New disk harrow has no PTO shaft!

[MarkV]

LOL. Read the title and thought ‘what the heck is N80 talking about’. LOL

MarkV

 

[N80]

It was only a matter of time 'a'fore someone took it seriously.

But maybe we're onto something....a PTO powered disk harrow! Why leave a simple and effective tool alone when we can use technology to make it more.......complicated.

deere755, the disk works great. I suspect heavy pull type disks are even better but for small food plots a 3 pt hitch model is better because it allows you to turn around in smaller spaces.

The disk I have is a a 7 footer. My tractor has 45 hp and 4wd and it does fine but the disk does work the tractor pretty hard, depending on the soil condition. It is still wet here and I could not disk several of my plots because they were too muddy. Even then, the tractor could pull it through, just very slowly. Some of the plots were just right. Even so, I normally ended up in a gear (usually 3rd (3/lo)) with the rpms up pretty high. Where you really notice the tractor working is the fuel guage. Compared to mowing, disking or plowing just sucks the fuel down.

This disk weighs right at 800 pounds, which is about as big as my tractor (which is very light for a 45 hp) can handle. I suspect that when it dries out here, this disk will barely scratch the surface. But, I have a two bottom plow and what I've done so far is plow first and then disk. This really works amazingly well and my very poor, rock/clay soil actually starts looking pretty good after plowing and several passes with the disk.

 

[polo1665]

Hey, I thought April fools day wasn't for another week

 

[pennwalk]

George,

You got the sticker, go back to the dealer and get the shaft.

Chris

 

[N80]

George,

You got the sticker, go back to the dealer and get the shaft.

Chris

Good one! But seriously, overall I'm pleased with the disk. It cost less than a comparable KK brand but in general seems to be a little better made. Welds look good. Paint not so good, but no worse that a typical KK or Howse, etc. Noticed that the disks themselves were made in China. Sigh. Guess we might as well get used to it. Of course, if they hold up, I don't care where they are made.

Also, a nice feature of the Leinbach disks is that the gang angle can be changed with a scew with a crank handle and can be set at any angle. Initially I did not think this was a big deal but after just a little bit of use time I found that the gang angles make a big difference and often need to be changed frequently for different effects. Be able to adjust it this easily is really a great idea. No pulling or tugging on the gangs. No pins to lose. Etc.

So for less than a Howse or a KK I felt like the Leinbach was a reasonable deal. And it weighs as much as comparable Landprides, Tuf-Line, etc.

The only thing I would have preffered would be pillow-block bearings rather than flange bearings. But just about any disk with pillow-block bearings is pricey and often heavier than I can handle with my tractor. But this thing is going to get used about twice a year and so will probably last me a lifetime.

 

[scott_vt]

Good one! But seriously, overall I'm pleased with the disk. It cost less than a comparable KK brand but in general seems to be a little better made. Welds look good. Paint not so good, but no worse that a typical KK or Howse, etc.

The only thing I would have preffered would be pillow-block bearings rather than flange bearings. But this thing is going to get used about twice a year and so will probably last me a lifetime.

Afternoon George,
I did get a kick out of this post yesterday but didnt get a chance to post ! I gotta ask now, I know you have the 2 btm plow and now the disk, have you found a 2 row planter yet ??? Or is your brother in law helping you out in this department ?

Im hoping you start a thread on your food plots because Im interested in doing the same thing if I have time this year. Ive got the 2 btm plow rebuilt, although I havent really started on my harrow just yet !

BTW the snow should be gone soon !

 

[LeadPoison]

Don't feel so bad, neither did my front end loader.

 

[N80]

Hi Scotty, I don't have enough experience with this food plot thing to give anyone any advice on 'how-to' although there may be some value to the 'how-not-to' aspect of my experience.

For the most part I have started with nothing and am working my way up. In fact, none of my existing plots were even cleared when I started and the primary reason some of them got 'cleared' at all was that the dirt was so poor nothing was growing in it!

The main things I've learned are:

1) Almost anything you do is better than nothing. Just scraping the dirt with my box blade teeth and broadcasting seed and fertilizer typically produces something and deer and turkey will eat almost anything young and green.

2) Ultimately mother nature is in control. I used more equipment, fertilizer, seed and time last fall than I have so far. Due to the drought I got almost nothing. (But what little I did get did attract deer since there was nothing growing anywhere else either.) One of my first attempts at this yielded a pretty good stand of oats and wheat but the deer ignored it (during deer season anyway) because we had the best acorn crop I've ever seen.

3) Man my dirt is poor. I've done soil test kits and nitrogen barely gets a readout. pH is decent, but fertilizer is key.

4) Crop selection, for my purposes, isn't that important. So far I've planted wheat, mixed greens, oats, cow peas and sunflowers. I can't tell any difference in terms of grazing other than that they ate the sunflowers faster than the others, and I had planted them for the doves! I personally think if it is green and tender, they'll eat it. Of course oats probably hold up to grazing better than the others. Sunflowers do not. When they're gone, they're gone.

But, for what its worth, I'll keep you posted on my spring planting....regardless of how embarrassing it might be!

In the end, playing farmer has been fun. Watching the deer, turkey and other wildlife benefit from my 'work' has been rewarding. I can't honestly say that I've made a difference in our hunting though. But, as I get better at it and as mother nature cooperates I think it will eventually attract more and better game.

As for the planter, I'm going to pass on that. I've had decent results broadcasting and then harrowing. So for the most part I have all the equipment I need except for the spreader and I have one of those I can easily borrow.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Hi Scotty, I don't have enough experience with this food plot thing to give anyone any advice on 'how-to' although there may be some value to the 'how-not-to' aspect of my experience.

For the most part I have started with nothing and am working my way up. In fact, none of my existing plots were even cleared when I started and the primary reason some of them got 'cleared' at all was that the dirt was so poor nothing was growing in it!

The main things I've learned are:

1) Almost anything you do is better than nothing. Just scraping the dirt with my box blade teeth and broadcasting seed and fertilizer typically produces something and deer and turkey will eat almost anything young and green.

2) Ultimately mother nature is in control. I used more equipment, fertilizer, seed and time last fall than I have so far. Due to the drought I got almost nothing. (But what little I did get did attract deer since there was nothing growing anywhere else either.) One of my first attempts at this yielded a pretty good stand of oats and wheat but the deer ignored it (during deer season anyway) because we had the best acorn crop I've ever seen.

3) Man my dirt is poor. I've done soil test kits and nitrogen barely gets a readout. pH is decent, but fertilizer is key.

4) Crop selection, for my purposes, isn't that important. So far I've planted wheat, mixed greens, oats, cow peas and sunflowers. I can't tell any difference in terms of grazing other than that they ate the sunflowers faster than the others, and I had planted them for the doves! I personally think if it is green and tender, they'll eat it. Of course oats probably hold up to grazing better than the others. Sunflowers do not. When they're gone, they're gone.

But, for what its worth, I'll keep you posted on my spring planting....regardless of how embarrassing it might be!

In the end, playing farmer has been fun. Watching the deer, turkey and other wildlife benefit from my 'work' has been rewarding. I can't honestly say that I've made a difference in our hunting though. But, as I get better at it and as mother nature cooperates I think it will eventually attract more and better game.

As for the planter, I'm going to pass on that. I've had decent results broadcasting and then harrowing. So for the most part I have all the equipment I need except for the spreader and I have one of those I can easily borrow.

If you want a suggestion for a crop that the deer will go bonkers over, that'll grow well in low nitrogen soils, and is easy to get ahold of, try good ol' GREEN BEANS. (bush variety)

 

[N80]

Never thought of that. Not a bad idea. I've also heard gardeners say that if you want to attract deer, plant something you don't want them to eat.