Disc harrow advice

[Texomahog]

Gentlemen. I recently purchased a NH Boomer 20. My question is, can it handle a 6.5 foot disc harrow??? Thanks!

 

[jeff9366]

Thread LINK should let you answer that question for yourself:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/296476-considerations-disc-harrow-selection-18-a.html

 

[Texomahog]

Thanks Jeff. According to your formula of 5 hp per foot, it seems the 6.5 would be too much. The tractor is rated at 23 hp.

 

[Gary Fowler]

We used to pull a 6 foot disk with an 8N Ford. It was so heavy that the front wheels would come off the ground when you raised the disk and it pulled it ok. IIRC an 8N only has 19 PTO HP. Much depends on the type of soil and how deep you try to penetrate. You can always use the 3 PH to carry some of the load which would give you additional traction also.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I pull a 5ft disc with no issues using a 1720 NH...
It is a little more tractor than yours with a loaded weight of 3300# and 28 HP...
With that said, I think that a 5' disc is a good match for your tractor...

 

[Texomahog]

I looked at a 6 ft. Priefert today. It had a double clevis that was not dropped. I measured it 21 inches off the ground. As Jeff said, that could certainly be an issue loading the rig on a trailer. I have yet to see a five footer at any of the local dealers. Looks like if I go that route, I will have to order one.

 

[flusher]

To get a disc to work correctly, your ground speed has to be 5+ mph. With a 23 hp engine, a 5-ft tandem disc is about all you can handle. If you choose an offset disc, 4-ft might be more like it. It depends on the soil conditions (hard dry vs soft damp) and on how you set the disc (aggressive or not so aggressive). Check the rear tire track width and try to select a disc that wide and no more.

Good luck.

 

[arnoldziffel]

Where on the disc do you measure to determine its size please?

Thanks.

 

[jenkinsph]

I recommend you consider a 48" forward rotation tiller instead as it is a much better implement to use behind a 1700 lb sub compact. When you consider how much hp you need to move the tractor through the ground at 4 or 5 mph that does not leave much hp for the tractive effort needed to pull the disk. While you can start out dragging the disk across the unplowed field the later trips will get much harder to maintain the necessary speeds. I think you will have a difficult time pulling a disk that is sunk to the hubs at 5 mph.

A tiller moving slowly across the same area only needs about two trips to accomplish the task and more of the hp can be put to the ground with a light tractor.

 

[rasp21]

I have a N.H. 1510 4WD and I pull a 6.5 foot Edwards Heavy Disk. I am at 30 H.P. and as stated above, you need to pull at 4 or 5 M.P.H . to get a good soil turn. This is at the outside limits of what this tractor can handle. It makes my tractor work at its full capacity. I could make it work easier by taking off 1 or 2 pans, but so far this tractor has been able to pull this disk. You may be able to pull a disk like that but you may have to remove a pan or two. Soil and ground conditions will tell you what your tractor is capable of. My pans are 20 inch, Be flexable and adjust according to what you soil and tractor are able to handle. Maybe remove a pan or two. Good luck. You are going to push that tractor hard with 23 H.P. pulling a 5 foot disk. Keep in mind that you can remove or adjust the pans to be less aggressive and maybe go over the plot twice to get it done right.