6' Tandem Drag Disc and tractor hp?

[souliog]

How heavy and how much HP is needed to pull this 6' tandem drag disc. I would say the disc's are at least 16" in diameter. I'm hoping I can get it done with a small 18-20hp 4wd tractor. Soil is sandy loam and only talking a few acres for deer food plots. The angle is adjustable but I would like to use the full range.

 

[KennyV]

That could be a handful for your size tractor in sandy soil. BUT you can adjust the bite angle so it will not want to bury itself... You can also remove the rear half and use only the front, keeping the rest for a lifetime of spares.
Also able to remove an outer disc from each axle to narrow it up if you must... so these plus varying the weight you place on top should make that a very usable disc set for you. KennyV

 

[souliog]

Thanks for the reply. I definetely want to use all of the bite angle. I used the disc with a 40hp deere at full angle and the results were beautiful. Unfortunately that was a one time only rental we used to clean up the plot after the dozer work.

Since then we used our 350cc Honda 4x4 quad to do the work and it struggles. We can only use 1/3 of the available angle.

What i'm looking for is the smallest possible tractor that will still do the job and be a light package for trailering back and forth to our hunting property.

How much hp with a 4wd compact tractor?

 

[Eric_Phillips]

I would try something around the 25-30hp.

 

[souliog]

Thanks everyone. I'll keep my tractor search above 25hp.

 

[wolc123]

I use a similar 7.5 footer with the same dia discs on a 24 hp (engine), 2500 lb, 2wd tractor. I have to use 1st gear (aproximately 2 mph) at the steepest angle setting on plowed ground, but can step it up to second gear (4.5 mph) on subsequent passes, using the steepest angle setting. Those old pull-types really cut nice and take little power relative to 3-pt models. They also maintain so much better ground contact that they nearly always do a better job on every pass than a 3-pt. As long as transport aint an issue (for me it is not) they will really do a fine job. If your 4wd tractor weighs 2000 lbs or better (including loader if equipped), and has 20 hp, you should be fine at any angle setting with a 6 footer. Also, no implement I can think of, besides a front end loader, benefits more from 4wd than a disc. When I hook that 7.5 footer to my 43 hp 4wd, it dont even know it is back there, being grossly undersized for a 5000 lb, 4wd which could easily pull a 10 footer.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I use a similar 7.5 footer with the same dia discs on a 24 hp (engine), 2500 lb, 2wd tractor. I have to use 1st gear (aproximately 2 mph) at the steepest angle setting on plowed ground, but can step it up to second gear (4.5 mph) on subsequent passes, using the steepest angle setting. Those old pull-types really cut nice and take little power relative to 3-pt models. They also maintain so much better ground contact that they nearly always do a better job on every pass than a 3-pt. As long as transport aint an issue (for me it is not) they will really do a fine job. If your 4wd tractor weighs 2000 lbs or better (including loader if equipped), and has 20 hp, you should be fine at any angle setting with a 6 footer. Also, no implement I can think of, besides a front end loader, benefits more from 4wd than a disc. When I hook that 7.5 footer to my 43 hp 4wd, it dont even know it is back there, being grossly undersized for a 5000 lb, 4wd which could easily pull a 10 footer.

Still hanging on to your ridiculous, unsubstanciated claims I see. (ie power to pull a 3-point disc vs a drawn disc.....Poor leveling action of a pull type disc vs leveling action of a rigid frame disc......

The ONLY way a disc will pull easier than another is if it's not doing as much WORK. Simple matter of physics. A worn out disc with blades that have worn down to reduce the dish, and reduce the over-all diameter WILL pull easier, it's not moving as much dirt....... And at the same time, it's accomplishing very little actual WORK.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Look at a disc blade.....They have a "dish" to them. As they wear down, the offset of that dish wears away also. That dish is what creates the "soil action" when in use. An older disc with worn out blades will pull somewhat easier than it would with new, fresh blades, and at the expense of working the soil less. Also, as they wear away, you lose some diameter. That'll effect depth of operation to an extent. If you're "marginal" on pulling power, a worn set of blades may play into your advantage.

As the disc blade wears away, reducing blade dish, operating with the gangs at full angle starts to have diminishing returns.

Discing too slow is a waste of time in my book. (poor soil mixing) Same applies to going too fast. (causes disc to ride up out of the ground) Ideally, you want to disc in the 3-1/2 to 5 mph ground speed range for optimum results.

OK....will your tractor pull that disc? It SHOULD, provided you have sufficient traction. The old "N" Fords had minimal hp (as an example) . They would handle a disc that size with little trouble. The issue will be traction, not so much a matter of HP.

 

[foggy1111]

I have a 30 hp tractor (25PTO HP) and would like to give that disc a pull to see what would happen. My tractor weighs about 3000 lbs (with loader and fluid in the tires) and I have R1 tires. I'm not too sure I would pull that disc in many soils and at the right speed with an aggressive setting.

I am not sure how aggressive you can set that disc....but I have a 5 1/2' 3-point disc harrow......and at a maximum bite it makes quite a load for my tractor. As stated.....in my case it's not the power....rather its the weight, tires and subsequent traction that become the issue when pulling a disc. 4WD and diff lock are a big help to me when trying to dig deep.

Given a choice.....I will use my tiller every time if the ground is not full of rocks. But, I have some rocky ground too.....as well as some ground that has not been worked before.....and that's when the disc gets the nod.

 

[souliog]

I have a 30 hp tractor (25PTO HP) and would like to give that disc a pull to see what would happen. My tractor weighs about 3000 lbs (with loader and fluid in the tires) and I have R1 tires. I'm not too sure I would pull that disc in many soils and at the right speed with an aggressive setting.

I am not sure how aggressive you can set that disc....but I have a 5 1/2' 3-point disc harrow......and at a maximum bite it makes quite a load for my tractor. As stated.....in my case it's not the power....rather its the weight, tires and subsequent traction that become the issue when pulling a disc. 4WD and diff lock are a big help to me when trying to dig deep.

Given a choice.....I will use my tiller every time if the ground is not full of rocks. But, I have some rocky ground too.....as well as some ground that has not been worked before.....and that's when the disc gets the nod.

Your tractor wouldn't even feel it! I pulled this with a 35hp deere 4wd and it was a piece of cake. Full bite angle and 5mph all day long.