6' Tandem Drag Disc and tractor hp?

[kthompson]

I have used each of the 3 styles of disk mentioned here.

To me hauling the disk shown will get old. It has to ride on the blades and regardless it will walk on any trailer placed on, wood or metal. Have never used a two gang disk like it but how are they for backing? That is the only way to unload.

I have never really notice a 3pth hitch or disk on wheels to be any difference in how hard to pull but have never had as large 3 pth disk as pull type. I like the 3pth for tight spots and cost less. Also the disk helps with traction as the weight is on the tractor. I like how much better a tractor rides with a pull type disk as the weight and most of the bouncing in removed. It does help at times to prevent bogging as the rear wheels have less weight but then here comes a heavy disk into a wet area. But you can lift the disk, lock it and unhock to pull with chain moving tractor to firming ground and pull it straight to rehook. Hard to do with 3 pth disk.

As to the claim about the older Case pulling such a disk and thinking a 25 hp CUT would do same, I think is way off. The old Case weighs so much more and has so much more traction. If you think the weight difference don't matter hook the two together with length of chain and the old Case probably would pull twice the hp of a CUT in 2 wheel drive, maybe 4 wheel drive. If you running load on pto only weight advantage is out the window.

I have a 27 HP CUT and have a 10 foot pull disk with 20 inch blades I pull with 68 hp 2 wheel tractor of about 7,000 lbs then with wheel weights and filled tires. That 10 foot disk cutting only about 7 inches deep is a load on that 68 hp running somewhere around 5 mph. (It is M6800 Kubota and normally run disk in high range 2nd gear. If I drop lower than 1st gear in high range not happy with results.) Now I could drop to a crawl and probably pull 12 or so feet depending on wheel spinning. But if you are crawling with a disk you are getting poor results. You do need it to roll the dirt, not slice it open to lay cable in the openings. There must be enough force in rolling the dirt to break it up and trash in it.

Of if you drop off the rear gangs over time you will find you are losing soil to area you are not disking as the rear gang brings it back where the front gangs throws the dirt out. If you go with front gang only, I would slow down on outside pass to minimize that.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I only use a disc on ground that has been plowed first. It is generally true that if a disc pulls hard, it is doing more work on the soil but that is not neccessarily a good thing. I just look to get the ground ready for planting with a minimum number of passes and I find that an old pull-type (with disc wheels having very little wear) does this better than several 3-pts I have used, and it takes significantly less power to pull. There may be some advantage to working high spots deeper with a 3-pt but I dont see what it is. My pull-type may not work all that deep but it works everything to a unifom depth thanks to all (4) sections having almost unrestricted freedom to follow the contour of the ground. My corn yields are as good or better than they ever were when using a 3-pt, since switching to a pull-type this season. My fuel consumption for discing was also down considerably since less passes were required, each taking less power and covering a wider width (7.5 ft pull-type vs 6.5 ft 3-pt). Better fuel economy and crop yields are difficult to ignore these days. I also like the fact that just one pin is involved in hookup, and I can use some of my old pre-3pt tractors for power. My JD pull-disc can also be completely controlled from the tractor seat with a rope to steepen the angle, or straighten out for transport. Probably the sweetest part of all is the fact that it was virtually free, because I sold the (2) 3-section drags the old farmer threw in with the disc for a tidy profit after fixing them up a bit. I am glad to hear that a few other folks are having good success with pull-type discs. I am very sorry I listened to the nay-sayers so long and stuck with a 3-pt for so many years. Anyone interested in a "nice" 6.5 ft, 1951 Dearborn 3-pt disc? Pull-types are not for everyone, especially if you need to transport over the road or work real small areas. Luckily I dont have any pavement or tiny gardens on my farm.

Ever wonder why the farmer was getting rid of that old disc? Maybe because he's wise enough to figure out there's better alternatives. In general, the farmers of this country figured that'n out more than 50 years ago. That's why there are multitudes of those old worthless relics piled in fencerows all across America. One day, with luck, you'll realize the same. Until then, thanks for providing the rest of us with something to chuckle about.

Better crop yields? Wasn't that long ago in another thread you mentioned that your goal was poor yielding corn since "deer are more attracted to that". Which is it this time? How will the story change to fit the NEXT latest rendition of your story?

 

[wolc123]

You guys might understand enough of physics 101 to know that more power = more work, but maybe not enough to know that it also means more fuel used. Apparently you missed economics 101 or you would understand that if you can achieve equal crop yields using less fuel and doing less work, you are much further ahead. I really dont mean to offend anyone and just remember it was again not me who leveled the first personal attack. Once again I will sign out on this 3-pt/pull type disc thread and let you more experienced folks have the last word. Happy farming everyone.

 

[chriswheeler]

Start by saying I'm not a farmer. I have a 5' disk and my tractor is a Yanmar YM 3000 with a little over 30 hp. The hp doesn't seam to matter as much as the weight of the machine for traction. I can pull my disk in sandy DG soil in second gear. When I increase the bite of the disk, I can stall the tractor. Weight seams to matter just as much or more as HP. If you own that disk, better think about a bigger tractor.
Chris

 

[whistlepig]

Goodness! If you are just turning sod over for a food plot a disk won't pull that hard. I pull a seven footer with a 30HP tractor for turning sod over. The disk won't go any deeper than about 6"-7". Enough to plant clover. If you are going to pull a 6' disk in ground that is plowed and the disk will sink to the axles that's a whole different beast. My 30 HP, even in 4WD wouldn't pull a six footer. It would be an anchor. The new CUT's are good at what they are made for. And ground engaging equipment is pushing the limit on the CUT's.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

You guys might understand enough of physics 101 to know that more power = more work, but maybe not enough to know that it also means more fuel used. Apparently you missed economics 101 or you would understand that if you can achieve equal crop yields using less fuel and doing less work, you are much further ahead. I really dont mean to offend anyone and just remember it was again not me who leveled the first personal attack. Once again I will sign out on this 3-pt/pull type disc thread and let you more experienced folks have the last word. Happy farming everyone.

Personal attacks? Try harder. You MIGHT conjure up a story that SOMEONE will believe. That ain't a personal attack. That's just a straightforward comment on a number of ridiculous claims followed by HIGHLY questionable, and constantly changing "proof" you cite as evidence.

OK....Let's have SPECIFICS on your "crop yields" since you quote that as your "proof". Since you haven't "yielded" ANYTHING, as last years crop was ate by deer and THIS years crop isn't done yet, you don't have yields to compare.


A poorly done job, regardless of how cheaply it's done, is STILL a poorly done job.

And.....When it appears to you ALL the world is wrong and you're always the only one who's right, you need to adjust your outlook a little.

 

[souliog]

Bought this 1950 8n for $1500. It has good tires, wheel weights and chains. Will it be enough?

 

[redharley]

should pull it, if your ground is heavy and wet your tire's in the pic look a little short in bar lenght for a good bite.Many farmers in my area used that set up and it worked well for them. Are you plowing first or just disking up to loosen?

 

[jenkinsph]

I trailer my equipment alot and that being the case I would not want to bother with a drag disk. To much of a PITA to deal with. Get a tiller, their compact and light by comparision, and dont require much traction to use. Actually a forward tine tiller will push the tractor across the field if you don't hold it back, the advantage with it is that you are less likely to get stuck.

If you think you have to have a disk I would get a 3 pt since it would be shorter and easier to deal with than a drag disk.




Steve

 

[souliog]

should pull it, if your ground is heavy and wet your tire's in the pic look a little short in bar lenght for a good bite.Many farmers in my area used that set up and it worked well for them. Are you plowing first or just disking up to loosen?

The tires have been replaced since the photo was taken. It has some decent treads now. We are just maintaining food plots in sandy loam.