Disk = Harrow? What do you call a disk?

[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.