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.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

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.

If you don't mind me asking, just how heavy is your "heavy disk" ? :confused3: If people can see what the actual weight is, that gives them something to go by vs such a general description. One companies heavy is another companies medium. Just helps people that are looking to better understand. Pictures are a BIG help also.

 

[Texomahog]

Thank you all for your input! I thought about the tiller idea, having had one on an 18 horse JD. What is different now is that I will be preparing food plots on our deer lease rather than just tilling a garden spot. When I bought this place 30 years ago, the tiller was a bit of a problem for a period of time as I had to cut the thousands of winged elm roots that rapped around it. Thus, I thought a disc might be a better for these new endeavors. Having owned a tiller for years, I would actually prefer using one.

 

[Texomahog]

By the way, I have not had a chance to measure the width of my back tire area yet, but, I do know that my five foot finishing mower just barely exceeds the width of the tractor, 2 or three inches. And if I purchase a disc, it will be a tandem, not an offset.

 

[jeff9366]

And if I purchase a disc, it will be a tandem, not an offset.

A Tandem Disc Harrow is what you want. A towed offset disc creates considerably higher draft force and has a cumbersome, left-biased turning radius.

 

[jeff9366]

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

Thanks.

Measure across the box frame which supports the disc hangers. On both box frame Disc Harrows I have used, you can loosen the nuts on the u-bolt hangers and scoojie the individual discs a bit in either direction; maybe 6-8" of hanger adjustability per side, if the gang angle of attack is not too aggressive.

You may move the disc hangers to eliminate a undisturbed strip in the center or an undisturbed strip at some other point along the gangs, or to eliminate a ridge at the side.

Disc Harrows are usually nominally sized 6" wider than tractor rear tire width. My tire width is 59"+, my Howse Disc Harrow is nominally 5'-6". Maybe so one can disc closer to a fence line?

 

[rasp21]

MtnView, sorry about the late response, holidays. I don't know what the weight is, and you are right, one mfg. idea of a heavy disk is going to be different from another. Sorry I don't have a pict. , I run 11 20inch pans all smooth in this disk, and it is all my tractor can handle. You can see this disk at Home :: Edwards Equipment Company ,keep in mind I only run 11 pans. I don't want to get close to a highjack here, but I have 2 of these and one is set as the disk, and the other is set up as a hiller for raised beds and hilling potatoes. Works great. Both of mine are older models, but the only difference is the 3 pt. hookup. Also, I am on flat ground, previously plowed and sometimes I have to draft up if I loose traction.

 

[Chilly807]

I pull a 6.5 foot tandem disc behind an L3400 (35 hp) Kubota without any problems.

With 20 HP, I have my doubts it would handle it. The tandems do pull quite a bit easier than offsets, but traction may be your biggest challenge, not HP. The Kubota with loader is roughly 3600 lbs and 4wd with AG tires.

I'm guessing the disc weighs in the vicinity of 700-800 lbs considering it doesn't want to lift much more. My rotary cutter is 770 lbs and it lifts that without any trouble, but it's also a bit shorter than the disc.

Like the guys have suggested, it might be well advised to look for a 5 foot disc. They would have been special order here as well, there isn't much of a market for them. For any disc, for that matter, although we're not really in major farm country here.

Sean

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I pull a 6.5 foot tandem disc behind an L3400 (35 hp) Kubota without any problems.

With 20 HP, I have my doubts it would handle it. The tandems do pull quite a bit easier than offsets, but traction may be your biggest challenge, not HP. The Kubota with loader is roughly 3600 lbs and 4wd with AG tires.

I'm guessing the disc weighs in the vicinity of 700-800 lbs considering it doesn't want to lift much more. My rotary cutter is 770 lbs and it lifts that without any trouble, but it's also a bit shorter than the disc.

Like the guys have suggested, it might be well advised to look for a 5 foot disc. They would have been special order here as well, there isn't much of a market for them. For any disc, for that matter, although we're not really in major farm country here.

Sean

Sean, thank you so much for listing the weight, or at least what you think that your set weighs. :thumbsup: Seems like there are a lot of people that simply have no idea and that is fine, but when they post "my tractor pulls this (size) without problem", there are SO MANY variables that they really are not helping anyone. If anything they could be pointing the person in the wrong direction. If people would clarify what their conditions are and what they are using, it could really help others out quite a bit.

Just my :2cents:

 

[Kioti Tom]

You could get an approximate weight by going to Everything Attachments and going to the Disc Harrows. find the one
closest to what you want/have and bring it up. They usually give an approx. weight...

 

[Texomahog]

Thank you again for all of your help. This is a great board!! As I will be primarily planting food plots, rye, oats, wheat, and, not trying to prepare a large garden spot, I decided to go small as many of you suggested. I found a dealer in OKC that could get me a 4.5 Atlas with 16 inch discs for $600. The clevis are low enough to load the rig on my trailer to take to the deer lease. Not a heavy duty rig, but, should stir the soil enough for me to plant grass.