Rail Road Iron added to off set harrow?

[mkt]

New here.. I just bought a used Athens 166 / 10' off set disc harrow.
I would like to have a better "finish."
I have an old 10' piece of RR Iron.
Will this help level and bust up some "clods.?
And how should I attach to harrow?
Thank you.
Mark

 

[jeff9366]

The roughness, unevenness left in the wake of any Disc Harrow is a function of pan diameter, soil penetration depth and gang angle adjustment. So, weighting the Disc Harrow will probably increase the problem by increasing soil penetration depth.

Instead, adjust your Offset Disc to its least aggressive positions, front and rear. An Offset Disc is a primary tillage tool and its least aggressive adjustment will still be pretty aggressive.

Adjustment can be difficult if the frame is old, corroded and therefore friction resistant to movement. Try using lube on the frame and a farm jack for mechanical advantage, if necessary.

Consider towing the rail behind your Offset Disc with two lengths of chain to function as a smoothing drag.

If you get freeze/thaw cycles where you are in the South Carolina Piedmont, some of the clods will crumble during January-February-March.

Athens is top quality.

 

[bcp]

Are you thinking of putting it on top, or dragging it behind?

Bruce

 

[mkt]

bcp
sorry' I wasn't very clear about my post.
I would like to drag it behind..
Is it best to keep it perpendicular with the "rear disc" (drag at an angle) or perpendicular with the "rear tractor tires?"
Thank you

 

[aczlan]

bcp
sorry' I wasn't very clear about my post.
I would like to drag it behind..
Is it best to keep it perpendicular with the "rear disc" (drag at an angle) or perpendicular with the "rear tractor tires?"
Thank you

Perpendicular to the tractor tires. Otherwise it will leave a windrow on the side that is further back from the tractor tires.

Aaron Z

 

[mkt]

Cool Thanks,
Anyone have any suggestions or pictures of how to best fasten to plow frame?

I suppose I could just hand load the rail on top of the plow frame for transport / road travel..

Thanks.

 

[flusher]

I used 120-lb concrete weights on my 7-ft Towner offset disk and towed a drag behind. Here's one version I used with a tire drag. Later I used a piece of chain link fence with the tires attached to the top for weight. That one worked better.



The tractor is my Mahindra 5525.

Good luck

 

[jeff9366]

Anyone have suggestions or pictures of how to best fasten rail to plow frame for use as a drag?

All you need is two lengths of chain: 5/16" Grade 70, or 3/8" in lower grade, with slip hooks on both ends. "Choke" one end of each chain around the Offset Disc Frame, "choke" the other two ends around the rail. As long as you are pulling the rail through dirt, chain abrasion should not be an issue. If you pull the rail over pavement, the section of chain under the rail, weighted by the rail, will abrade very quickly.

If you want to get fancy, you could weld two 5/16" chain grab hooks to the frame of your Offset Disc Harrow. This would eliminate paint marring and have the advantage of easy/rapid adjustability of the chain lengths.

Loewes and Home Depot have competitively priced 5/16" Grade 70 chain packages is the TOWING section of HARDWARE. You would need to add slip hooks.

TSC is high on bulk chain.

 

[jeff9366]

I used 120-lb concrete weights on my 7-ft Towner offset disk and towed a drag behind.

View attachment 447373

Note that in this photo FLUSHER has the rear gang angles adjusted nearly "straight".

 

[jeff9366]

Anyone have any suggestions or pictures of how to best fasten rail to plow frame for transport / road travel?

ROAD SAFETY is an issue here. You could bind the rail on with multiple lengths of rope.

If I were transporting the rail I would purchase a dozen 1" or 1-1/2" wide, industrial strength cable ties to secure the rail. Loews and Home Depot have same in the ELECTRICAL Department. Use half outbound, half returning.

SAFETY FIRST.