GANG ANGLE ADJUSTMENT - NEW 16/18" BOX FRAME DISC HARROWS

I am nearly ready to order my first 3-Pt. lift disc harrow. Harrow will have a working width of 60-66" to cover 57" tire spread of my Kubota B3300SU ( 33-hp / 1,800 pounds / 4-WD ) I have look for a used harrow but the only ones I have come across have been junk, so I will order a new one.

I am going to order a box frame disc harrow, 16 discs X 18" in diameter, notched front and rear.

How hard is it to adjust the gangs on various brand harrows available?

I am 65 years old and no longer have the strength I once enjoyed.

Leinbach and Everything Attachments (ETA) disc harrows have two long adjustment screws to set the angle-of-attack on front and rear gangs. I presume handles are cranked when disc is raised in the 3-Pt. hitch. Right? What effect does dust and dirt have on the screw adjustment? Will FLUID FILM or another specialty anti-rust product keep the screws free moving and bright?
ETA XD-BF-DH 16/18 is priced at $1554; Howse 300S-16-18 priced at $1418 both on ETA's web site.

Land Pride DH1560 has "adjustable gang handles". Does this mean handles to give your hands purchase when you heave on the gangs? I am a little concerned that the DH1560 does not show a clevis hitch, just a drawpin sticking out. I have been quoted $1500. I know Land Pride enjoys a high reputation for their implements.

Howse DLHT 16822 was quoted $1000. No handles or other aids visible for assisting adjustment. I would like to know the weight of this model. Howse's web site is sparse on information. T-B-N harrow posts describe using a hand sledge to adjust harrow gangs. (!) I do not want to beat my equipment.

Monroe Tufline THE71618PM has lever adjust for gang angles. (?) It has 1-1/8" axle; other are 1". I have not priced Tufline because the dealer is 60 miles away. If the Tufline THE71618PM receives favorable recommendations here I will visit the dealer.

Any other box-frame 16/18" harrow manufacturers I should consider?

i am not a big fan of screw adjustments, every piece of equipment over the years that had some sort of lever, ya used to adjust a screw/bolt to adjust the equipment, has become bent / rusted. granted rust can be dealt with, but not the bending. one good stump, rock, etc... equipment nails, and week point ends up being the screw/bolt that is used to adjust the equipment, vs some shear bolt.

on larger machinery, were it gets close between using a hyd cylinder vs hand lever / screw adjustment, the screw adjusters normally are better made and model a "chain binder" better for like chaining down equipment to a trailer. but smaller size equipment.....

U bolts / clamps can get banged up, torn up, fall off, but you can always cut them off and put new ones on, but they can also slip some.

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make sure ya know lift capacity of your 3pt hitch, discs can get rather heavy quickly.

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not being able to use a hammer..... (sounds like trouble) seriously ya asking to try and slide a few hundred pounds of weight, through a couple hinge points. that really are not hinges. but some bolts, washers, nut, and a some metal. and all could and will warp / bend a little bit over time through general use.

I agree that the screw adjustment on some harrows can be a pain when they get some age on them without routine maintenance such as cleaning and greasing.
We believe that the required maintenance is outweighed by the painless adjustment process.
I'll give you a little background on the screw adjustment that we use on our Standard Category 1 and Heavier Deluxe Box Frame harrows that feature both a Cat 1 and 2 hitch.
For the first models we produced, we purchased about 6 sets of the screw adjustment kits from Leinbach. We even inquired with Speeco about purchasing a large quantity of these for our harrows but they were no longer offered by them.
After analyzing these kits, Ted decided to enhance the durability by making our own adjustment kits rather than importing the cheap kits made out of soft metal from you know where!!
Currently, we make our screw adjustment kits from Grade 8 threaded rods and bend our own handles in our facility.
With regular upkeep, they should last many years and take more of a beating than any other screw type harrow adjustment being used.
If your rod does get damaged or rusts, you can just purchase a threaded rod and easily replace it.
We also route our rod through the box frame to keep it lined up better in the long run.
You will also notice that we do not pierce the box frame which greatly adds to the durability.
Our tubes are capped off by a piece of steel rather than leaving them open or using plastic caps.
The components of our harrows are cut with a laser so everything is precise and lines up perfectly.
These are just a few of the features that adds to the value of our harrows and will make them last for generations.
I hope this helps.
Travis

An informative reply.

What is the weight of the ETA XD-BF-DH 16/18"? The weight is blank on ETA's web site. I am seeking an accurate weight.

Thanks

I just showed your request to Ted. He said we should've already provided this on the website and will get answers for you. I'll post it on here when they tell me.

Travis

The weights are now updated for our Category 1 Box Frame Disc Harrows.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EverythingAttachments

I agree that the screw adjustment on some harrows can be a pain when they get some age on them without routine maintenance such as cleaning and greasing.
We believe that the required maintenance is outweighed by the painless adjustment process.
I'll give you a little background on the screw adjustment that we use on our Standard Category 1 and Heavier Deluxe Box Frame harrows that feature both a Cat 1 and 2 hitch.
For the first models we produced, we purchased about 6 sets of the screw adjustment kits from Leinbach. We even inquired with Speeco about purchasing a large quantity of these for our harrows but they were no longer offered by them.
After analyzing these kits, Ted decided to enhance the durability by making our own adjustment kits rather than importing the cheap kits made out of soft metal from you know where!!
Currently, we make our screw adjustment kits from Grade 8 threaded rods and bend our own handles in our facility.
With regular upkeep, they should last many years and take more of a beating than any other screw type harrow adjustment being used.
If your rod does get damaged or rusts, you can just purchase a threaded rod and easily replace it.
We also route our rod through the box frame to keep it lined up better in the long run.
You will also notice that we do not pierce the box frame which greatly adds to the durability.
Our tubes are capped off by a piece of steel rather than leaving them open or using plastic caps.
The components of our harrows are cut with a laser so everything is precise and lines up perfectly.
These are just a few of the features that adds to the value of our harrows and will make them last for generations.
I hope this helps.
Travis

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I like everything about the heavy box frame discs from EA except the threaded rod adjustment. They are generally a PITA to change even when just a few years old. To keep rust off, you need to grease them and grease collects dirt that gums up the threads so you have to remove all the dirty grease before you adjust it or it is really hard to turn. Then you have to measure the amount of movement so you get the front and back equal so you need a tape measure. I'll take the ones that have a bolt or pin and set holes any day over the threaded adjustment ones. I have an 8 foot tandem disc with 6 ea x 20" blades and I can move it easily by hand. I just reworked a bent axle and it was not so heavy that I couldn't stand the whole gang up by hand and I am 63 years old with a bad back. When changing the set, you are just sliding the gang on one end with metal to metal contact so it moves very easily. You could even remove the bolt and put in a pin to hold the set so it could be changed without any tools.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gary Fowler

They are generally a PITA to change even when just a few years old. To keep rust off, you need to grease them and grease collects dirt that gums up the threads so you have to remove all the dirty grease before you adjust it or it is really hard to turn.

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I drip WHITE LIGHTNING WAX BASED BICYCLE CHAIN LUBE on my implement draw pins twice per year. WHITE LIGHTNING does NOT attract dust but does wear/flake off during six months. I wonder how WHITE LIGHTNING or another brand of WAX BASED BICYCLE CHAIN LUBE, such as FINISH LINE, would work to prevent corrosion on threaded adjusters?

I'm an old guy also so feel your pain.

My solution to balky gang adjustment is to lay a farmer's jack on top to the disc and crank it until it is where it should go. There are enough anchor points to work off of on a disc and the 4 foot length of the jack make finding a suitable space quite easy.

Farm Jacks - 48" 3-1/2 Ton Farm Jack

I'm curious as to why there is a need for adjusting the gang angle. The optimum gang angle should be set by the factory and not need changing in the field. I'm more familiar with the larger machines up to 50' cutting width so maybe there is a reason that the small 3PT discs require adjustment of gang angle. Othersize, I would think that an angle of 18 to 20 degrees for the front gang and about 17 to 18 degrees for the back gang should be a happy medium. A higher gang angle provides better cutting action and moves more soil laterally but is also more prone to plugging with debris. A lower gang angle provides less aggressive cutting action and better leveling.