Spike Tooth Drag Harrow

[jackjack]

Hi Everyone,

first time posting and I'm in need of some help. I recently got a spike tooth drag and its in OK shape. But last night I was looking it over and there is no adjustment on it. No lever to move the spikes from aggressive to less aggressive. Is this something i could fabricate myself? Does anyone have one they could take a picture of, or any ideas to make this easy?? Any suggestions???? I am using for our property and would really like to use it soon for some deep thatching and some seed prep. Thoughts ?


Jack

 

[Sonny580]

Sounds like you have a homemade section,---that being the case , I think you will find it best to find a real harrow section. All I ever had/have were/are adjustable except a brand called "flex harrow" which are non adjustable and roll up when you try to lift them,--"finger mashers" as they were called. Flex harrows were never designed to be adjustable----never did a good job either.

 

[jeff9366]

First time posting and I'm in need of some help. I recently got a spike tooth drag and its in OK shape. But last night I was looking it over and there is no adjustment on it. No lever to move the spikes from aggressive to less aggressive. Is this something i could fabricate myself or any ideas to make this easy??

Perhaps suspending harrow from a Three Point Hitch boom pole.

T-B-N ARCHIVE: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/371575-lift-chain-drag-harrow.html?highlight=

 

[bcp]

Looking at photos, https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffsb&q=spike+tooth+harrow&atb=v169-1&iax=images&ia=images it looks like some adjust and some don't. If yours is one in which the spike-mounting bars can rotate, you may just be missing the handle and latch. If the bars can't rotate, you have lots of work ahead to make it adjustable.

Bruce

 

[countrybumpkin]

Pics of your Harrow would help us give you better info.

 

[California]

I don't think there's any way to make the spike harrow less aggressive without nearly building a new one from scratch. Possibly loosen the spikes and retract them up so the chassis slides on the ground like a land plane? Anything beyond that you're getting into a substantial fabrication project to change the crossbars from fixed to rotate-able.

Anyhow here are a couple of posts describing my spike harrow projects, with photos that might give you some ideas.

1) $100 for this spike harrow that the P.O. just dragged with a chain. I fabricated a cross-bar with 12" chains to pull it evenly, and a lifter mechanism (re-purposed from an abandoned exercise machine) with a pulley that raises the harrow, and pulls it toward the tractor, for tight turns where my orchard rows reach the fence.

2) Photos of the spike harrow that show clearly how the adjustment levers work ...


It's not clear in those photos that I added another feature: My use is in an orchard. Its easy to get too close and snag the harrow on a tree. So in addition to the 12" chains that pull the harrow behind the drawbar, I also added chains that go out from the tractor's differential to the outer corners of the drawbar. These are to take the shock of snagging on a tree, to stall the tractor instead of bending the spike harrow's drawbar.

 

[jackjack]

Thanks for the info guys

The boom pole is a good idea. but I have attached a picture of my spike drag, it looks like it should be adjustable




THis is picture from the front

Jack

 

[California]

I don't think the tractor in the photo is big enough for it.

 

[Peter 315]

OP tractor photo?
Where?

toy tractor in the left back ground......:laughing:

 

[bcp]

Looks like a common style with all the adjusters removed.



This drawing better shows adjustment system.



Bruce

 

[crankshaft21]

Just to be sure,you do know that teeth point to the rear when pulling. Most smaller harrows, the teeth are not adjustable. I seen big harrows such as 12 ft. up that were adjustable.

 

[sixdogs]

Looks like a common style with all the adjusters removed.

View attachment 648373

This drawing better shows adjustment system.

View attachment 648374

Bruce

That's what it is and it's a light duty one. It would really only work in already worked and flattened soil. It's light and would just ride over cultivated ground. Around here, people use them to smooth horse arenas. Better off to just buy something else if that's what you want. I would consider these an item to sell to a horse person for their arena.

 

[jackjack]

Bruce

Know of any place to get these parts? Or am I left to fab them?

 

[bcp]

Bruce

Know of any place to get these parts? Or am I left to fab them?

Don't know of any place.

I would make it rigid, paint it, sell it, then buy a complete one.

Bruce

 

[California]

I would make it rigid, paint it, sell it, then buy a complete one.

Agree. While each of those cross shafts was originally free to rotate in the outer, wavy, rails, to allow adjustment, it appears the shafts are now welded solid to the outer rails and also welded to that new center stiffener. You can't un-weld all that!

Run it as-is. Or clean it, paint it, sell it, start with something else. It's not restorable.

 

[kthompson]

Memories! Been near fifty years since I pulled one with a mule. Nope they don't do much and yes they are for leveling and breaking up already plowed dirt. We place some form of weight on it often. Then we seldom used it. How will you be pulling it? I am afraid you will not get the results with this you are wanting. If you pull it backwards with the teeth points leading it will try to dig into the ground and if you catch a root or large rock it might not release and cause it to get major bend. Pulling it the correct direction doubt the teeth remove much trash. I think a landscape rake with maybe ever other tooth remove would do a better job.

 

[jackjack]

Hey guys.

Thinks for the insights. All the spike mounts rotate. So I think it had the adjustment in it. Included in the deals was a spring tooth as well and it has adjusters on each wheel. Think I may 澱orrow from a side to make this thing work.

 

[California]

Think I may 澱orrow from a side to make this thing work.

Good to hear they aren't welded.

What's 'may ae3/4+ orrow'? This posting editor is weird!

 

[Texasmark]

Mine is a chain type I guess you call it....individual pieces of ⅝" steel bar bent to form a connecting loop and a protruding spike. You can pull it from the opposite end or flip it over with the spikes up. My current one is 8'wide x 6' deep and I use my FEL to flip it over....just takes a minute. If I want to take it down the road, I connect it to a 3 pt Gin pole connected at both ends with the center hanging down in an arc.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Our old big pasture is reclaimed forest and bush. It is rough, and has bush encroaching back into it from lack of grazing for a number of year..
I brush hog the parts I must.. I also have sections of 5/8 bent bar drag I pull side by side with a spreader bar, like described in post #19.. I chained a length of 1" square tube on the back edge to keep it from bunching up and makes it run flatter, and pull a brace of 7 old pickup tires behind that.. The tires are in rows of 3 and 4.. This all gives me about 9' of coverage per pass. It will pick up the occasional clump of thatch, but soon self clears.

I mow where I must and pull the drag combo to break stalks and stems of weeds and such. The good grass will flatten also, but comes back before the weed will. It takes extra seat time over other options, but seat time, fuel and this set of equipment are my cheaper option..