Chain Harrow VS homemade weighted chainlink fence

[DmansPadge]

I was able to get my hands on a few different drainage grates. They are quite heavy and you can't tear them up no matter how hard you try. One will normally do.. if it's not enough, I'll tie another one on top. Me and my brother in law have used this method at his property (that is quite rough) and it has worked well. Besides.. I got 'em for free and thats a price I can't refuse!

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

Besides.. I got 'em for free and thats a price I can't refuse!

I know. I like free too. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Youare]

I have used a section of chain link fence to smooth a piece of ground that was going to be planted with grass seed. The ground had to be raked first with a landscape rake. The fence would work only when a 4"to 6" diameter log was laid across it at the front of the piece perpendicular to the tractor.

The log pushed loose dirt into any hollows and the tail end of the fence smoothed the ground. After seeding the log was removed and the fence dragged once over to cover the seed.

As far as road work goes with chain link fence, forget it unless you have a very soft road. A York type rake with gauge wheels works very well.

There have been many homemade devices constructed which work and are less expensive than buying a piece of equipment.

I made one once out of material I had on hand which worked but wasn't as easy to use as the York rake I purchased later on. If you got the stuff try making one the worst that could happen is it doesn't work. But you will never know until you give it a try. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Randy

 

[Soundguy]

The pic isn't real clear.. but you can see the dust being kicked up. This is a conventional drag harrow, tines up, and I'm busting up maneuer clods. as the others mentioned.. you can flip it over for less agressive work.. or down for more agressive.

Soundguy

 

[stevenf]

Bigtractor, I sent a PM asking about the cost, sizes available and shipping to Texas and I hadn't heard back so I figured I'd post it in the thread and that way anyone that knows where I can get a 7' x 7' or so heavy duty chain harrow could lend their experience as well. I have another thread talking about using a boom to pick up the harrow with a pipe mounted to the rear to attach boom and stabilize it instead of using a frame harrow does this sound like it would work as I'd like to end up with a boom as well instead of a dedicated harrow frame lift.
Steve

 

[greg_g]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have another thread talking about using a boom to pick up the harrow with a pipe mounted to the rear to attach boom and stabilize it instead of using a frame harrow does this sound like it would work )</font>
Won't work, I tried it. Yours will be only slightly lighter than my 8x8. Chain harrow is heavy at the same time it's flexible, and you will still end up dragging the section that can't be lifted because the boom pole is too short. A conventional length boom pole won't actually even lift - it will just sorta pull the far end towards the tractor. Everything else will still drag.

Even my original frame design (8x9 rectangle) allowed too much chain sag in the middle when lifted. Ended up adding an 8' cross member to keep the center tines off the ground, and the center weight from collapsing the frame. Plus, I had to fabricate a 5 foot extension to the boom pole, just so the thing would balance.

Look HERE. I can send more photos by email if you'd like

//greg//

 

[CTyler]

Would using a boom pole and hydraulic toplink work? That way you can get the boom much higher/vertical.

 

[greg_g]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Would using a boom pole and hydraulic toplink work? That way you can get the boom much higher/vertical. )</font>
Nope. You will still have the wrong geometry. The only way the heavy center will pick up without a frame, is if the boom pole extends out beyond the distant end of the harrow. As it is lifted, it must be pulled AWAY from the towing point to maintain tension on the tow chain. A standard length boom pole - regardless of toplink - is simply too short, and will actually pull the distant end of the harrow towards the tractor as it lifts. Even with my frame and cross-member, I had to put a 5 foot extension on a six foot boom pole. Otherwise when the boom pole took tension off the tow chain, the tow bar came forward and hit the rear tires.

Note the reverse angle of the front lift chains in my photo. Their job is to pull the tow bar AWAY from the drawbar, thereby keeping tension on the tow chain - and the tow bar off the rear tires. The center lift chains are load-bearing. The rear lift chains are for balance and stability

//greg//

 

[stevenf]

greg, thanks for your experience in this matter I figured surely someone had tried it because a a cheap boom would do the trick and its around a $100. at TSC and any kind of harrow frame is around $500. So obviously its either back to the drawing board or get the frame, your solution would work for me if I had a welding machine and some experience doing it I could probably just make a 3 point connected frame and since I have a hyd top link a boom would work as I could lift the front with the lift arms and the back with the top link and a boom or use the connecting rods like the frame manufactures do.
Steve

 

[greg_g]

the problem I see with the three point frames, is that you just can't get the terrain following agression applied by simply dragging it behind a tow bar. It's going to skip, drag, and bounce as the front wheels of the tractor rise and fall with the terrain. When dragging it with a chain and a tow bar, it never leaves the ground - till you lift it with something like I had built.

The frame is nothing more than USED inch and a quarter steel pipe. Old rebar was bent into U shapes, and welded to the inside of the frame and cross member for harrow attachment points. Galvanized quick links were used to attach the harrow sections to the rebar connecting points. Rebar was also bent and welded to make chain attachment points for more quick links. That's all there is to the frame.

The boom pole is standard duty Cat 1, $79 at a farm supply store. An 18 inch piece of square tubing was slid inside the end, and welded in place. A five foot section of square tubing - the same size as the boom pole - slides over the end section. It's held in place with a PTO pin. Two chain keys were welded on. that's all there is to the boom pole.

So the material's readily available, and reasonably priced. All you have to do is find a welder to put it all together.

Balance is the key. I experimented with wood frames initially, just so I could find the best chain arrangments and attachment points. That way, the welder had a plan to work from - instead of trial and error to get it to hang right. I can send you some measurements by email, if you'd like.

//greg//