Land "smoothing" job ... big ruts... best options?

[TSO]

6 ft discs, or larger? (48 HP hydro)

 

[jeff9366]

Forget Disc Harrow widths.

You need a Disc Harrow with minimum 22" pan diameter to have the weight required to cut up and spread those beds.

Even with this heavy disc, you may need to shorten Top Link until rear gang is in the air, so all Disc Harrow weight is on only the front gang, for the first pass.




DISC HARROW SELECTION:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/308251-disc-harrow-selection-18-45-a.html?highlight=

 

[AaronS]

Yes you'd be much better off with a wheel disk than a 3 pt model. Much heavier to cut better. Something like this in an 8 ft or 10 ft width would serve you well and your tractor should have no problem pulling.

http://www.tractorhouse.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=8553501

 

[bcp]

Long ago what I saw most often, when changing from row crops to flat planting, was a Cat D6 with a large offset disc working at about a 45 degree angle to the furrows.

Bruce

 

[Gary Fowler]

You shouldn't need to go across the furrow or ruts. Just disk with the direction of travel when they made the ruts and any heavy disk should fill in the ruts and knock down the beds. It may take a couple of passes if the vegetation is heavy. On the second pass, straddle the disk furrows and if more is needed after two passes, cut it on a diagonal. After two passes it should be smooth enough to go crosswise. A tandem drawbar pull is going to be better cutting and easier to pull but a 3 PH style will work as long as it is heavy box frame with large diameter blades (20-24")

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would run a chisel plow over it to bust up the ground, and it will somewhat level out the rows. Then, once the ground is busted up, I'd disk it with a tandem disk or, even better, an offset disk.

You run the chisel plow lengthwise with the rows (i.e., in the same direction as the rows, not across them). Trying to plow across them will beat you and your tractor to death.

Back on the farm whenever we were changing a piece of land from a row crop with beds (such as cotton) to a non-row crop (such as wheat), that's what we did.

This is likely the best way, but most of us don't have unlimited access to farm equipment and hardly any CUT owner will have a chisel plow. I think a tandem disk with possible a heavy drag behind it will suit the situation just fine and not have to have multiply pieces of equipment

 

[TSO]

Ok, so you're saying that a pull behind disc works better than a three-point disc. But, how do i transport the pull behind disc there? Its about 30 miles away. I figure a 3 Point disc would be easy to haul with the tractor on my trailer.

If I go with a three-point disk for mobility, you think I'd be able to handle an 8 foot disc okay?

 

[jeff9366]

Three Point Hitch Mounted Disc Harrows:

If you want to disc close to fence rows, get a disc 12" wider than outside tire width, so each side of disc sticks out 6".

If you need to trailer tractor/disc combo, get a disc no wider than outside tire width.

If you will prepare food plots in rough ground, get a disc 12" NARROWER than outside tire width.

Mounted Disc Harrows improve tractor traction, like all Three Point Hitch mounted implements, by transferring implement weight to tractor rear tires.

 

[rustyshakelford]

My vote is disk it with the rows then against the rows. Two total times across the land. Drag some railroad ties behind the disc with heavy chain if you have access.

Brett

 

[jeff9366]

Second passes with Disc Harrows are most effective at 45 degree angle, not 90 degree angle.

The disc pans will be deeper, dirt will be flying and your tractor will be grunting in HST/MED + throttle.