Disc size for 35 HP tractor?

[BoneDigger]

I have a New Holland Workmaster 35. I am planning to buy a disc for food plots and want to get a heavy duty tube style. The local dealer is recommending 5ft for my needs. This is in very sandy soil. Would you go with 5ft as recommended, or jump to a 6ft? I'm only discing an acre or two. The tractor does not have water in the tires and has standard tires (not agricultural). It is a 4x4 though.

Thoughts?

 

[Z-Michigan]

I would probably go with the 5ft. I used to use a 6.5ft disc of that type with a 50hp tractor with R1 (Ag) tires and later with a 40hp tractor with R4 tires. I had plenty of power and traction with the first but was reaching limits with the second.

Have you used a small disc like that before? I ask because I found two things:
1) There wasn't much effect with one pass, because even a 900lb disc wasn't cutting into the soil much, and
2) Because of that I ended up making lots of passes, which means you'll be driving on worked-up soil and may also be compacting the soil below the 3-6" depth that the disc reaches.

The much more impressive results you see from big-farm disc setups are coming from three factors: larger diameter disc wheels, far more total implement weight, and most importantly, far more weight per disc wheel. You would need to add 1000-2000lbs of ballast to a small disc (like a 5' tandem) to reach the same weight per wheel, and you'd probably have parts fail because it's not made for that much weight.

At my new farm I went with a rototiller instead. While it doesn't go very deep either, it does a thorough job in one pass and overall is much less work, for more benefit, than the disk was.

 

[Keith_B]

I'd go with 6 foot, 5 foot won't cover the tire tracks. People have used 6 foot discs for the old Ford 8N, Jubilees and 600 series for 70 years, your 4WD Workmaster will pull those same discs easily. My Mahindra 4110 pulls my old Ford 6 footer easily.

 

[Utopia Texas]

For that HP I would go with the 6. foot since the soil is sandy. Initially you could loosen and adjust the gangs of disks for a straighter bite into the soil and then angle them more for a more aggressive bite. Also depending on the soil you may need to play around with the tilt front to back for the best results. Once you get the hang of using a disk they are wonderful tools but you don't just attach them to the tractor and go. I believe there are Utube videos on the subject.

 

[BoneDigger]

I would probably go with the 5ft. I used to use a 6.5ft disc of that type with a 50hp tractor with R1 (Ag) tires and later with a 40hp tractor with R4 tires. I had plenty of power and traction with the first but was reaching limits with the second.

Have you used a small disc like that before? I ask because I found two things:
1) There wasn't much effect with one pass, because even a 900lb disc wasn't cutting into the soil much, and
2) Because of that I ended up making lots of passes, which means you'll be driving on worked-up soil and may also be compacting the soil below the 3-6" depth that the disc reaches.

The much more impressive results you see from big-farm disc setups are coming from three factors: larger diameter disc wheels, far more total implement weight, and most importantly, far more weight per disc wheel. You would need to add 1000-2000lbs of ballast to a small disc (like a 5' tandem) to reach the same weight per wheel, and you'd probably have parts fail because it's not made for that much weight.

At my new farm I went with a rototiller instead. While it doesn't go very deep either, it does a thorough job in one pass and overall is much less work, for more benefit, than the disk was.

I considered going with a tiller, but this area still has a bit of root materials below the surface. I'm scared a tiller will have issues. Really, these are just food plots for deer, so if I can break the surface a bit I should be fine.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I considered going with a tiller, but this area still has a bit of root materials below the surface. I'm scared a tiller will have issues. Really, these are just food plots for deer, so if I can break the surface a bit I should be fine.

This year is my first year using a rototiller and I was worried, because all the soil has rocks in it and even bedrock can be shallow (some outcroppings). I was pleasantly surprised that the loose rocks were a non-issue, even surprisingly big roots were no issue. No damage or even significant wear to the tines.

But if you're just doing 1-2 acres of food plots and nothing more, a disc or tiller may be more money than worth spending for limited use. You could scratch up the surface with some other implements, either with other uses (landscape rake, box scraper) or lower cost (cultivator), especially if there is little vegetation to deal with because of either mowing or spraying. Just a thought.

 

[Sysop]

Having sandy soil to work with, you may have different results there. For my experiences in the soils I've worked with, I don't think you are going to do much with non-AG tires. If they're industrial tread, they'll be better than if turf tires (it seems I've seen lots of workmasters with turf tires).

First couple passes with a disc will go easier as it is just breaking the surface, but once it starts to dig in a few inches, the pulling will get very tough and lack of a good tread may cause issues.

You might want to consider getting a plow to turn the soil over one time before running a disc over it. It will reduce the number of times you need to pass the disc over it to get a good bed, and since the plow will break it up to the depth the disc will run, it will be easier for the tractor to pull.

When I do a new food plot on unbroken soil, I like to plow, disc, then till. Running a disc or tiller over unbroken soil works, but the amount of load on the machine is much greater than if you make a pass with each. A pass with a plow, a pass with a disc, then a pass with a tiller, achieves the same results as 12-15 passes with a disc only.

 

[jeff9366]

New Holland Workmaster 35 / TractorData.com: TractorData.com New Holland Workmaster 35 tractor information


Ground Contact implements cut relative to weight per unit of width. Disc Harrow weight per unit of width is determined by pan diameter. A less important factor is adjustability of the gang angles of the Disc Harrow, which affects its cutting ability but also the draft force retarding the tractor.

Your Workmaster 35 matches the specs of my Kubota L3560 closely. I have air filled R4/industrial tires. You can pull a Disc with 18" diameter pans easily, but such a light Disc is not heavy enough for the primary tillage you want to do without six to eight passes over the land. A Disc with 18" diameter pans has about 35 pounds of Disc Harrow weight bearing on each pan. You can successfully pull a Disc Harrow with 18" diameter pans 12" to 18" wider than your tractor tires if you wish.

A Disc Harrow with 20" diameter pans has around 50 pounds of Disc Harrow weight bearing on each pan and cuts proportionally better. You should be able to scratch in food plots with three to four passes over the land. This weight Disc will be a max load for your Workmaster 35 and you probably will have the gang angles adjusted at less than maximum angles. You will not want an Disc more than 6" wider than your tires or you will likely bog down. The first pass is never difficult. You will bog on second or successive passes when the ground is chopped and soft.

LINKS (2): http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ing-three-point-hitch-mounted.html?highlight=
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/332493-tandem-lift-disc-harow-monroe.html?highlight=


As others have said, a PTO powered Roto-tiller would be a once-and-done implement for soil preparation.

Another option is a <$900 Field Cultivator.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/339095-dirt-dog-all-purpose-plow.html?highlight=

 

[jimmysisson]

Doubt the Ford has low enough gears to run a tiller. Jim. Oops, my bad, thought it was a fifties Workmaster.

 

[nybirdman]

I vote for the roto-tiller also.Break the ground with a simple middle buster if you have a lot of roots.
I have had my tiller for about ten years and really worked it with no problems.