question about using a disc

[TripleR]

Farmwithjunk, discs and field cultivators remain the predominant method of farming in my area, many farm several thousand acres, what is being used elsewhere? They do run a subsoiler every couple of years or so though due to compaction.

Some are doing no till, but not very many.

Growing up, we used a non-wheeled drag disc with weight boxes, but went to a 3-point.

My "farming days" are long behind me and my information is pretty outdated.

 

[wolc123]

Growing up we used a non-wheeled drag disc (8 ft Bissell) but I later went with a 3-point disc (6.5 ft Dearborn economy model). Due to the long span of time, and my young age when I operated the Bissell, it took me a while to realize how much better I had it with the drag disc (about 15 years). I will admit that I have only used about (4) different drag discs, including my current 8 ft JD, a 6 ft Bissell, and an 8 ft IH, and just (1) other 3 point disc (7 ft MF), and (1) frame/wheel/pull type (12 ft JD), so my experience may not be all that much. What I do know for sure, ammoung maybe (50) relatives, nieghbors and other friends I have out side of "cyberland" who work any significant acreage, not a one prefers a 3-point disc to a pull-type. Also, of about a dozen small acreage folks I know including food-plotters and gardeners, not one prefers a 3-point disc to a rototiller. Here there are (2) individuals (FWJ and Magis) who are obviously thrilled with their 3-points. I wish them well and I humbly apologize for riling you guys up again. I will continue to take every opportunity I am given to come down hard on the 3-point disc, mainly because one of them cost me a ton of money in wasted fuel over those 15 years and I am not into sending all that cash overseas to OPEC. I was actually understating the fuel savings a bit, I bet I am using closer to 1/3 the fuel now with my 8 ft JD drag as I did with my 6.5 ft Dearborn. My feelings on 3-point disc mirror FWJ's on drag types. I dont think they are worth thier weight in scrap iron. The nice thing about forums like this is we are all free to air our opinions, based on our own experience. I will keep it civil as I air mine and if them other (2) fellas dont want to, I will forgive them.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Growing up we used a non-wheeled drag disc (8 ft Bissell) but I later went with a 3-point disc (6.5 ft Dearborn economy model). Due to the long span of time, and my young age when I operated the Bissell, it took me a while to realize how much better I had it with the drag disc (about 15 years). I will admit that I have only used about (4) different drag discs, including my current 8 ft JD, a 6 ft Bissell, and an 8 ft IH, and just (1) other 3 point disc (7 ft MF), and (1) frame/wheel/pull type (12 ft JD), so my experience may not be all that much. What I do know for sure, ammoung maybe (50) relatives, nieghbors and other friends I have out side of "cyberland" who work any significant acreage, not a one prefers a 3-point disc to a pull-type. Also, of about a dozen small acreage folks I know including food-plotters and gardeners, not one prefers a 3-point disc to a rototiller. Here there are (2) individuals (FWJ and Magis) who are obviously thrilled with their 3-points. I wish them well and I humbly apologize for riling you guys up again. I will continue to take every opportunity I am given to come down hard on the 3-point disc, mainlly because one of them cost me a ton of money in wasted fuel over those 15 years and I am not into sending all that cash overseas to OPEC. I was actually understating the fuel savings a bit, I bet I am using closer to 1/3 the fuel now with my 8 ft JD drag as I did with my 6.5 ft Dearborn. My feelings on 3-point disc mirror FWJ's on drag types. I dont think they are worth thier weight in scrap iron. The nice thing about forums like this is we are all free to air our opinions, based on our own experience. I will keep it civil as I air mine and if them other (2) fellas dont want to, I will forgive them.

So insanity is wide spread and prevelant in your area? Sounds like it, provided your latest conjured up "statistics" are anything other than delusional ramblings....which is what they appear to be. Or maybe just plain and simple "made up nonsense", which you show a proclivity towards.... It doesn't go unnoticed that your wild imaginative stories change with each telling. We have a term for that where I come from. I'll be nice and not call a spade a spade in this instance......Tell the truth and you don't need to have a great memory.

At any rate, don't go thinking you "riled me up"....No, you don't have what it takes to accomplish that end. Your latest ridiculous nonsense just makes me laugh as well as providing quite a bit of entertainment value. I'd think by this point in life, you'd realize when someone was poking fun at you....I guess not....The most ridiculous part is your imaginative (bogus) fuel savings comments. Anyone with a lick of sense wouldn't post something so crazy, much less admit to being responsible for such comments in public....."Come down hard" on anything you like. You need to consider you have ZERO credibility on this site, or a few others I know of. No one will publicly support your rants. Doesn't THAT tell you something?

You aughtta go hang with Leonz and his comical flail mower rants. You two would make quite a pair. Sorta the Abbot and Costello of the power equipment world.....

Oh, you ARE right about ONE thing....your "experience may not be all that much"....This is very obvious to all.

 

[wolc123]

We both got our points across, now we can sit back and let the rest of the folks find out for themselves who is right. Peace brother.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Farmwithjunk, discs and field cultivators remain the predominant method of farming in my area, many farm several thousand acres, what is being used elsewhere? They do run a subsoiler every couple of years or so though due to compaction.

Some are doing no till, but not very many.

Growing up, we used a non-wheeled drag disc with weight boxes, but went to a 3-point.

My "farming days" are long behind me and my information is pretty outdated.

Mostly, you'll find row crops being no-tilled around here. Probably 85/15 ratio in favor of no till vs conventional cropping. And the trends show the younger the farmer, the more likely they are to no till. Old habits are hard to break for some of us old timers.

As no till technology and seed development improve, yields continue to favor no tilling more and more. Cost advantages are extremely one sided. If soil and climate conditions are favorable in a given area, no till is light years ahead of the curve.

The majority of secondary tillage, if/when used, is field cultivators or mulch tillers (essentially another form of a cultivator) Disc's, when used, are mostly for shredding crop residue. ALMOST no serious modern farmer I know of uses a disc in the spring when soils tend to be wet. One close friend who farms over 10,000 acres of corn and soybeans (in Western Ky) hasn't owned a disc in 20 years.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

We both got our points across, now we can sit back and let the rest of the folks find out for themselves who is right. Peace brother.

I think you'll find that the vast majority already knows who is right. That explains why drag disc's went the way of the Pony Express rider 50 years ago and rigid frame 3-point or wheel disc's are all that you'll see being marketed today.

....and why NO ONE will agree with your ridiculous fuel savings comments.....

 

[cowski]

i have a jd 1635 and 235. that is what i use to improve my pastures and hay fields.i also have a bushhog 3 pt disk.i think they are one of the heavier 3pt disks.rome cutting disks and 490 ih disks are the best.about fuel economy,it takes less fuel to pull a disk than a plow.as far as adjusting the disk it should cut as much in as it cuts out.i usually disk in a x pattern this reduces the wave .i like my hay fields smooth so sometimes i also doall them.

 

[TripleR]

Mostly, you'll find row crops being no-tilled around here. Probably 85/15 ratio in favor of no till vs conventional cropping. And the trends show the younger the farmer, the more likely they are to no till. Old habits are hard to break for some of us old timers.

As no till technology and seed development improve, yields continue to favor no tilling more and more. Cost advantages are extremely one sided. If soil and climate conditions are favorable in a given area, no till is light years ahead of the curve.

The majority of secondary tillage, if/when used, is field cultivators or mulch tillers (essentially another form of a cultivator) Disc's, when used, are mostly for shredding crop residue. ALMOST no serious modern farmer I know of uses a disc in the spring when soils tend to be wet. One close friend who farms over 10,000 acres of corn and soybeans (in Western Ky) hasn't owned a disc in 20 years.

Thanks for the information. The family that farms our land uses a combination of no-till, discs and field cultivators and never really have understood why and when one is used over the other. They started using no-till several years ago when we loaned them our small 10' Great Plains to try out and then they bought a big one.

Out of curiosity, I am going to drive through some surrounding counties to get a better idea of what people are doing.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Thanks for the information. The family that farms our land uses a combination of no-till, discs and field cultivators and never really have understood why and when one is used over the other. They started using no-till several years ago when we loaned them our small 10' Great Plains to try out and then they bought a big one.

Out of curiosity, I am going to drive through some surrounding counties to get a better idea of what people are doing.

Take a gander at my post (#17) in this thread....

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/215601-help-going-nuts-conflicting-advice-2.html

Most GOOD farmers will take several different approaches to planting a crop to insure ONE will be the RIGHT one. (The ol' "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" trick!)

This year we did a 60/40 split on corn (no till v conventional) All our beans were no tilled, but that's hands down the best method here.

National average is 25% corn no till (v conventional) and more than 70% of soybeans have gone to no till. No till corn has it's limitations due to early planting season and cold soil temps the further north you go.

 

[TripleR]

Take a gander at my post (#17) in this thread....

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/215601-help-going-nuts-conflicting-advice-2.html

Most GOOD farmers will take several different approaches to planting a crop to insure ONE will be the RIGHT one. (The ol' "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" trick!)

This year we did a 60/40 split on corn (no till v conventional) All our beans were no tilled, but that's hands down the best method here.

National average is 25% corn no till (v conventional) and more than 70% of soybeans have gone to no till. No till corn has it's limitations due to early planting season and cold soil temps the further north you go.

Makes sense to me. We have a LOT of variations in not only type of soil but terrain from hills to pool top flatland and river bottoms and sand to Black Gumbo and what is called Buckshot Clay. We also have a lot of rice growers which is a whole different thing.