Horsepower needed to pull this disc?

[bdog]

I am looking at this 14' pull type tandem disc. It is very heavily built. Probably the heaviest disc of this size I have seen. So heavy in fact that it has 4 gauge wheels. It has 19" front and 21" rear discs. It is a Kewanee 610. I looked it up online but could not find any specs but it appears to be twice the weight of some other 14' units I have looked at.

My tractor is a 95 HP 2WD that weighs about 9,000 lb. Think I will be ok or should I look for something lighter or smaller? Years ago I pulled 14' disc that was a lot lighter in this area with a 47 HP 4WD tractor with no problems.

 

[bdog]

Here is a picture of the old disc which I no longer own that I was able to pull with a 47HP 4WD tractor.

 

[smstonypoint]

http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/Ag.%20Ext.%202007-Chelsie/PDF/e1152.pdf reports separate estimated drawbar HP requirements for a heavy duty disc (7.5/foot of width) and a disc harrow (3.6/foot of width in first pass over plowed ground).

So, what about the Kewanne? It looks like a heavy-duty disc and a disk-harrow to me.

Steve

 

[Renze]

we used to use a 14' harrow with a 185hp Fendt 615 LSA in front of it, which was ok. Another year the 185 hp tractor was in use so my brother took the 90hp 2wd Fendt 600LS out of the back of the barn, i had to help pull with the 50hp 4wd 5245 to get any work done, though the 90hp 2wd had the power but lacked traction on damp soil, and the 50hp 4wd had the traction, but lacked the power.

It depends a lot on the weight (penetrating depth) of the disks and the disk angle. Generally speaking a 2wd on duals should bring enough traction to the ground to achieve working speed.

 

[bdog]

So, what about the Kewanne? It looks like a heavy-duty disc and a disk-harrow to me.

Steve

That is what I am wondering. I originally thought the "heavy duty disc" meant an offset disc but I am wondering what this would be classified as.

If it helps any with the analysis I pulled a 9 shank chisel 10-12" deep through my field with the 90 HP a couple days ago. It was a definite workout for the tractor and there were a few spots where I had to raise it a little bit but the most part it went through.

Right now I have a Howse 9' 3 pt disc and it does not work good at all. It does not have scrapers and the dirt balls up on the discs which is a pain to remove. It is really not that wet either the last rain we had was two weeks ago and it wasn't even an inch. Before that I don't think it has rained in a month. Aside from the dirt sticking it does not penetrate well even though the field is freshly chiseled. I thought about adding a bunch of weight but I just bought the Howse and the Kewanee is at the same dealer and he said he could work me out a swap of some sort so I have been reluctant to add weight or modify my current disc.

 

[smstonypoint]

I thought about adding a bunch of weight but I just bought the Howse and the Kewanee is at the same dealer and he said he could work me out a swap of some sort so I have been reluctant to add weight or modify my current disc.

Is there any chance the dealer would let you take a "test drive" with the Kewanee?

Steve

 

[bdog]

Is there any chance the dealer would let you take a "test drive" with the Kewanee?

Steve

I have not thought of that. He is about 15 miles away. I guess I could take my tractor over there. I am not sure if he has an area I could disc up or if he would let me bring it home to test out on my ground.

The 15 miles isn't that far to road it. When I bought my tractor it was 110 miles away and the trucking was so high that I decided to drive it home. Took all day but was not really a problem. Cab and AC made it nice.

 

[AGRIMAN]

To really pull it like it should be, you are going to need 115 to 120 HP. Soil type and conditions are the two big variables. Your tractor should do a decent job with it, but it will know it's back there.

 

[bdog]

I have only got about 15 acres I want to till. Only problem is right now is the first time it had been plowed in many many years. It was grown up pretty bad. I shredded it and dug some stuff out with my skid steer. I have got everything removed and have chiseled it but there are quite a few uneven spots due to my work with the skid steer. I think a big pull type disc would level it out. My small 3pt rides the contours and doesn't dig in. Also there is quite a bit of residue in the field and the small disc seems to want to stay on top of it in places.

 

[minner]

We had a very similar disc growing up, a White matter of fact, and pulled it all day every day with a 2WD 105HP White tractor with and without duals, no problems. It actually had 2 ft fold down gangs on the sides and even with them down it still pulled it fine.

 

[AGRIMAN]

I have only got about 15 acres I want to till. Only problem is right now is the first time it had been plowed in many many years. It was grown up pretty bad. I shredded it and dug some stuff out with my skid steer. I have got everything removed and have chiseled it but there are quite a few uneven spots due to my work with the skid steer. I think a big pull type disc would level it out. My small 3pt rides the contours and doesn't dig in. Also there is quite a bit of residue in the field and the small disc seems to want to stay on top of it in places.

It will work great for that. I have been clearing a lot of old fence rows and once finished, I usually over go over them with my 17' harrow to level it back out. I pull a piece of 4' heavy pipe behind it to catch any low places. It might take a few times, but it will work.

 

[mangus580]

I pull this 12' with my 39hp 4x4. There are times where I need to use the wheels to take some of the weight off, but its more when its wet. When its dry it tows it great.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I pulled a 16' disc at 4.5mph in clay-ey soil in pa with a 5083 (83crank, 69pto) with 4wd in the firt pass after plowing when the field had not been worked in years. I had to downshift to go uphill but could upshift going downhill.

 

[Gary Fowler]

We had a 14 foot Big Blue (Burch) super duty disk with 1/4" thick x 24" blades that we pulled for a couple of years with a 190XT Allis Chalmers tractor (8HP IIRC)with single loaded 18.4x38 tires (2 WD). It pulled it ok as for power but lacked a bit in traction and would have to carry it a bit in very moist soil, especially on the second pass as it would be dragging the axles at that point. Later we used the new 9000 Ford (120HP)with dual rear tires which handled it very well.

 

[AGRIMAN]

Yeah, there's differing views on the term pulling. You should look at the time input plus the results that you are getting to see if that big harrow is really doing you any good or just costing you money.

For small acres/hobbing you maybe just fine, but if your farming you may not be. If you really want to know.... see if you can pull it in broke dirt deep enought to cover your tracks.

 

[MHarryE]

We have what appears to be the same Kewanee disk but 19'. It has some added weight because the wing pivots were weak - they are now solid with a lot of extra iron reinforcing. Our 135 HP Kubota did all the disking with it this year but without 4WD turned on it wouldn't really pull it unless I lowered the wheels a bit so it didn't sink in as much. Switch on the front wheels and no problem but at its limit. Our 115 HP New Holland won't pull it but it will pull our slightly lighter Ford disk that is a foot wider. So your disk at 14' - I am guessing at 100 engine (not PTO) HP will pull it okay. We have a 13' Case disk that we can even pull with our L5740 CUT but it won't cut in at all like the Kewanee. That disk looks like it is in good condition. Most parts are available through Shoup - ours cuts deep, pulls hard, and the disk has some weak points so spare parts sources are a must.

 

[Larro Darro]

With only 15 acres, you will do fine with your tractor. It's the weight of the dirt you are turning, not the disc, that will determine if you have the power/traction for the job. If it bogs down or spins the tires, just lift up on it a little. But with that small a field, if you could find a 12' disc cheaper, that might be the way to go.

Larro

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

For only 15 acres, I'd try to find a smaller offset disc instead of the larger tandem disc. An offset disc will always cut better than a tandem. So, you may spend less time working the 15 acres with an 8' or 9' offset disc than you would with a 14' tandem disc.

 

[daybreak1998]

Howdy,
for 15 acres

find a neighbor with a disc to barrow

 

[bdog]

For only 15 acres, I'd try to find a smaller offset disc instead of the larger tandem disc. An offset disc will always cut better than a tandem. So, you may spend less time working the 15 acres with an 8' or 9' offset disc than you would with a 14' tandem disc.

I have thought of that but the offsets in that size range are very pricey. Most I have seen are 5k or more. Tandems are half that. Also I don't know for sure but I have read the offsets are more of a primary tillage tool and that they don't leave a good seedbed like a tandem does.