Drag Harrow

[mike45tx]

Does anybody know who makes a good drag harrow? Price? I was thinking about building one myself,but I have no idea where to start.Any ideas? Thanks for any input.

Mike

 

[CharlieTR]

Tractor Supply Co. has some in their catalog. I don't remember who makes them. The ones I saw were about $800 or higher. I have some left over 3/8" rebar that I am planning on bending into a harrow. It seems like it would be fairly easy to make something that resembles the real thing. Here is a link to the one that looks good. Tine Harrows & Harrow Lifts

 

[patrick_g]

What are you going to drag it with? If a TRACTOR then you can use a length of railroad rail with chains to the ends. If a tractor then something lighter like a length of pipe like a chain link fence post with some chain link material attached, again with chains to the ends. If a riding lawn mower, then experiment with chain link to se what you can safely handle. I'm sure that there are a zilion other ways to do it.

Be careful to not get one of the chains climbing the tread of a back tire.

Pat

 

[Egon]

The use should designate the type of harrow you require.

One site:


Wingfield's Flexible Tine Harrows - "The All-American Harrow"

 

[mike45tx]

I will be using my tractor to drag it. The only use I have for it is to cover up seed in wildlife food plots after discing.

Thanks
Mike

 

[Rusty]

Another source for a flexible tine harrow is Fuerst Tine Harrows. I have had an H-4 for 12 years with no complaints.

 

[rdln]

This is what I have, the 9' foot version, different than the others. At the light setting will cover seed, A little more versatile when you let it dig deep.

Knowles Manufacturing Company - Series H Spring Tooth Harrows 3

If you trailer alot this 9 footer is a pain not too mention too wide. chain link harrows can be rolled up.

 

[Mike120]

Mike,

For just covering up seed you can make one out of a piece of chain-link fence. If you're going to disk first it doesn't need to be very agressive. I use a TSC chain-harrow but I also need it to break up manure piles in my horse paddocks. Tines up for seed....tines down for manure.

Mike

 

[RonR]

Here's one I built. The thing I like about it is I can use it forward AND reverse. Works well when I'm getting ready to plant grass seed in an enclosed yard.

Ron

 

[patrick_g]

Ron, You made a valuable point when you mention being able to back up. Most of the drag harrows (the simplest DIY variety especially) do not permit backing up and in fact have rather severe manuvering restrictions. In tight quarters or where manuvering is a must, a rigid form that permits backing up is a wonderful feature.

I have only used primitive improvised drags that restrict your turning radius as well as elliminate backing up. Of course out in a pasture that is not a problem but I have to stay away from any need for intricate manuvers (or get off and disconnect, manuver, and then reconnect, a procedure to be avoided.

Maybe I can come up with a mod to my King Kutter el cheapo rake to use it as a harrow.

Pat

 

[Farmwithjunk]

This is what I have, the 9' foot version, different than the others. At the light setting will cover seed, A little more versatile when you let it dig deep.

Knowles Manufacturing Company - Series H Spring Tooth Harrows 3

If you trailer alot this 9 footer is a pain not too mention too wide. chain link harrows can be rolled up.

Curious.... Just a ballpark price, how much did you have to spend to get that 9'er?

 

[rdln]

I bought it new in 96 and want to say it was about.......Wait, your not gonna tell me that drags like this are for sale all over the place for scrap price are you?

I am not sure, $7-800 comes to mind. It converts nicely from 3pt to drag.

 

[RobJ]

They are pretty easy to make. Basically just a frame with a couple cross members so you get 4 rows. Then weld some spikes alternating them each row. This is my old one but I don't have a picture of the new one. 1x2 tubing instead of some cut up T posts. On the new one I used some metal spikes (1/2" solid). When I ran out of those I used some old head bolts that were about 6" long. The new one looks better but they both work the same. They REALLY help smooth out things with the alternating spikes.

And I like to pull it behind the ATV, easier and faster.

 

[davkir]

Mine came from Tractor supply (Loyal made by T.R. Metalcrafters). About $225 plus a boom pole for $100 and hardware I had laying around.

 

[RonMar]

Mine came from Tractor supply (Loyal made by T.R. Metalcrafters). About $225 plus a boom pole for $100 and hardware I had laying around.

I do the same thing Davkir does. These are sometimes refered to as a chain harrow. I got mine thru a local tractor dealer. It is 6' wide by about 5' long and If I recall it cost around $200. If you go this route,You want to look for the rod material that they are made out of to be 1/2" to 5/8" in diameter. I have 2" heavy wall pipe thru the loops at both the front and the rear of mine. The front pipe has a length of chain from each end to a ring that attaches to the drawbar. The rear pipe has a length of chain from each end that attaches to the end of the boom from my post hole digger. My PHD boom doubles as a nice utility boom when the PHD gear head is removed. Being attached to the boom in this fashion serves two purposes. I can lift the whole thing up off the ground to back up. I can also drag it backwards if I want. Being attached out at the end of the boom, the boom forces the harrow to the side and keeps the forward drag chain from catching and being drawn up onto the rear tire treads if you try and corner too tightly with the drag on the ground.

I like the chain harrow as it is versatile. The teeth are at an angle on one side only. You can drag it teeth up for smoothing such as I do on my gravel drive from time to time. You can drag it teeth down and pointing to the rear. This roughs up and moves the soil around a bit but dosn't catch too much debris. Or you can drag it with teeth down and angled forward. This is a more agressive cut and picks up a fair ammount of debris in the teeth. When mine loads up, I just lift the boom on the 3PH and most of the debris just drops out. I have started doing this around my brush piles to bring in quite a bit of the smaller stuff and dead grass weeds and branches.

 

[bx23barry]

I made this drag out of some 5/8" chain I that was on a pallet of stuff I wanted at an auction. I have added three more old posts and looped the chain around again for three lenghs of drag. Works real good leveling and breaking up/spreading horse droppings
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=63608&stc=1&d=1162088424
Chain drag.jpg
but for breaking up clods and covering seed I love my ring roller.http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=63609&stc=1&d=1162088476
Ring roller 2.jpg

 

[bx23barry]

I also got an old rigid spike harrow on ebay for $7 that was run over by something big and bent up pretty good. Almost got it all straightened up with a couple hours with the torch/press/hammer and gonna make a three point hook up for it. I'll post some photos when I get it done.

 

[N80]

Barry, I like your chain harrow. I recently made a harrow out of a length of chain link fence attached to a length of 4x4 at the front. It was useless. As mentioned, you can't maneuver with it and it tended to wander to either side as I pulled it. all my plots are small, tight areas. I think one like yours would be great.

 

[RobJ]

Here is my new one as mentioned. Works best behind my ATV.

 

[flusher]

Does anybody know who makes a good drag harrow? Price? I was thinking about building one myself,but I have no idea where to start.Any ideas? Thanks for any input.

Mike

Here's a cheap way to solve this problem. (That's not my tractor, but it looks really neat).
Found a guy in the weekly ads who wanted to get rid of old tires. I took 16 of them off his hands. Later this year I'll chain them together and get a used telephone pole for the front weight. Fortunately one of my neighbors works for SBC and has access to surplus poles.