Disk blades.

[N80]

What are the advantages of smooth vs notched disk blades? The Leinbach disk I'm looking at comes standard with all the disks notched. It seems like most of the disks I see have notched disks on the front and smooth on the back (or vice versa).

Is there any reason to pay more to get all or half smooth ones?

 

[scott_vt]

What are the advantages of smooth vs notched disk blades? The Leinbach disk I'm looking at comes standard with all the disks notched. It seems like most of the disks I see have notched disks on the front and smooth on the back (or vice versa).

Is there any reason to pay more to get all or half smooth ones?

Mornin George,
Supposedly the serrated discs will chop the crop residue better than a smooth disc !

 

[N80]

Well, that's what I need and if that is the way it comes standard I'll probably just keep them all notched.

So what is the advantage of the smooth disks? In other words, why would anyone want them at all?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Notched blades do a little better job of chopping up crop residue. They also penetrate sod just a bit better. They do so at the expense of wearing a little faster and being more proned to breaking in rocky conditions.

It's not uncommon to see lighter weight disc's, especially 3-point disc's with notched blades to get them to cut better. Solid disc's with weight added to the disc frame is a BETTER alternative IMHO.

 

[art]

Farmwithjunk is correct with the breakage or bending depending on the quality of the disc blade. In our area they are normally the solid blades.

 

[N80]

Solid disc's with weight added to the disc frame is a BETTER alternative IMHO.

Because of the better durability?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Because of the better durability?

Yes. The notched blades on a lighter frame still won't do any more than plain blades on a heavy frame and the plain blades hold up better under heavy use.

I've tried both and prefer plain blades. That said, my current 3-point disc, a Massey Ferguson #25 has new notched blades on the front and plain blades on the back. Reason being, I bought a stack of new notched blades at an auction last summer.

All in all, on a lighter weight disc such as most 3-point models, the difference in life expectancy between plain and notched isn't that significant.

 

[fairlane]

The knotched disk are called cutting disk. great for going over field with cover
but will leave some clumps of dirt. the smooth disk are finishing disk and break up these clumps to make it easier to plant. alot of times you will see rough cut in front and finish in rear.( combo disk) supposed to be the best of both worlds but alot of time small combo disk are not heavy enough to cut like they should.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I will give you my experience. I have all old Kilfer pull disks. (John Deere bought them out looooong ago) 6', 8', & 12', all had smooth blades when purchased. Now understand that the ground that I was disking for the first time was burned in 2002 from The Pines Fire. All of our land was covered in 6' - 10' tall brush, sage, and scrub oak. Lots of branches and limbs between 1" & 4". When I started on the disking I was using the 8' disk with smooth blades. One of the biggest problems was that the disks would get hung up on the branches and stop turning, thus becoming a 20 bottom plow. Have you ever tried to pull a 20 bottom plow, you don't go very far. Anyway constantly had to stop to get the disk unjammed, or get it to hop over a 4" branch. Ended up re-building the disk and used 3/16" notched blades 22" tall. Now the disk hops over branches almost all the time and you can tell at a glance that the disk is turning. Before with the smooth disks, sometimes when they were jambed up, you couldn't really tell until you were stopped from that 20 bottom plow.

I think that the smooth disks work good in ground that has been disked before and does not have all that much vegetation to be turned over. The notched disks work better for hard dirt and ground that has a lot of vegetation that you want turned under. Myself, I would only get notched disks. When I rebuilt my 12' disk, I used all notched disk blades. If you are disking bigger vegetation, notched blades are the only way to go.

Just my opinion, based on my experience, others will vary. Here's a picture of my tractor and 8' disk, before I quit for the day.

 

[Redbug]

Howdy George,

I got the Leinbach 20" x 20 notched disk. I am very happy with it. When researching disk harrows, I looked on Leinbach's web site and they can be ordered with the smooth disks. I suppose you could do that, but you would have to wait until it comes in at your dealer with his trailer load order...which may take a while.

Just knowing you from your past posts and property, (planting wildlife food plots, and such), I would go ahead and get the notched disks. It would work better on rougher ground. I bought the Leinbach because it is handcrank adjustable and good value for the money.

Pic is when I first got mine and the paint is not worn off the disks. Won't mention who the good lookin' fellow is.......(and no comments from the peanut gallery)....