Chain Harrow VS homemade weighted chainlink fence

[stevenf]

Greg since I have a hydraulic top link don't you think I could use a frame with lots of slack in the back attachment points and get the full drag without it leaving the ground every time my front end went up and down. I have a very long cylinder on my top link so my stroke is probably 16" to 18".
Steve

 

[WhiteRock]

Stevenf, where did you get your top link?

 

[greg_g]

The terrain following problem will be caused by the lower lift arms. Even set to float, they're not likely going to rise and fall in time with the speed you'd ordinarily work a harrow. Unless your property is flat as a pool table, I'm not sure 16-18" retraction on a HTL will be effective either. That's not a whole lot of slack in a pair of chains that will likely be at least 9 feet long on the diagonal. There's a LOT of stress too. I normally use mine with the tines in agressive stance, and regularly bend lift pin brackets and light duty toplinks. Keep in mind that expensive HTLs are most vulnerable when fully extended.

If you follow your intended design, AND you engineer strong enough lift pin mounts, AND they're far enough away from the rear wheels - the lift arms will raise the FRONT of the frame without hitting the tires. But the geometry you describe, still suggests that a HTL will not pick up the back end far enough to keep it from dragging - IF it picks up at all. And it may also lift the back end when you don't want it to - like when the tractor crests a hill.

With the expensive factory TPH frame versions, you sacrifice some terrain following ability for lift. With the much less expensive draw bar versions, you get aggressive terrain following - but NO lift capability. My version ended up as a reasonably priced compromise. Terrain following is only limited by the amount of slack in the lift chains, and lift capability is just as effective as a factory model. A little ungainly looking perhaps, but effective. I can also spin the frame 180 degrees to point the teeth for a less aggressive bite, or turn the whole thing upside down - for no teeth at all. Don't think the factory jobs can do THAT.

//greg//

 

[cowboydoc]

I have four fuerst harrows from 5' - 30'. They are all on carts that are pull behind and hydraulic controlled or they are on 3 point lifts. All of them there is absolutely no problem maintaining ground contact on any sort of hill. It just doesn't happen. My opinion is by the time you buy all the materials, time in putting it together, you are money ahead just to buy a good frame. If it's something you enjoy doing and time is not tight then make one but the 3 point hitches I have are very good.

 

[Soundguy]

A buddy of mine built a frame out of fence t posts. He used 5 posts. welded 4 as a square, and then another across the middle side to side. He used 18" sections of chain to attatch the 4 corners of the frame to the harrow, and then added 6 more chain sections to attatch the harrow to the 'flat sides on the square, as well as two supports in the middle.

The 18" chains allow the harrow to still follow contours.

He uses a TSC boom pole with 2 chains from the top, one to each rear corner, and with 2 more chains attatched near the 'bend' in the frame, to the front corners.

Using that setup, the chain harrow will lift entirely off the ground.. mind you the thing weighs about 650# or so I would guess.

He stick welde dthe tbar together with some scrap flat as gussets at the weld joints. I think he uses bolts/nuts/washers to attatch the chain to the harrow, and he welded a small loop at the bend of the boom pole to make the second attatch point. He coppied this design based on what he saw in the northern tool catalog. I think he paid 75$ for the boom pole.

Looks kinda like a rube goldberg contraption.. but works.

I just drag mine and then when done, I roll it up on a spare fence post.. chain the ends together and then move it into storage with the loader or boom pole. ( Gosh.. I love having a loader! )

Soundguy

 

[greg_g]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( He used 18" sections of chain to attatch the 4 corners of the frame to the harrow, and then added 6 more chain sections to attatch the harrow to the 'flat sides on the square, as well as two supports in the middle.

The 18" chains allow the harrow to still follow contours.)</font>

Makes sense. The boom pole must lift the frame 18" before the chains actually pick the harrow up out of the dirt. Then when the whole contraption is on the ground, there is 18" of slack for the harrow to follow the terrain.

Good idea. Only shortcoming might be that the heavy frame is not adding to the penetration weight of the harrow. I like my teeth to scratch DEEP. But he may not have that requirement. You think your friend's got any photos?

//greg//

 

[Soundguy]

Dave ( my friend ) is an old -no technology- horse farmer.. I go over there to change the oil on his tractor even.. or sharpen his bush hog blades.. etc. however.. next time I get by his place, I'll take my handy dandy digicam.

True about the no extra weight issue... but then.. I don't use any extra weight on my drag harrow, and in our sandy florida soil.. it cuts as deep as you want. I imagine if you have clay.. you'd want to throw some concrete blocks on there or something?

We use the same farier...I'll check with him to see if he has any pictures.. He's the one who did the welding. Uses a little flux core mig in the back of his tool trailer, run off a little genny.

Soundguy

 

[stevenf]

Whiterock it came as part of the Beltec Hydraulic auger setup they sell it seperately for $275 so even though it cost more than a regular hydraulic top link I'm using it for everything and haven't had a problem I figure it beats having two and if I tear it up I'll have to replace it.
Steve

 

[CharlesEvans]

Chain harrow definitely has its advantages but my dad has proven his tried and test chainlink fence so he's had it for two decades now and despite our badgering, he wouldn't consider others.

 

[JerryK]

Wire a couple pieces of old heavy chainlink fence together, and wire an old T-post across the front to hook a couple chains on to drag.. Wire an old heavy hardwood pallet on top upside down to keep the drag somewhat flat, and throw a couple BIG rocks into the upturned pallet.... costs nothing, lasts for years, and works for most things I need it for...