Disk = Harrow? What do you call a disk?

[Slacker]

I'm a little confused by the terms. Is a disk the same as a harrow?
For example, when someone says they "disked" a field, did they use a disk harrow or some other implement?

 

[Soundguy]

A 'harrow' is a broad term, a 'disc' is a specific term.. thus a 'disc harrow is a type of harrow using disc's.

There are chain or 'drag' harrows which are flat mats made of link or chainwork.. usually have a n agressive and non agressive side, used mostly for covering seed, slight leveling or covering grad/box marks in prep for sod, or for busting dirt or maneuer clods.

There are also other harrow types.. like rotary units that have down pointing tines on a horizontal deck that rotates as the tractor moves .. horse areenas and 'rodeo' areenas ' usually employ this type.

Still there are others with tines, spring teeth or spikes.. etc... etc.

Some Harrows are very similar to cultivators and have some overlap in capabilities / duties.

Generally if someone said they 'disc'd' a pasture.. they used a disc harrow on it.

( to really mess you up.. there is a 'disc' plow as well as the conventional moldboard blow.. as well as middle busters, potato plows and sub soiler tye rippers.. etc.. )

Here's a like to a wiki reference to an agricultural harrow: not the best site.. but they get it right sometimes..

Harrow (tool) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Soundguy

 

[Ford850]

A harrow is anything you drag over a field to break up the soil and level it. A Disk is one of many types of harrows.
(sorry, submitted while Soundguy was giving a much better explaination)

 

[6sunset6]

What is the difference between rototilling and disk harrowing?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

There's "the definition" and then there's "what everyone calls them". Around here a disc is a disc. A harrow is something you generally drag BEHIND the disc. Call a disc a harrow or a disc harrow and farmers from this area will look at you like you're a bit strange. In fact, you won't find too many older farmers that say "harrow" . Around these parts, it's pronounced "har-ee". But then again, we're all a bunch of hillbillies

 

[silverking]

A disk needs to be pulled along and a rototiller is a pto powered implement that spins tines and requires no forward motion to be operated, of course with no forward motion its only tilling the spot its in.

 

[scott_vt]

Around these parts, it's pronounced "har-ee". But then again, we're all a bunch of hillbillies

Mornin Bill,
Now thats classic " Hillbilly" slang fer sure !!!

 

[6sunset6]

Ah What I meant was what is the difference in the working of the soil between disking and rototilling. Always interesting in what you think you are saying and what other people hear.

 

[silverking]

A set of disk's will chop a single slice as they are pulled along and a rototiller is like a sideways blender obliterating everything into a fine medium. Hope ya hear what I said.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Mornin Bill,
Now thats classic " Hillbilly" slang fer sure !!!

One of my uncles married a girl from New York. Their "cultures" mixed for a few years. Then they put "earl" in their car engine and went to visit her brother "oil".

 

[Mickey_Fx]

What is the difference between rototilling and disk harrowing?

Take a look over in the Yanmar forum for a thread on pto speed. Just posted a couple pics with a tiller in action and what soil looked like afterwards. A disk will not produce this kind of results.

 

[6sunset6]

So do people that farm for income use plows and disks because they are cheaper and easier to maintain than a big roto tiller. If they even come that big. Or is the final outcome of soil preperation different and one would use one for one kind of planting and another for something else.

 

[Egon]

Soil preparation varies as to the geographic location and soil geology.

The equipment size also varies as to crops and location.

Get D7E to post a few pictures of what his tractors drag around!

 

[Greyfields]

Generally, since the disc harrow doesn't require the PTO it's considered more economical to operate. But it takes many passes; but usually at higher speeds than you'd ever rototill.

Where I live, the grass and sod is so thick, disc harrows barely cut through it (which of course, if I sprayed things would be different, but I don't). Once the ground is cleaned up, though, after growing a crop, I should not have to till much anylonger but will "disc in" the old crop and plant another.

 

[N80]

It has been my impression that a disk is used on ground that has already been broken or turned in some way. At least around here I am told that a disk will not typically break up virgin soil very well. I guess what I'm trying to say is that a disk is not a plow and vice versa. A plow breaks and turns. For the most part a disk just cuts and breaks up clumps and sod. As mentioned, I imagine implement use varies with soil types. The farmers who have looked at my 'dirt' have told me that anything but the biggest, heaviest disks would simply skim over it.

After a little experience with a large middlebuster, it appears that the solution for my type of hard clay is plowing and then disking, at least until it has been plowed enough over the years to behave more like dirt than concrete.

 

[Soundguy]

A set of disk's will chop a single slice as they are pulled along and a rototiller is like a sideways blender obliterating everything into a fine medium. Hope ya hear what I said.

But you can get a pretty good churning effect if you angle your gangs.. etc..

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

So do people that farm for income use plows and disks because they are cheaper and easier to maintain than a big roto tiller. If they even come that big. Or is the final outcome of soil preperation different and one would use one for one kind of planting and another for something else.

A farmer with a 30hp tractor can plow and disc a piece of property more economically than rototilling it. For one.. if he used a small tractor/rototiller.. he'd be there forever.. if he had a big rototiller he'd need a huge tractor to run it.. etc.. etc..

it's as much economy as it is application and geography.

Soundguy

 

[Gizmo36]

Some times if I am working some hard soil . I will use a 6 disk tiller they do a good job .

 

[silverking]

But you can get a pretty good churning effect if you angle your gangs.. etc..

Soundguy

Definately, as long as its not concrete a stubborn person could get the same quality finish material by making extra passes with a disc.

 

[bx23barry]

I had never heard disc and harrow used together until I found this board and I have been around farming all my life. Around here discs are primary tillage implements. I have seldom seen a plow being used. Big 3-6 foot) rippers (you guys seem to call them sub-soilers or chisel plows) are pretty common instead of plows. There are spike and spring-tooth harrows. A cultivator is used for weed control of row crops. Land planes are very common for leveling. I think we have different conditions and terminology here in the valley than most the rest of the country.