Disk discussion - what is adequate, what is too much?

[FlyFishn]

We're getting going on our first acreage. I won't re-hash everything here, see following link for some info on the process of getting our tractor going.

International 444, 1968. Progress Thread, Getting Going

For quick reference here are a couple other related threads: Pre-purchase - International 444 gas - been sitting for years. Trailering - Trailer rails are 76" apart, tractor with wheels is 82" wide - take wheels off? We just bought a 1968 International 444. For some of the details on condition...

www.tractorbynet.com

The tractor is a 1968 International 444 with the gas engine, 2wd. It has a rear drive tire track width of about 82". It does not have wheels/axle that can narrow up (another recent issue I am digesting - it is problematic for plowing).

What I have now is a jumbled mess of 1/8 acre of plowed ground. It was ripped a couple weeks before which is what I believe caused the top sod/root structure to clog the plow a lot = the jumbled mess you see.

We're going to let the ground settle for some time. I am hoping maybe after a month or two, especially if we get some rain, the lumps will settle a bit. The goal is to get in there with a disk to further level it and mix it.

That brings me to the thread discussion. What I think I want right now is an 8' drawn disk with transport wheels. 7' might work, that is 84". 8' is 96". That will cover up the track width of the tractor.

I did come across a 12' disk for a reasonable price. It is about 70-75 road miles from the farm and would have to be towed straight, no trailer. That wouldn't be a task for the tractor, better tow vehicle. Though, I am not sure of the weight of the disk or if the tires would make that distance.

Another route might be a 3pt mount, instead of a draw type. What I don't like about this is it would pull rigid to the tractor (no pivot for turning) and it would require mounting to the 3pt to move it, as opposed to hooking the drawbar and pushing/pulling it around to reposition.

Last note - it is possible to get access to a rototiller/tractor for the initial breaking down + mixing up of the soil/organic matter. I am tempted to do that this first year, however I have a desire to keep the operation to more traditional processes. Even though tractors already are "mechanized", the mechanics of using a PTO driven implement to do the tillage/ground prep is, to me, too "mechanical" - active, not passive like pulling a plow or disk.

For the 2025 growing season we won't have any mechanized planting equipment. That said, I am not too worried about a 100% smooth seed bed like what a field cultivator/chisel plow would leave. However, if I could get a rolling basket behind the disk that would help the leveling some more.

Can you interpret what you see and what I have described and offer any advice/input? If it were you and your farm - how would you approach the issue?

 

[bmaverick]

The International 444 is 44Hp gas. Plenty to move a disc harrow of that 12FT width.

My machine is a sibling of a John Deere JD850, 31Hp diesel engine. I use a 6.5FT wide disc harrow.
I bet my machine can use an 8FT wide with no troubles.

 

[jeff9366]

Another route might be a 3pt mount Disk Harrow, instead of a draw type. What I don't like about this is it would pull rigid to the tractor (no pivot for turning)

With a TPH mounted Disk Harrow the operator simply raises the TPH and mounted Disk Harrow which are unitized on the TPH, clear of the ground to make sharp turns.


However, if I could get a rolling basket behind the disk that would help the leveling some more.

ADJUSTING Three Point Hitch Mounted TANDEM DISC HARROWS

If you are considering the acquisition of a Disc Harrow, first read this LINK covering Disc Harrow selection: LINK: Disc Harrow Selection For 18-45 Horsepower Tractors (Revision 2b) The Three Point Hitch mounted Tandem Disc Harrow is a secondary tillage implement. The Disc Harrow is a...

www.tractorbynet.com

The tractor is a 1968 International 444 with the gas engine, 2wd. It has a rear drive tire track width of about 82". It does not have wheels/axle that can narrow up (another recent issue I am digesting - it is problematic for plowing).

If you want to invert soil consider a Disk Plow.

Tufline TDP2 Series 2 & 3 Blade Disc Plows » Somerset Farm Equipment

If you wish to aerate your soil without inverting the soil consider an All Purpose Plow. An APP should be good in your rockless soil.

Dirt Dog - All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator REVIEW + PICTURES

Dirt Dog All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator Dirt Dog Model APP 66-5 Total Width 66", Working Width 62", Five Tines, Weight 284 Pounds, Paid $835.00 (2010) Field Cultivator: A Three Point Hitch mounted, secondary tillage implement, used to perform operations such as soil aeration...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[jeff9366]

T-B-N ARCHIVE:

Smoothing out a field ideas

So we have about a 3 acre field that is currently a mixture of grass and weeks that we mow at 3.5” high. Problem is it’s a old tobacco field that still has some of the ridges left in place from the previous owner. They are not terrible but enough we need to mow slow or it makes you sick going...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[Sonny580]

444 wont pull a 12 foot disk under any condition!!! A 560 would but for serious use the 444 is out. You could use a 72" tiller IF you dont have rocks/roots/etc. I use a KK72" on my 504 and a 340 ih and it does fine Had it on a 404 and not near as good.
the 444 would struggle even with an 8' disk IF you put it in the ground the right depth!

 

[Lgim]

Two things I have learned about disks, they work best at about 5 mph, and when you are working freshly turned sod your first trip with a disk should be at right angles to the sod strips. In the original pic of the plot I don't see either happening with a pull disk. A 3 point disk maybe with a lot of extra weight might work if you backed across the top, dropped the disk and drove to the left, moved 5 ft lower and backed across the top and repeat.

To be honest this looks like a project for a 3 point rototiller.

Just my opinion Gary

 

[FlyFishn]

Thanks for the info so far. According to the write-up on disks in the above links it appears the 5hp per foot metric is the guide. Based on that - 8' would be on the high end. And 5hp/ft appears to be mfwd/4wd. From the poster's pictures - he is using a utility tractor with R4 tires, not R1 ag's. I am not sure if that makes a huge difference, but a good point to note anyhow.

Though, after reading the write-up I am a bit hesitant to go out and get "any disk" - it isn't all just the width that matters. Weight per disk, disk size, angle, and smooth/notched disks all make a difference.

What I envision with tillage is the initial opening of ground will mean what you see in the picture - sod clumps. After that it is mixing maintained ground. In the fall the previous years' growth will be turned over then the disk used to mix in.

Long-term I'll get far more use out of a disk meant to maintain the ground, as opposed to a disk intended to do the heavy initial work of opening up ground. Am I on an OK track thinking here?

 

[lman]

A 6' tiller would do the job from what I can see. One or two passes and you would be done.

 

[Jrasband]

no need to wait a month, with the disk you keep going over it until it smooths out. two weeks is long enough to let the ground sit before doing a final pass. As someone else said angle your disks aggressively till you get all the clumps broken, than you can straighten the disks to get a smoother finish.

You do not need a tiller!

 

[Lgim]

What is the actual dimensions of this plot? My guess is 30 ft X 180 ft based on the size of your tractor.

Do you have any other parcels to work?

What crop are you growing or more important how much trash has to get worked in after the crop is done?

I have a 5 ft disk for my 30 hp Montana - hasn't been used in 10+ years.

I have a 14 ft tandem disk I pull with a case 830 - bought to work up 15 acres, used it this year to work up an acre, to big but it is what I had - probably will never use again.

I have a 5 ft tiller for the Montana gets used 3 or 4 times a year every year for the last 10 years.

Gary