If I Plow?

[campwildwood]

If I plow, do I need an heavy disc harrow? I have an Massey-Ferguson TO-35 diesel tractor with a 2-bottom plow. I'm looking to do some 2-4 acre plots on soil that is no longer virgin soil (thinks thats the correct term?) I have used the plots yearly for food plots where the local farmer plowed & disked for me. This pass year, bought my own tractor & plow as mentioned above and plan on buying a disc harrow. I've read where many buy a disc harrow to turn over virgin soil and an heavy disc is desireable. Since I will be plowing first, then disking, would a lighter weight disc be acceptable? I'm looking into the KK angle frame 6.5' combination disc harrow @ tractor supply. It weights 560lbs. I could add weight if needed, but I think it would be heavy enough to do what I need (smooth the soil bed) after I plow? Is my thinking correct? Thanks for any advice on the matter.

 

[rdln]

no. if you dont have sod to break up as in an old field, than you dont need a disk or tiller but secondary tillage tool like a spring tooth drag or equivalent is still required to break up clumps and knock down furrows. then a packer (cultipacker) to press in seed if you are not planting corn.

 

[mmurphy]

I guess each is to their own practices. When I was raised on a dairy farm we mo-board plowed just like you are going to do, and disked in spring with a harrow behind, than planted.

 

[captaincrab55]

I guess each is to their own practices. When I was raised on a dairy farm we mo-board plowed just like you are going to do, and disked in spring with a harrow behind, than planted.

Same here.. I grew up helping a neighbor with his small Truck-Farm... All fields got plowed every year and finished as above....

 

[MMagis]

I think the actual question is; does the disc need to be heavy or not. I think most of us know that a disk is pretty important. I suppose one could get by without, but I don't know why.
You are correct that since the soil has been worked and planted before, it will take less to work that soil. I still like weight, but like you said, I add it as needed.

 

[TripleR]

Simply put, no you don't need a heavy duty disk, just be prepared to make more trips and add weight. I also recommend a drag harrow.

 

[marksmu]

If I plow, do I need an heavy disc harrow? I have an Massey-Ferguson TO-35 diesel tractor with a 2-bottom plow. I'm looking to do some 2-4 acre plots on soil that is no longer virgin soil (thinks thats the correct term?) I have used the plots yearly for food plots where the local farmer plowed & disked for me. This pass year, bought my own tractor & plow as mentioned above and plan on buying a disc harrow. I've read where many buy a disc harrow to turn over virgin soil and an heavy disc is desireable. Since I will be plowing first, then disking, would a lighter weight disc be acceptable? I'm looking into the KK angle frame 6.5' combination disc harrow @ tractor supply. It weights 560lbs. I could add weight if needed, but I think it would be heavy enough to do what I need (smooth the soil bed) after I plow? Is my thinking correct? Thanks for any advice on the matter.

You cant ever have too heavy of a disc (if your tractor can handle it). If the disc is cutting more than you want, then you can simply adjust your cut depth with your 3pt.

If a disc is too light, adding weight works sometimes, but you cant make something from nothing. In my opinion its always better to have more than you need.

 

[sweettractors]

Our fields will get plowed before end of Feb., catch some rains and then disc to prepare the seedbed in the spring. The exception is our no-till corn. Ken Sweet

 

[Ford850]

I use a moldboard plow, and a 6 1/2' KK angle disk with a couple hundred pounds of weight added. My soil is heavy and is either wet and clumped, or dry and hard clumped, with no inbetween. I take several (3-4) passes with the disk at alternating angles and then drag with a weighted fence harrow. On a perfect day I can get by with 2 disk passes, but that rarely happens. On soil that is more loam or sand, 1 or 2 passes would be normal.

 

[wolc123]

You got a nice old tractor and a nice old plow, I would forget about the new KK 3-point disc, and look for an old pull-type instead. This type does a better job on every pass with less weight, and requires less power, meaning you can use a wider one (probably an 8-footer with that tractor which would be limited to about a 6.5 footer in a 3-point). Also, an old pull-type disc in decent shape can often be found for a couple hundred bucks or less. I found a nice, JD 7.5 foot, pull-type last year for $50 that works like a dream. The more weight you need to add to a disc, the more soil compaction you will get, which is bad. Pull-types require less added weight in general because all sections follow the ground contour much better than on 3-points. In my opinion, no implement benefits less from a 3-point hitch than a disc. It is so much faster to hook up/unhook with a single pin, and I love using an old pull-type on some of my antique tractors which lack a 3-point hitch. Even if I had to travel over the road, I would simply buy an old pull-type for every peice of property I worked, they are cheap enough to do that, and virtually theft-proof, since most folks consider them nothing but "junk". One trick I use with a pull-type disc to deal with the issue of turn-around on narrow sections is to leave about a 10 foot wide strip of sod at the ends of the section. The disc will ride up on the sod and allow you to turn fairly short. Also, I would forget about skipping the disc, and skip the drag instead. It will take much longer to level a plowed field using a drag than it would with a disc although, to be honest, I have never attempted it.

 

[Egon]

You could also consider a cultivator as we used to call them followed by a diamond harrow.

 

[MMagis]

I would forget about the new KK 3-point disc, and look for an old pull-type instead. This type does a better job on every pass with less weight, and requires less power, meaning you can use a wider one (probably an 8-footer with that tractor which would be limited to about a 6.5 footer in a 3-point).

Still sticking with that theory huh?
I'm glad you like your pull types, but they aren't any more efficient.

 

[Egon]

Three point or pull type disk?? The argument gets mute when the width of the disk increases.:thumbsup:

 

[campwildwood]

Thanks for the speedy responses from everyone. I have looked for 8 months now for a used disc harrow in my area via paper, ebay and craigslist to no avail. Since I'm more of a weekend farmer if you will, I'll start off with the KK. A local farmer has offered to weld on additional scrap mental to the disc if additional weight is needed and to re-enforce the frame. I have the ATV KK 33" disc harrow that I used on small 1/4 acre plots, did however added 150 lbs to it to turn over some virgin soil in woodlots. 2-4 acres is a bit much for the little guy, not too mention when I did try it on an 1 acre plot after I plowed it, it would continually tip on its side from the deep ruts from the plow and the single hitch didn't help stabalize it any either...lol. Again, thanks for the input, more adviced is always welcomed.

 

[MMagis]

I have looked for 8 months now for a used disc harrow in my area via paper, ebay and craigslist to no avail.

Have you checked local farm auctions? There will be plenty of them this time of year. I always check out Auctionzip.com when Im looking for something.

 

[ToadHill]

I have a rather light disk that I use after mold board plowing. If I need to cut deeper I simply add weight to the disk. In my case I have several different sized pieces of old concrete that I chain onto the frame of the disk.

 

[Grateful11]

I don't think you need to heavy disc after plowing. My late FIL got away from the turning
plow years ago with a Amco F17 12' Bog Harrow and then we go over with a 15' CaseIH 475
Disc Harrow. We still have a 2 bottom and 4 bottom plow but they basically just sit there.
Sometimes I think we'd have less weeds if turned the land in the fall and let lay there all winter.

 

[campwildwood]

Bought the Countyline 6.5 Disc Harrow yesterday, very pleased with it. While there, ended up purchasing the 4' Box Blade as well to smooth out my atv trails. Tried it yesterday on a 60 yard section of trail that crossed over some old ag corn row ruts and it worked GREAT! Hope to try out disc in a couple of weeks. Will keep you posted.