Adding Weight to A Disc

[NonTypicalCPA]

I've been looking for a used box frame style disc for a year now and have only run across the angle iron frame style. A local dealer took in on trade an angle iron KingKutter that I'm thinking about buying and adding weight to. My question is how much additional weight is too much for the disc to handle? The disc is an 8 footer and I will be pulling it with a Kubota L3940 (40hp) for foodplotting. I have a section of I beam that I could have cut up and welded on for the additional weight.

 

[Reg]

I've been looking for a used box frame style disc for a year now and have only run across the angle iron frame style. A local dealer took in on trade an angle iron KingKutter that I'm thinking about buying and adding weight to. My question is how much additional weight is too much for the disc to handle? The disc is an 8 footer and I will be pulling it with a Kubota L3940 (40hp) for foodplotting. I have a section of I beam that I could have cut up and welded on for the additional weight.

Depends what you get into and how DEEP you get into it.
What tires you have, whether or not they are loaded, 2WD or 4WD, etc.

ONE way to experiment is with a few 2x4s nailed up to form a frame around a 55 gallon drum laid horizontally, the kind with a pair of 2 inch bung holes.
Fit a hose faucet in the lower one so you can back fill it from a garden hose.
With water this will give you about 450 lbs, which SHOULD be enough, if it proves to be too much just open up the spigot wherever you get stuck and loose a hundred pounds or so.
With an 8ft disk you could get two of these on, maybe four, but I doubt you would need more than one. Experimenting is the only way to find out what you can pull with what you have where you are, etc.

I got mine at the local car wash, they don't use enough for it to be worth while sending back for re-cycling.
The "juice drums" are very hard to get now, I think because of FDA regulations.

 

[jenkinsph]

You can probably add about 20 to 25 lbs per blade is the short answer.

Just my opinion but in the long run you are much better off to buy a good disk that is built heavier, where the weight is adding structural integrity to the implement. Heavier disks usually have more robust frames, thicker disks, heavy duty bearings, thicker and heavier spools with wider flanges.

 

[beersngars]

I rented an angle iron 7.5' disk set last spring before I bought my Ferguson #25. The lighter rented disk seemed to beg for more weight to dig very deep so I added a few heavier logs to it and straped them on. It did a much better job with the weight but I could tell in the long run it was going to destroy it. If it were me, I would keep looking for what you want or be happy with the job the lighter one does without the addition of much weight. Just my opinion.

 

[suncoast]

I agree with the advice already given. When I was looking for a disc, I noticed an angle iron frame KK at TSC. It had been returned and the frame was bent in three or four places. The price was reducedwonder why? That was all I needed, I bought a box frame disc. I think adding weight to a unit that has a weak frame design to begin with would not be the best idea. If you could come across a small transport disc you would never regret the extra wait time. Try "tractorhouse.com" or "wengers"

 

[nickel plate]

On my offset disc, I had room on top to add two pieces of 4" square metal tubing. First cut them to length then drilled holes through the tubes and disc for the attachment bolts. On the saw horses and off the disc I ran the bolts through the tubes and temporarily nutted them off with enough thread to connect and bolt to the disc, then taped off one end and poured concrete into the tubes, tamped and set them on end to cure. They can now be attached/detached to/from the disc.

 

[wolc123]

I have a 6.5 ft angle iron disc (Old Dearborn model) that does not do a very good job no matter how much weight you put on it. The problem with the ridgid frame on this and most 3-pt discs, is that the (4) disc rows can not move independently to follow the ground contour. Last season, I picked up an old, 8 ft, pull-type that does a much better job, requireing less passes with less weight, and also requires less hp to pull. Getting more tillage from every pound of steel, and making less passes, also reduces soil compaction which increases crop yields. I would never again consider a 3 pt disc for any usage. If I were doing small areas, I would go with a tiller. For larger areas, if I needed to transport over the road, I would go with a transport (wheel) type. In my current situation, with no need to transport over the road, and plenty of turn-around space, the old, pull-type I bought last spring for $100 is nearly perfect. If I were you, I would consider your needs, and select the best fit from: tiller, transport, or pull-type disc. One of these will work much better for any job.

 

[beersngars]

I have 2 disk sets. An old Dunham 6' pull behind and a 3 point Ferguson #25. Both are adjustable. Both are full floating at each axle. Both are very heavily built and do a decent job. But...if I could only have one, it would be the Ferguson because of the added manuverability the 3 point offers. That said, the pull behind is just a nice easy "cruise" around the field. The transport requires remotes which I don't have ...........yet.

 

[Ford850]

I've been looking for a used box frame style disc for a year now and have only run across the angle iron frame style. A local dealer took in on trade an angle iron KingKutter that I'm thinking about buying and adding weight to. My question is how much additional weight is too much for the disc to handle? The disc is an 8 footer and I will be pulling it with a Kubota L3940 (40hp) for foodplotting. I have a section of I beam that I could have cut up and welded on for the additional weight.

I have the 6 1/2' angle disk from TSC. I add several hundred pounds to get it to cut in like I want. With that much weight on it, I am very careful not to turn or back up with it in the ground. Disks are designed to be pulled, and the lighter weight economy varieties can't take any additional stress. I've had mine for 5 years and it works fine, but I do grease it every time after I use it.

 

[wolc123]

One other great feature of the pull-types is that they take less than 1/3 the time to hitch / unhitch and you can use them on "antique iron" that lacks 3 pt hitch. That old 8 footer makes my 20 hp, Allis Chalmers C grunt pretty good, but my 43 JD, 4wd dont even seem to know its back there, even at the most aggressive setting. I would say it is perfect size for a 30 hp, 2wd tractor. The biggest advantage I see these days from a pull- type or transport disc over a 3 pt however, is that they get the ground ready to plant using about half the fuel (based on my experience anyway). I base this on the fact that it used to take me an average of 5 passes to get my soil ready for planting with the 6.5 ft, 3-pt, while I get it done now with an average of 3 passes from the 8 ft, pull-type, and the wider pull-type pulls easier. I have used several different brands of pull-type discs over the years, but this JD model I found this spring is definitely the best. The old Bissells I had would cut just as good but left some significant ridging in the field. No ridging with the IH models, but they didn't cut as well either. What I really like about the JD is that you never need to get of the tractor because it can be adjusted to any of about 12 angle settings, inluding straight for transport, by simply pulling a rope.