How big can I pull?

[Eric_Phillips]

After reading a lot of information in these discussions I am going to try to loosen up the old farm field for lawn with a disc. I have killed the weeds so now it is disc time. I have a FarmTrac 270DTC, it is a gear drive 27HP with industrial tires. The dealer suggested a 5.5ft disc. The local TSC has a 6.5ft KK angle frame disc for about $200 less. The soil varies from sandy loam to firm gravely soil. Will a tractor of this size pull the 6.5ft disc?

Eric

 

[JJT]

In sandy loam you should have no problem. My experience with a disc - they need to be heavy, but I'm in clay. I tried an 8' behind my L3710 and switched to a 6' tiller with much better results.

 

[Soundguy]

My 8n, 27hp.. 53 years ago.. has pulled a 6.5' KK disc before... In hard material/thatch.. i had to make the angle of cut less agressige ont he first pass.. but in sand.. you should do fine with your "new" machine.

Soundguy

 

[Eric_Phillips]

Thanks Soundguy. That is exactly the information I was looking for and hoped to hear. If I can't track down a used disc in the next couple of days it will be off the the TSC for a KK 6.5' disc. He is discounting the ones on his lot by $100 because the paint is a little faded and there is chipping on the discs. I figure a couple of hours dragging it through the dirt will remove most of the paint on the disc, chipped or not.

Eric

 

[Soundguy]

Awesome... 100$ discount due to bad paint on an implement? Nice deal!

Remember.. you can make the cut less agressive by angling the gangs less.. also.. can remove a blade altogether.... then it's virtually the same as the 5.5' models.

Soundguy

 

[have_blue]

Eric,

Great idea SoundGuy has there to pull a couple of disks, if you can balance it left-right. Otherwise it may try to pull to the side on you.

I think the 27hp tractor will like a 5-1/2 foot disk better. It can be run more agressively, and will require less weight to penetrate well.

I have a 5-1/2" KK, set real agressive. My 35 hp tractor pulls it just right. My old 29 hp tractor pulled it so-so, but I had to keep it in a pretty low gear to keep from lugging.

 

[Eric_Phillips]

I would probably go with the 5ft except for the economics. All the TSC stores around only have the 6.5ft discs not the 5.5ft. My tractor dealer has a 5ft but it costs about $300 more than the 6.5ft. I think the dealer's discs are Watco or something close to that name. When I looked them up the weight of them and the KK were about the same so I didn't see any advantage of them over the KK.

Now for the rain. From what I have learned on here is that when working the dirt it helps to do it several days after a rain. So I was happy to hear earlier this week that it was to rain lastnight and then clear up and be nice through the weekend. Well it did rain lastnight but now we are also to get some rain Friday night into Sat. I will just have to see how sticky the soil gets. The sandy stuff out back I think wil be ok to start working.

Eric

 

[Eric_Phillips]

Well I bought the 6.5ft KK disc from TSC. My 27HP tractor pulls it with no problems. The only time is boggs down in when I work the sandy areas too much and the disc gets burried up to the axles and the tractor is in deep soft stuff. I am not sure if things would be different if I was discing plowed soil but for loosening stuff up for grass it is working good. I did load it up with about 215lbs of old sash weights. My wife as been wondering why I saved those for 7 years and moved them to the new house. Now she knows.

Eric