Operating the 3 point

[dry_creek_farm]

Hello everyone,

First post on the list here after lurking and reading for a few weeks now. Thanks for everybody for the good information and stories.

I'm kinda new to farming in general and I've only got about 35 hours on the Montana 5740 so far. Mostly FEL work. I've just gotten a 7.5' disc harrow mounted to the back and I wanted ask a few questions to see if I'm using it right. Any tips or tricks to setting up the 3 point for using a disc harrow would be appreciated. Here is my predicament-

I seems to me that I'm not getting enough downward pressure on the disc to get it to bite into the ground more than a couple of inches. I was hoping to get about 3-4 inches of bite. Am I asking too much? Here is my setup-

Top link in connected to the second hole down from the top on the tractor. I slid the little blocking lever on the top link of the tractor out of the way to engage the draft control. I also opened the flow control valve to the right of the operator's seat to the "double action" position. Now it's my thought that the 3 point should be forcing the arms down in the double action position - Right? Also I've got the draft control lever in the cab pushed all the way down.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Adjust the disk angle to the max angle, that will give you the most bite that you will get without adding weight on top of the disk. If you think that you have down pressure on your 3ph, you should be able to lift the back of your tractor with the 3ph. You will find that you can't, because you have no down pressure. Very few tractors have down pressure capabilities on their 3 point. I think that the valve that you turned for double acting is the control valve for your rear remotes. Montanas are capable of having their rear remotes single or double acting. You usually won't need draft control while pulling a disk. Leave it off for now. If you are able to ever get your disk cutting down to the depth that you want, that is when you would use draft control with your disk. Most people need to make several passes to get to the depth desired. Sounds like your ground is hard, that means more passes or wait for rain to soften it up a little, keeps down on the dust too.

Good luck

 

[dry_creek_farm]

Thanks for the help. I did adjust the disk to the max angle and that seemed to help break up and get down in the soil a little more. I've gotten a few acres done now and to get the depth/consistency that I want it's taking 3 passes. On the 3rd pass that draft control comes in pretty handy. I did move the top link down to the bottom hole on the tractor to make it a drag a little harder when it does manage to get deep. Looks like I'll just have to make the extra passes to make it all work.

Again thanks for the help.

Eric

 

[NetworkMD]

Good advice Brian, I have never owned a tractor with down pressure on the 3pt. On hard ground about 3 passes would be about right to cut about an inch or so per.

Good luck

 

[gemini5362]

I have a 4940 which is basically the same tractor as he is talking about with a bit less horsepower. The control that he talks about putting in the double action position is the one for the rear remotes.