can be longer, but a 6-foot long piece is relatively easy to pull by hand.

  2. Cut a piece of 3/8-inch rope to approximately 6 feet long.

  3. Tie one end of the rope to the left side of the 4-foot width of the chain link fence. Tie the other end of the rope to the right side. Pull on the center of the rope. You should have a “V” shape.

  4. Attach the remaining 9 feet of rope to the center of the “V” shape from Step 3. You can tie a loop at the end of the rope to use as a grip for your hands or to attach to a piece of machinery.

  5. Tip

    The drag mat can be pulled by hand across a small area. For larger areas, attach the mat to a lawn or garden tractor. Add weight to the drag mat by placing a couple of old boards across the 4-foot width. Place a couple of concrete blocks on top of the boards. The boards and blocks will aid in knocking down higher places of soil and speed up the leveling process.

The Drip Cap

  • Dragging loose soil with a mat levels the ground and covers fresh seed.
  • With repeated drags, the chain link fence will level loose soil and help in collecting rocks and other errant vegetative materials.
  • Tie one end of the rope to the left side of the 4-foot width of the chain link fence.
  • Attach the remaining 9 feet of rope to the center of the “V” shape from Step 3.