Right size disk

[wkg2013]

I have a JD 4410. What size disc can I pull

 

[jeff9366]

Start here:

Disc Harrow Selection For 18-45 Horsepower Tractors (Revision 2b)

Disc Harrows come in numerous types. However, for 18-45 horsepower tractors the three point hitch mounted, Tandem Disc Harrow, secondary tillage implement, is ubiquitous. Tandem Disc Harrows are manufactured in two structural types: Angle Iron Frame and Box Frame. Box Frame Disc Harrows are...

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You size Disc Harrows by pan diameter first, because that is where the weight is, then choose width and pan spacing depending on your primary task.

Penetration is better with 9" pan spacing, smoothing is better with 7-1/2" pan spacing.

You can smooth with an implement weight of ~37 pounds bearing on each pan. To cut/penetrate requires ~50 pounds implement weight on each pan. Unfortunately, you must pay for every pound.

 

[jeff9366]

John Deere 4410 Weight	2,900 lbs 1315 kg
Max Drawbar:	562 lbs 254 kg
Max front axle:	1,588 lbs 720 kg
Max rear axle:	4,410 lbs 2000 kg

Dimensions
Wheelbase:	68 inches 172 cm
Length:	117 inches 297 cm
Width:	50 inches 127 cm
Ground clearance:	13.4 inches 34 cm

Mechanical
Chassis:	4x4 MFWD 4WD

John Deere 4410 Power
Engine (gross):	34.6 hp 25.8 kW

 

[jeff9366]

Questions:

1) Are your rear tires inflated with air or filled with liquid?

2) Are you seeking max penetration, which calls for a disk with 9" pan spacing? (food plots, fire breaks)

3) Will you be smoothing plow furrows, which calls for a disk with 7" pan spacing? (field work)

Seven inch pan spacing gives more float/less penetration; smoother output behind the disk. You may have to wait for days with optimal soil moisture to cut with seven inch pan spacing. Fortunately, most food plot seeds are strong germinators.

 

[pokey1416]

Jeff is our TBN technical guy. I have probably a size up or so CUT than yours and found a EA 66” 18” pans disc harrow. It feels and pulls too small for me so I would say you’d be ok up to somewhere in the low 60’s inches.

And, welcome to TBN!

 

[oldnslo]

Something to consider is soil type. Sand your disc will sink to the hubs and pull hard vs hard soil where it could take several passes to get 6 inches deep.

I pull a 54” with 20” blades with my tractor that weighs around 2500 lbs loaded ag tires. In plowed ground traction is the issue before power.

 

[oosik]

Weight will be your friend. As it is with most ground engagement implements. I have a Land Pride set of disks. It's a DH1048 and weighs - 420 pounds. With twelve disks that's 35# per disk.

I have found it to be WORTHLESS in my conditions here. It barely leaves scrape marks as I drag it around.

I'm planning on upgrading to something like a Brown set of disks. Nine feet wide and 1200 pounds. This will be somewhere around 65# to 70# per disk.

In the REALLY tough conditions - first hit the land with my moldboard plow. Followed by the disks.

My 80 acres is all virgin land and can be a tough nut to crack.

I've found that even a rototiller has a tough time.

I want to break my few fields with implements that DO NOT require a PTO. The entire PTO system just seems to rough on equipment. The continual vibration, bouncing - not something I appreciate.

 

[wkg2013]

Thanks for the Info. I want to disc up a 3 Acre field that has been tilled for 2 years in a row but not for 2 years. The ground is hard clay. So, given my tractor specs and the ground I need towork, what would be a good recomendación for a disc harrow

 

[jeff9366]

Thanks for the Info. I want to disc up a 3 Acre field that has been tilled for 2 years in a row but not for 2 years. The ground is hard clay. So, given my tractor specs and the ground I need towork, what would be a good recomendación for a disc harrow

Are your rear tires inflated with air or filled with liquid?

Rather than buy a light Disc Harrow with 18" diameter pans for this task, which will not be very effective working clay, can you prevail on whoever tilled (presumably roto-tilled) this land two years ago, to roto-till it again? Disc Harrows and PTO powered roto-tillers are both soil mixing implements producing 90% the same output.

Optimally you will seed the same day your plot is tilled, to give your food plot seed the best chance to compete with the naturally selected grass. If you wait several days or a week before sowing seed, the natuarally selected grass will come roaring back, overwhelming your seed.

Buying a light Disc Harrow for preparing a food plot of 1-2-3 acres on hard clay does not make sense to me.


I would still like to know what size disc harrow I should get to go behind JD 4410 4 wd?

Are your Deere's rear tires inflated with air or filled with liquid?

Is your Deere equipped with R1/ag tires or R4/industrial tires?

In what state are you located?

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Just get one that is heavy made. This one is a Ford. Tuffline is made like it. There's a few brands.

 

[Gee Ray]

if all you’re doing is 3 acres for a food plot I would look for a used 60 inch disk.

most people on this website will tell you to find a three point disk but I have always preferred a drag disk.

Buy the heaviest of either type that you can find. You can always lay a piece of railroad tie or a piece of log across it. And some heavy wire and wire them into place to keep them from falling off as your disk.

If you can’t find a disk that small you could always buy a larger one and remove one set of disks.

There are many variables in your question of which to buy. And at the same time you can adapt the disc to work for you.

 

[jeff9366]

Just get one that is heavy made. This one is a Ford. Tuffline is made like it.

The OP's JD 4410 weighs 2,900 pounds. It is probable his 2,900 pound Deere can only pull a light, box-frame Disk with 18" diameter pans, 60" wide (~52" operating width) pans spaced 9" and still be able to use the Disk's three (3) or four (4) gang angle adjustments. You can smooth with an implement weight of ~37 pounds bearing on each pan. To cut/penetrate could require twelve (12) or more tractor passes over the field, NOT GOOD FOR CLAY.

If the OP's tractor has loaded rear tires and R1/ag tires it might, MIGHT pull a Disk with 20" diameter pans, 9" pan spacing, 60" wide, NOT set at the most aggressive gang angle adjustment. To cut/penetrate in 1-2-3 passes requires ~50 pounds implement weight on each pan, which is a minimum of 20" diameter pans, spaced 9".

The OP has been reticent about his soil, obstructions and weather.
It may be his best plan would be to mow, then sow the appropriate Clover relative to soil pH, without tilling, to attract deer, if deer are what the OP wants. (?)

Or if he has a long term outlook, he may wish to start with forage radish to begin a multi-season process of clay remediation.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Well, you can't even drive around here because of deer. I hit 6 by May. I've hit two wild hogs. I'm not even going to mention all the critters I avoided. Not much deer feeding around here except for automatic corn feeders. So squirrels figured out how to get the corn. Six ft rattlesnakes figured out how to get the squirrels. I figured out open the feeder carefully. It takes a 6 footer to be able to get in one.

 

[wkg2013]

I have air in my turf tires. I borrowed the tiller for the two years I tilled the field but I decided not to borrow again and purchase something Instead. Disc is cheaper than tiller

 

[jeff9366]

I have air in my turf tires. I borrowed the tiller for the two years I tilled the field but I decided not to borrow again and purchase something Instead. Disc is cheaper than tiller

If you first moldboard plow your field, a Disc Harrow with 18" diameter pans will suffice to smooth the plow furrows. However, learning to moldboard plow well takes most operators new to plows several seasons.

As you have previously tilled your field it is possible a Disc Harrow with 18" diameter pans may serve for maintenance.

The OP's JD 4410 weighs 2,900 pounds. It is probable his 2,900 pound Deere can only pull a light, box-frame Disk with 18" diameter pans, 60" wide (~52" operating width) pans spaced 9" and still be able to use the Disk's three (3) or four (4) gang angle adjustments. You can smooth with an implement weight of ~37 pounds bearing on each pan. To cut/penetrate could require twelve (12) or more tractor passes over the field, NOT GOOD FOR CLAY.


I know nothing about using a disc harrow. The soil I intend to disc is hard clay.

ADJUSTING Three Point Hitch Mounted TANDEM DISC HARROWS

If you are considering the acquisition of a Disc Harrow, first read this LINK covering Disc Harrow selection: LINK: Disc Harrow Selection For 18-45 Horsepower Tractors (Revision 2b) The Three Point Hitch mounted Tandem Disc Harrow is a secondary tillage implement. The Disc Harrow is a...

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[TXCYCLE]

I have two thoughts for you to consider:

1) Listen to Jeff, when it comes to disc plows for smaller tractors he is the guru here on tbn & his advice has been priceless to me in the past.

2) Look into buying a small chisel plow. There are several manufacturers, I have one made by Bush Hog. They come in 3, 5, 7, & 9 shank varieties. These are light weight chisels, not the 14 shank monsters it takes a 200 hp Farmall to pull.
10 hp per shank is the general rule of thumb so buy a 5 and if you can’t pull it, take two off the outside and you can always add back later.
I have a 7 shank and wish I bought a nine, it is the best thing ever for getting ground prepped to plant.
Run it over your areas twice and your disc plow will work 100 times better. They are fairly inexpensive too, paid 900 I think for mine but that was 5-6 years ago. Good luck.

 

[Bentrim]

Years ago dad had a JD 70 diesel (50hp) he bought a JD WH83 (8 foot) offset disc harrow. Well that tractor had all it wanted and then some to pull that disc especially in plowed ground! He also had a JD 520 (38HP) and bought a 9 ft Massey 25 disc I disked a lot of plowed ground with that disk. My brother has a JD790 4wd (38?hp) and can't pull it. I have a Massey TO35 (34hp) and a Massey 245 (45hp) and both the Masseys can pull it. That said The old 2 cylinders were both loaded with fluid in the rear tires. None of the others have fluid but the 790 has rear weights,

Things to consider. An offset will dig better, but is often heavier than a regular disk. If you purchase a regular disk be sure you can adjust the angle of the gangs, straighter gangs pull easier but don't agitate the soil as much. When disking the front edge of the dish should be straight in line with direction of travel for good penetration. Too shallow of an angle and the back side of the disk will ride on the ground and prevent penetration.

If a disk does not penetrate due to hard ground some form of tillage may be required for best results.

So it is understood Offset < regular ><

 

[3gunr]

I agree with txcycle on the chisel plow , i bought one a while back for a hundred bucks, it is an 11 shank and my 38 hp 4x4 with loaded r4s can pull it ,but is hard going, plowing will make disking much easier, I have a 6 ft angle disk with 18 in pans and last weekend i disked up a acre and a half food plot , The ground was bone dry and had not been touched since last yr,it disked up fairly easy, The key is that i had mowed it down as low as possible and sprayed with glyphosate twice over the last month. getting rid of roots and thatch will make disking and tilling much easier, 2 weeks ago i used my 6 ft tiller on a different plot and it was very hard tilling, the disk was easier on the tractor for sure,