It took a while, but I got the disc, tractor, and drag harrow loaded on the trailer. I put the drag harrow under the tractor, but didn't like it there. Only other place to put it is on top of the disc, which I didn't wanna do.
Anyway, I made it over to the seven acre hay patch and was comfronted with a white fenced narrow drive, beautiful house and huge barn/shop. To the right was a huge pond and buffalo...............YES........buffalo. The owner raises buffalo.
The hay patch was a triangle with a handful of huge trees in it. Very scenic. Pity I turned it into a sow's ear!
Just into the second pass, the owner came out and said it would take 3 passes.
I was thinking 2 passes when I bid it. But I wanted to do right, good job. So I did 3 passes times 7 acres equaled 21 acres disc. Make that 28 acres including the final drag with the harrow. The Big RED Beast made me proud by pulling the disc and the disc even had some dirt "bulldozing" in front of the axle. So I cranked back on the leveling screw and put more weight on the rear. I pulled it all in 5th gear, but had to down shift to 4th in the low corner near the pond. The corner near the neighbor's pond had a ditch cutting across it and pulled mostly good thru it. The second pass had some wheel spinning and raising the disc slightly got me thru. The 6520 is at the bottom range of horsepower to use. If I had more hp, I would have finished way faster. But hey, it is all a learning curve. I need to move the rear disc over a little as the front disc is throwing to much dirt the rear disc is not smoothing out. So the disc has 4 bolt holes on each side and a huge center pivot bolt. So I move it counter clockwise one hole should reduce hp requirements and cure the furrow problem. I hesitate doing this as the bolts holding the gangs in position are "J" shaped bolts. Very special. I'm gonna see about buying new ones before I try to pivot the rear gang.
The discs on the right side of the disc really came out polished.
While the left side disc not so much in polish.
Twilight on the farm.................
Anyway, loading up after dark with me so hungry, dirty and wanting a bath (not to mention being whipped), I just dumped the drag harrow on top of the disc's new paint job and strapped it down. Way easier than tucking it up in a neat pile under the tractor. Gonna have to make a rack to go on top of the disc for the drag harrow. Really, I should have drove the tractor and disc to the hay patch, as it only was 15 miles on back roads.
While discing, I would kick the steering wheel forward and stand up here and there, but while pulling the harrow, knocking down ridges, I stood up the whole time. During all of this..........I kept thinking of my Dad while he was growing up on the farm........plowing and discing all day, just having the wind to cool him and his glass water jug that was wrapped in burlap and wetted to keep it cool. Yeah, I am stiff now, but can't wait to do it again. I have had 4 soaking hot baths since getting home Sunday night. In it's own therapeutic way.......it was all fun.
In three weeks, I go back to see the wonders of pasture rebirth and check out the baby buffalo calf!
hugs, Brandi
