Right fit for Disk Harrow?

AirForceIP · Feb 11, 2012

Plan on getting a disk harrow (along with some other stuff) on monday. Trying to decide if the 8 foot harrow would be too big. I have a 5530 FWD. Armstrong Ag recommends a minimum of 60 hp for the 8 footer, but I could easily work the 7. I'd probably rather have the bigger harrow, if just for the weight. Think the tractor would pull it ok?

http://www.armstrongag.com/Prodimages/HD.pdf?#view=Fit

flusher · Feb 11, 2012

AirForceIP said:
Plan on getting a disk harrow (along with some other stuff) on monday. Trying to decide if the 8 foot harrow would be too big. I have a 5530 FWD. Armstrong Ag recommends a minimum of 60 hp for the 8 footer, but I could easily work the 7. I'd probably rather have the bigger harrow, if just for the weight. Think the tractor would pull it ok?

http://www.armstrongag.com/Prodimages/HD.pdf?#view=Fit

I pull an old 6.5-ft Towner offset disc with my 2008 Mahindra 5525 (54 hp engine, 2WD, gear tranny 8F/2R, don't know what the drawbar hp is). I can get it up to 5-6 mph in my gravely loam soil when it's dry or damp. If it's really wet, that heavy disc will bog the 5525 down.

LAWALLSTRACTOR · Feb 12, 2012

I don't know what the h*** you guys disc that is so hard to pull. When I was growing up on the farm we plowed the ground (Not the best ground, heavy clay soil) and then used the disc to break up the soil. We pulled a 8' disc with and Allis Chalmers WD 37 HP 2wd 4000 lbs. and pulled a 10' disc with a Massey 165 52 HP 2wd 5000 lbs.

Hollow · Feb 12, 2012

That would mean I'm 20hp under rated with a 2wd tractor and no extra weight or water in the tires... Haha! But then again I've always said my little NH "is six pounds of potatoes in a three pound bag"

70's (ish) 8' IH Model 37 disc.

ENG18LT · Feb 12, 2012

Airforce,

I have a 5530 4wd and easily pull a 8' disc through plowed ground, wish I had gone with a 10' set.

flusher · Feb 12, 2012

LAWALLSTRACTOR said:
I don't know what the h*** you guys disc that is so hard to pull. When I was growing up on the farm we plowed the ground (Not the best ground, heavy clay soil) and then used the disc to break up the soil. We pulled a 8' disc with and Allis Chalmers WD 37 HP 2wd 4000 lbs. and pulled a 10' disc with a Massey 165 52 HP 2wd 5000 lbs.

Sure, if I plowed the ground first, I'm sure my 5525 would pull my 8-ft wheel disc with no problem through my hayfield. But I don't plow because my good topsoil is thin and shallow. I use that Towner offset for primary tillage so I don't flip the poor soil on top of the good stuff.

MtnViewRanch · Feb 12, 2012

LAWALLSTRACTOR said:
I don't know what the h*** you guys disc that is so hard to pull. When I was growing up on the farm we plowed the ground (Not the best ground, heavy clay soil) and then used the disc to break up the soil. We pulled a 8' disc with and Allis Chalmers WD 37 HP 2wd 4000 lbs. and pulled a 10' disc with a Massey 165 52 HP 2wd 5000 lbs.

Galen, I think the same thing, just the opposite. How in the world do you guys pull such big disks? :confused3: With our ground and terrain, I have had the tracks on our D6 slipping when pulling out 12' offset disk and I have almost run out of power pulling my 8' offset disk with the 7520. All our disks are old JD-Kielfer pull disks with 22" blades. Normal pull would be 8"-9" deep in damp soil.

LAWALLSTRACTOR · Feb 12, 2012

MtnViewRanch said:
Galen, I think the same thing, just the opposite. How in the world do you guys pull such big disks? :confused3: With our ground and terrain, I have had the tracks on our D6 slipping when pulling out 12' offset disk and I have almost run out of power pulling my 8' offset disk with the 7520. All our disks are old JD-Kielfer pull disks with 22" blades. Normal pull would be 8"-9" deep in damp soil.

The discs I remember on the farm only had 16 to 18 " discs, and once in a while we would disc the corn stubble in with out plowing, and if you set the disc to a good angle you could only get a couple of inches of penetration the first time over. I stopped and watched a local farmer discing a couple of years ago and he was only getting 3 to 4 inches of penetration. The disc he was using was probably 20 to 25' wide you don't see much of anything smaller being used for farming in our area anymore. Actually I don't see discs being used much, in our area, anymore.
Brian,
Your pictures almost look like you are plowing.

MtnViewRanch · Feb 12, 2012

LAWALLSTRACTOR said:
The discs I remember on the farm only had 16 to 18 " discs, and once in a while we would disc the corn stubble in with out plowing, and if you set the disc to a good angle you could only get a couple of inches of penetration the first time over. I stopped and watched a local farmer discing a couple of years ago and he was only getting 3 to 4 inches of penetration. The disc he was using was probably 20 to 25' wide you don't see much of anything smaller being used for farming in our area anymore. Actually I don't see discs being used much, in our area, anymore.
Brian,
Your pictures almost look like you are plowing.

Out here in the West, they are still disking and the "REAL" farmers are using anything from 24"-42" disk pans from 14'-20'+ wide. So anywhere from 10"-18" deep. Of course it all depends on what they are growing. Just goes to show how different things are in different parts of the country.