Disc Harrow Newbie Question

[jeff9366]

Miller Hay King is considered a top end renovator by many. Hay King is made in Texas and you are in Texas. I suggest you call Miller Hay King and discuss your conditions. Surely Miller Hay King has dealt with Texas soil similar to yours.

 

[Spike56]

Thanks Jeff,

May try to contact them again. I did in the past, but all they recommended at that time was a renovator. So, I did get one. Perhaps, there is a different solution now - or I speak to a different person.

 

[K5lwq]

Most people around here use the Subsoiler. They make bigger ones that have more shanks.

 

[3Lfarms]

I found an old Ford subsoiler and it does a great job breaking up my hard clay to keep water from standing all winter to having no standing water after a hard rain.

It will go down about 22” and at that depth, it’s about all my 68hp tractor wants. When I hit a root, it will shear a 1/2” grade 8 bolt in two places like it was it’s job.


It has a vertical straight blade on it, so it takes more power to pull than the modern ones you find with big curved blades/points.

 

[CoyPatton]

A subsoiler because of it narrow blade at the point does not usually bring up but clots of clay. I have only used a single shank subsoiler. I have lived in areas with clays most of my life. Clays have terrible drainage! The subsoiler does work just slow.
What you describe wanting sounds like a chisel plow or even a cultivator without the replaceable plows on the ends.
1) I question if the ends would be hard enough to stand up to clay
2) would it go deep enough to do what you are wanting
3) would the spring loaded arms be closer together than you want to run in your hay

You might find a fabricator (someone who enjoys building the odd ball items even) and describe what you want and see what he may come up with. If he is fairly local to you, he should be familiar with your clay.
I have lived in areas with a red clay heavy with rocks. And was raised around a bluish gray clay regionally called ‘gumbo’—another good candidate for making bricks—it bakes as hard as about anything around, but a bit of water on it and it is as slick as anything, soaked with water and it sucks the lights of objects into it.

 

[Spike56]

A subsoiler because of it narrow blade at the point does not usually bring up but clots of clay. I have only used a single shank subsoiler. I have lived in areas with clays most of my life. Clays have terrible drainage! The subsoiler does work just slow.
What you describe wanting sounds like a chisel plow or even a cultivator without the replaceable plows on the ends.
1) I question if the ends would be hard enough to stand up to clay
2) would it go deep enough to do what you are wanting
3) would the spring loaded arms be closer together than you want to run in your hay

You might find a fabricator (someone who enjoys building the odd ball items even) and describe what you want and see what he may come up with. If he is fairly local to you, he should be familiar with your clay.
I have lived in areas with a red clay heavy with rocks. And was raised around a bluish gray clay regionally called ‘gumbo’—another good candidate for making bricks—it bakes as hard as about anything around, but a bit of water on it and it is as slick as anything, soaked with water and it sucks the lights of objects into it.

Coy,
Thanks. What ( I KNOW) to be called a chisel plow/ cultivator (sorry, not a farm boy) has the arching/ curved metal... no good here. Will do more damage than help - IF I can get it to stay in the ground ! I think I will have to go with a single subsoiler, as you have. One the plus side, it would be easier to hook on my tractor I think and fairly cheap ? Do you recommend a certain subsoiler model / make ?
Our clay sounds about the same. I have considered selling all cattle and building a brick manufacturing plant.

 

[CoyPatton]

Coy,
Thanks. What ( I KNOW) to be called a chisel plow/ cultivator (sorry, not a farm boy) has the arching/ curved metal... no good here. Will do more damage than help - IF I can get it to stay in the ground ! I think I will have to go with a single subsoiler, as you have. One the plus side, it would be easier to hook on my tractor I think and fairly cheap ? Do you recommend a certain subsoiler model / make ?
Our clay sounds about the same. I have considered selling all cattle and building a brick manufacturing plant.

I am not a brand type person. So no preference. Just be sure to get one build for the HP of your tractor. Undersized and your are likely to damage to subsoiler, oversized and you may have issues with not being able to pull it through your clay.
And I tend to agree that the chisel plow might do more crop damage than helping to drain water away.
One benefit to the subsoiler is that with the small footprint of the cutting blade and smaller yet width of the shank, you can drive over the cut with little effect on the deep cut for drainage.