Should I Buy This Disc???

[scsims]

I went and looked at a disc today.

It's an old pull type 6' disc that has been there so long it's partialy sunk into the dirt by the cattle that are in the feed lot where it sits. The front part looks to be in ok shape but the lever at the front is broken off. The back set is not connected and sunk in the dirt. It appears that all the parts are there except for one of the links that connect one of the back disc axles to the frame.

I think it's doable to get it out of the dirt and spend $100 or so to get it to were it's usable.

My question is should I buy the disc or just past on it??? He wants $40-50 for it. Please let me know it you all think its worth my time.

Heck I guess if it's not worth trying to fix to use would it be worth the $50 to sell it for scrap metal???

 

[radman1]

If your missing the support that holds the blades to the frame, you are in trouble. No easy way to fabricate that. That part also holds a bearing. I would pass. The other bearings may also be worthless if it is in the dirt.

 

[suncoast]

I'm sure that disc is not going anywhere soon. Find out what brand it is and what is actually needed. SCSims is correct that a support arm could be an issue. If you can't purchase a direct replacement, then you have to make or have one bent and bored for the bearing and bolt holes. You need to see the bottom of the discs, they may be corroded down to nothing in the ground. Then it would be a fair amount of money. Will it function without the "lever" in front? Do a bit of leg/phone work first. I have bought old implements thinking the same thing you are and ending up spending a lot of time and money. I could have bought a new plow or three! for what I have in an old A/C I got a "deal" on.

 

[whistlepig]

I went and looked at a disc today.

It's an old pull type 6' disc that has been there so long it's partialy sunk into the dirt by the cattle that are in the feed lot where it sits. The front part looks to be in ok shape but the lever at the front is broken off. The back set is not connected and sunk in the dirt. It appears that all the parts are there except for one of the links that connect one of the back disc axles to the frame.

I think it's doable to get it out of the dirt and spend $100 or so to get it to were it's usable.

My question is should I buy the disc or just past on it??? He wants $40-50 for it. Please let me know it you all think its worth my time.

Heck I guess if it's not worth trying to fix to use would it be worth the $50 to sell it for scrap metal???

With out knowing the disc it would be hard to say. If the gangs are adjustable that would be a plus. Spending a $100.00 or so on an old disc these days not so easy. Some parts are special made.

 

[wolc123]

Do you know what kind it is? I have used (3) different brands of pull-type discs with varying degrees of success. As a kid on the farm, my grandad swore by the Bissels. We had an 8 footer and a 6 footer. My dad still uses no other type or make although he doesnt do much acreage. I will admit that they cut as well or better than any other disc I have used but left some ridgeing on the fields. They also required getting off the tractor to spin the big wheel to change the angle. This could be a problem if you loose traction in a mud-hole. I also used a 7 ft, IH disc that left a nice level field but didnt cut nearly as well as the Bissels and also required getting of the tractor to change the angle. My favorite disc of any type or make that I have ever used including transport (wheel), 3-pt, and pull, is the JD 7.5 foot pull-type I just got this spring. This one cuts almost as good as the Bissels and leaves the field more level than the IH. It can be completely controlled using a rope from the seat of the tractor. If the disc you are looking at is a JD and you can get it for less than $50, and working for another $100 then go for it. I have seen these sell in the $250 range (3) times in the last (3) months but I would pay $400 or so for one in real good condition knowing how well they work. (Absolutely no comparison to MF or Ford 3-pt discs I have used in terms of effectiveness or power/fuel requirements). You will hear other opinions shortly and I am sure FWJ will jump in and say leave it in the mud because no pull-type is worth more than scrap value no matter its condition. FWJ, I apologize sincerely right now if you get riled up again and I am prepared for the blistering personal attacks that are sure to follow as they have whenever the subject of pull-type disc effectiveness has come up recently. I am not sure why you get so offended on this subject, but I will pray for you to get over it soon and I will try real hard to turn the other cheek rather than respond with matching attacks of my own. I am honestly just trying to help out some of these folks based on my own personal experiences over the last 40 years of farming. There are a few of us out here that have really had some good results with those old discs, particularly when transport aint an issue.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Do you know what kind it is? I have used (3) different brands of pull-type discs with varying degrees of success. As a kid on the farm, my grandad swore by the Bissels. We had an 8 footer and a 6 footer. My dad still uses no other type or make although he doesnt do much acreage. I will admit that they cut as well or better than any other disc I have used but left some ridgeing on the fields. They also required getting off the tractor to spin the big wheel to change the angle. This could be a problem if you loose traction in a mud-hole. I also used a 7 ft, IH disc that left a nice level field but didnt cut nearly as well as the Bissels and also required getting of the tractor to change the angle. My favorite disc of any type or make that I have ever used including transport (wheel), 3-pt, and pull, is the JD 7.5 foot pull-type I just got this spring. This one cuts almost as good as the Bissels and leaves the field more level than the IH. It can be completely controlled using a rope from the seat of the tractor. If the disc you are looking at is a JD and you can get it for less than $50, and working for another $100 then go for it. I have seen these sell in the $250 range (3) times in the last (3) months but I would pay $400 or so for one in real good condition knowing how well they work. (Absolutely no comparison to MF or Ford 3-pt discs I have used in terms of effectiveness or power/fuel requirements). You will hear other opinions shortly and I am sure FWJ will jump in and say leave it in the mud because no pull-type is worth more than scrap value no matter its condition. FWJ, I apologize sincerely right now if you get riled up again and I am prepared for the blistering personal attacks that are sure to follow as they have whenever the subject of pull-type disc effectiveness has come up recently. I am not sure why you get so offended on this subject, but I will pray for you to get over it soon and I will try real hard to turn the other cheek rather than respond with matching attacks of my own. I am honestly just trying to help out some of these folks based on my own personal experiences over the last 40 years of farming. There are a few of us out here that have really had some good results with those old discs, particularly when transport aint an issue.

Farming???? That's a laugher. Planting a couple acres of poorly done deer food plots isn't farming. And the rest of your info is just about as accurate. Blistering attacks? You really need to get over it. Offended???? Now there's the REAL laugher! Amused? Yep. Entertained? Yep. Offended? Naw....Not hardly, in light of the fact I don't take you seriously. You can pray for me if you like..... Pray I don't hyperventilate while laughing so hard at the ridiculous stuff you post about the old outdated relic you think is so wonderful! (How many times is your "story" going to change by the way?) This ship has sailed and you missed the boat!


To the OP.... Listen to the earlier post's. They understand what sort of problems you're getting into, and the relative worth(lessness) of the disc after you're done,

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I went and looked at a disc today.

It's an old pull type 6' disc that has been there so long it's partialy sunk into the dirt by the cattle that are in the feed lot where it sits. The front part looks to be in ok shape but the lever at the front is broken off. The back set is not connected and sunk in the dirt. It appears that all the parts are there except for one of the links that connect one of the back disc axles to the frame.

I think it's doable to get it out of the dirt and spend $100 or so to get it to were it's usable.

My question is should I buy the disc or just past on it??? He wants $40-50 for it. Please let me know it you all think its worth my time.

Heck I guess if it's not worth trying to fix to use would it be worth the $50 to sell it for scrap metal???

What are your intentions once you would have it in "working condition"? If you're just planning on occasional light use, you don't need great results, and you're simply looking for a "project", you might have a chance of reaching your goal. Otherwise, I'd let it sit.

$40 or $50 bucks for $25 or $30 worth of scrap won't put you on the Fortune 500 list either!

The farm implement industry dropped pull-type disc's from their inventories more'n 50 years ago. No one has felt the urge to re-enter the market with one since. (Other than very small ATV/garden tractor models where no hydraulics are available. Even in that case, they're rigid frames) There's a reason why. They were the real deal when that's the best we could do. Then hydraulics came along, making it easy to build a disc that would raise to turn or transport. At that time it was found that a rigid frame would make for an easier disc to raise and lower. When they started building rigid frames, it was found that they simply did a MUCH better job. Better leveling, better and more consistant over-all performance. In this high tech world, manufacturers could EASILY build a limber, flexable framed wheel disc or 3-point disc with independent floating gangs such as the old pull types had. But why? (In fact, John Deere TRIED in the late 1940's until the mid 1950's....[model KBA's] That lasted about 10 years during the transition period from pull types to wheel/3-point disc's. They tried to pacify the "old school" farmers who refused to stay caught up with "modern times") By that point, MOST farmers had realized the old pull types were outdated not ONLY because of the lack of ease of transport, but mediocre performance coupled with the Rube Goldberg approach to building a disc that would allow turning sounded the death knell to pull type disc's. With gangs that float up and down with every undulation, they tended to make an unlevel field WORSE as opposed to better. Rigid frame disc's knock down high spots and fill in low spots. So in the end, with a pull type, you have a disc that's miserable to move from place to place, nets mediocre to poor results, and has dozens, if not hundreds of moving wear points that are eliminated with a rigid frame.

Long story short, they just belong in the fencerow or in a museum along side horse drawn plows unless you just want to play with an antique for nostalgia sake. Be THAT the case, run with it! Say you have an antique tractor without hydraulics and you want to play with it, great. But attempting to rationalize that by saying the old, obsolete ways are "better"? Not happenin'!

I actually do farm, albiet not nearly as much as I once did. ("Farming" defined as "earning one's income from farming" and NOT play time for the purpose of growing a few meager ears of corn to feed a deer with no real cost involved should a crop be miserably poor) I started out with an old pull type. In fact, I grew up dragging them around behind dads tractors. Once a better alternative came along, and I wasn't flat busted broke, so long stone age!

Nowhere better to bring up the old addage of "You get what you pay for". Wonder why these old relics are selling for $50? Or why some people get them FREE?

Enter "scrap value" into the picture.

So, if you're still interested, look at cost of fabricating new parts, possible further damage/wear that isn't obvious, and how that all relates to what a "good deal" you're getting.

 

[wolc123]

FWJ, peace brother. I am glad to see that you may finally be mellowing just a bit by admitting that there may be a place for a pull-type other than the scap heap (old tractors without hydraulics, museums, etc). It really is wonderfull what a short prayer can accomplish. And you are spot-on that I dont do "real farming" anymore. I gave up the cattle that generated some income more than 20 years ago and for the life of me cant understand why many folks still raise beef when corn-fed venison tastes so much better and is so much better for you. I really get a kick out of "playing" with my pre-war tractors on old tools like that disc. Sure it aint going to make me any money, but it is lots of fun, and yes my JD pull-type was free. To the OP, if you want to find out if that pull-type is one of two types that are definitely good, look for the following features: A Bissel will have a big, verticle hand wheel over the tongue for making adjustments. A JD tongue is made from a recangular-section tube with a rectangular bar that slides in and out when you back into or pull out of it. A rope operated latch mechanism locks it in position. If you get bogged down with one of them, all you need to do is stop the tractor, pull the rope as you pull away, and the disc will straighten out removing almost all resistance. As FWJ says, these discs are good on old tractors that lack hydraulics or 3-pt. I agree that "real" farmers with larger tractors having hydraulics are much better off with a transport disc and I never ment to imply that they are not. I will not concur that all smaller operations would be best served with a 3 pt. It is much faster to hookup/unhook with just one pin, often takes less passes to get the ground ready for planting, nearly always requires less capital expense, and gives you a smoother less bouncy ride on the tractor while discing with an old pull-type. Again though, the key to making a pull-type a clear winner over a 3-pt, is not needing to transport. Since they can often be found cheap, I simply keep one at any remote location I need to "transport" to. You dont have to worry much about anyone stealing them as most folks today agree with FWJ on thier usefullness, and would not go thru the trouble to cart them off. They are the perfect tool to leave down at the hunting camp.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

FWJ, peace brother. I am glad to see that you may finally be mellowing just a bit by admitting that there may be a place for a pull-type other than the scap heap (old tractors without hydraulics, museums, etc). It really is wonderfull what a short prayer can accomplish. And you are spot-on that I dont do "real farming" anymore. I gave up the cattle that generated some income more than 20 years ago and for the life of me cant understand why many folks still raise beef when corn-fed venison tastes so much better and is so much better for you. I really get a kick out of "playing" with my pre-war tractors on old tools like that disc. Sure it aint going to make me any money, but it is lots of fun, and yes my JD pull-type was free. To the OP, if you want to find out if that pull-type is one of two types that are definitely good, look for the following features: A Bissel will have a big, verticle hand wheel over the tongue for making adjustments. A JD tongue is made from a recangular-section tube with a rectangular bar that slides in and out when you back into or pull out of it. A rope operated latch mechanism locks it in position. If you get bogged down with one of them, all you need to do is stop the tractor, pull the rope as you pull away, and the disc will straighten out removing almost all resistance. As FWJ says, these discs are good on old tractors that lack hydraulics or 3-pt. I agree that "real" farmers with larger tractors having hydraulics are much better off with a transport disc and I never ment to imply that they are not. I will not concur that all smaller operations would be best served with a 3 pt. It is much faster to hookup/unhook with just one pin, often takes less passes to get the ground ready for planting, nearly always requires less capital expense, and gives you a smoother less bouncy ride on the tractor while discing with an old pull-type. Again though, the key to making a pull-type a clear winner over a 3-pt, is not needing to transport. Since they can often be found cheap, I simply keep one at any remote location I need to "transport" to. You dont have to worry much about anyone stealing them as most folks today agree with FWJ on thier usefullness, and would not go thru the trouble to cart them off. They are the perfect tool to leave down at the hunting camp.

"Admitted" denotes a change in policy. Not happenin' Sparky! I haven't changed my stance one Iota. No matter how you TRY (unsuccessfully) to "spin" my words, I'll stick with the FACT that a pull type disc is the LAST choice in disc's. Possibly (but not likely) you're just beginning to understand that concept.

Less passes? How you figure that one? (As in; How do you do less than one pass....? That's ALL it takes me to prep a field with either of my current disc's. (3-point MF#25, or IH#350 wheel disc) In rare instances, I'll make a second pass. But that's rare.

Clear cut winner? Again, you surely jest. So long as you (A) don't care what sort of mediocre crop results you get, (B) never have to turn at all, and (C) don't mind leaving your fields in a lumpy, unlevel, clod filled mess, well, they STILL come in a distant 3rd in a 3 choice race.


Yeah, I do agree there is a place for those old relics. Almost any fencerow or scrap pile will do just fine.

 

[foggy1111]

ROFL I can't wait for tomorrow's installment of "As the Disc Turns".