does a drag type disc work better than a 3pt disc?

   / does a drag type disc work better than a 3pt disc? #1  

bdog

Elite Member
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Mar 26, 2004
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2,633
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Texas
Tractor
John Deere 6130M
I have never used a 3pt disc. My dad has one and he soes it does not work as good as a pull type. Assuming they are the same size and weight, does a pull type work better than a 3pt model?

I currently have a pull type but I can not get it on my trailer and a 3pt is much easier to manuver around. I am looking at trading it in on a 3pt, but don't want to sacrifice any performance.
 
   / does a drag type disc work better than a 3pt disc? #2  
"same size and weight" is probably where the difference comes in, as the 3pts may be lighter in weight for equal size.

I like the 3pt just because of it being easier to work in small plots, and keeps the disc blades sharper when not dragging it over ground not being worked (although you may be talking a pull type with lift wheels too).
 
   / does a drag type disc work better than a 3pt disc?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Yes, my pull type has lift wheels. I like it alot, By I can only use it on my place and it is a pain to backup and manuver around. I was talking to a used implement dealer today and he said he woul give me a good trade in value on it in exchange for a 3pt model. I am seriously thinking about it, but don't want to be disappointed.
 
   / does a drag type disc work better than a 3pt disc? #4  
There's a long litany of faults with MOST 3-point disc's on the market.

1st) Most are way too lightweight.... That is a double-edged sword. They don't want to go in the ground, and they aren't very durable. A large number of them end up on smaller tractors that can't handle a 2500lb disc. They HAVE to be somewhat lightweight....

2.) Being attached by the 3-point hitch makes them somewhat "rigid" with regards to following the terrain. A wheel disc (or older "drag disc") will flex with undulations in the ground you're passing over.

3.) 3-point disc's are shorter coupled.... To make them easier to lift, as well as more manuverable, the front and rear gangs are closer together than your typical wheel disc. That causes them to want to rotate around the front gang when they're sunk deep into the soil. (Top link under compression....) Not the worst of problems, but 3-point disc's tend to be difficult to get the REAR gang in the ground. Extend the top-link, and the entire disc wants to "float" on top of the ground, compounding the "lightweight" problem.

There are "better" 3-point disc's. About the best was an older design Massey Ferguson sold for years. They were "marked" by a couple "adjusting levers" that would allow you to change the angle of BOTH front and rear gangs from the tractor seat. They just worked better than most 3-point models....

A final "stake to the heart" for 3-point disc's (as far as I'm concerned) is they get a LOT of side-loading on their framework IF you make any turns (however so slight) while they're in the ground. A wheel disc, or drag disc, by the nature of their design, doesn't deal with that. The LIGHTWEIGHT (There's that word again) frames of most 3-point disc's will not take that for too long. They tend to "loosen up" after a while, finally breaking welds or "structual members".

The wear and tear won't happen overnight. The occasional user won't destroy one in short order. It might even last a lifetime. But if you plan on using one a lot, doing many acres, a wheel disc is MUCH more durable.

I have TWO wheel disc's. One is a larger, folding "wing disc" that mostly stays at the farm. (25'-6") My smaller one is 8'-6". I keep good tires on it, so it can be towed behind a pick-up. I take it to most jobs that way, instead of loading it off and on the trailer. The tractor I use it with could easily handle 10' or 12', but that is too wide for easy transport.

I'm currently working on a THIRD disc. It is a model #350 IH wheel disc. It's an 8'-6" wheel disc NOW, but will be converted into a 3-point disc. I don't care much for them, but sometimes they're VERY handy. IF you can justify having BOTH types, you get the best of all worlds......
 
   / does a drag type disc work better than a 3pt disc? #5  
And then there's the other part of it. To the best of my knowledge 3PH style discs don't come with the gangs "spring mounted" allowing each gang to independently float over a rock. My 12' wheel mounted disc was rigid and I got tired of welding up the gang mounts when I'd run into/over an unseen rock. I just bought a used 18' that is spring mounted...WOW, I sure like it. Kinda big to get thru my small gates though, even with the "wings" in the folded position. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
   / does a drag type disc work better than a 3pt disc? #6  
I think so. I have a 5.5' tandem 3 point disc that I got with my tractor and I don't use it anymore. I found a 4' Towner Offset drag disc for $200 and it is the real deal. I put some logs on it and it really turns the soil. You can only make left turns, so you need space to operate it. I also found a 4 ' drag tandem disc for $100 that I also like. You can straighten both of the discs out by pulling on a chain and backing up. I want to sell my 3 point disc, but I think it is worthless. Also it doesn't have scrapers.
 
   / does a drag type disc work better than a 3pt disc? #7  
"Also it doesn't have scrapers."

I really appreciated the scrapers on my old GI(General Implement) pull behind this weekend after a rain Sat. night. We needed the rain.. plus it help soften the plowed ground.
 
 
 
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