Tiller Rotary tiller vs. disk harrows? please help

[California]

Guys, I'm still baffled and I appreciate your advice. I thought this disc would cut much deeper.

I got the disc with the tractor and was told they had been together for many years. I assumed they were matched.

I can run in H3 at 1600 rpm so I'm not near the limit of power or traction. (max 24 hp @ 2400). The disc is mostly rolling along on top and scalping a few inches. I tried a final slow pass and it cut only slightly better.

I'm running total 800 lbs. (680 lbs disc + 120 lbs ballast shown here). When I bought it, I left behind 250 lbs of junk the previous owner had lashed on.

The neighbor I am discing for said his father sharpened his discs each winter. Is that needed, or helpful? Is there some other variable to tinker with, such as shortening the top link to make the nose dig in? (It's level now). Maybe the soil was too dry. This was the day after a rain, but the soil dried quickly as it was turned over.

Actual cutting width is 66 inches. How much should a 66 inch disc weigh? Should I add ballast until I run out of traction?

This is hobby use so I will probably make do with what I have. A rototiller looks nice but I can't justify a new one.

 

[Egon]

Add more weight to the disk.

The weight will help with penetration! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

 

[Farwell]

I have about 12 inches of topsoil over sand and if I haven't kept the soil worked up it takes a lot of passes over the soil to work it up. I have a 8 foot wide tow behind disc that is probably over 50 years old the bearings are pretty well shot, the grease zerts are gone but it still does a good job. The disc does have the angle adjustments and I max it out and it still takes at least ten passes to get the soil broken down. I also change directions every other time I disc. First time I go in circles then across, then diagonal. I do not have much property but enough to keep areas worked up so I don't have to mow the weeds.

 

[have_blue]

Cali,

Patience may be your best tool.

Discing is 75% soil conditions. If the soil is right, discing works just great. The cutters will run deep, the soil will turn over and fluff up just fine.

If the soil is hard, weight and speed will help a little, but there is no substitute for the right soil conditions... especially with small equipment.

I sharpened my disks once 5 years ago when my disc harrow was brand new. They have stayed sharp ever since. It even seems like they have got sharper with use. I have ZERO gravel or rocks, of course. A few gravel in your soil could make sharpening pretty useless I suppose.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Possible alternative method: I am in the process of reclaiming some drive and open areas after recent years of ferral pig damage. I have very heavy clay with some rocks. I have waited till the ground is quite dry and I have mowed as low as possible and the grass/weeds are dead from lack of moisture. I'm using a 4' BB. I'm tilting the BB way forward so the rippers will dig without carrying much, if any, of the ripped soil. After ripping, I am rolling it with an old Ramcharger with 40psi air in 33" tires to smash the clods and chunks. Then I tilt the BB all the way back so just the rear blade contacts the ground. I have even removed the front cutting edge. I make maybe half a dozen passes to smooth the area. For drive areas, I then use the garden hose and sprinkler and apply enough water to soak thru the loose soil. Then wait till the clay doesn't stick to my boots then roll again with Ramcharger. I'm very happy with the results so far.
I had your very dilema: disc or tiller. Didn't like the price of either so I just thought I'd try what I already had.
Cheers!

 

[Slamfire]

When I want to work up hardened clay, I run a single row cultivator with an s spring/shovel attached to each bolt hole in the tool bar. You may have to leave some off to get enough traction. Then I follow with a disc.

 

[LarryD]

I follow HomeBrew2s' method of ripping up the soil. Get the grass/weeds nice and short then drop the rippers in backwards. By backing over the area, the root masses don't collect in the box.

I would think that you could do almost everything with your box blade and have a fine track.