Disc Harrow Tandem Disc Harrow Selection For Compact Tractors

[jeff9366]

I'm borrowing a howse angle iron frame disc from my neighbor.

I have a B2650 and was wondering how I should set my stabilizer bars?

Should I pin them so the disc can't swing back and forth? Use the oval holes so there is some side to side motion?

You want a little slop in the stabilizers, so if the disc pans collide with a subsurface obstruction the disc pans take the collision force first, partly by rolling over the obstruction at disc's discretion. Disc is relatively cheap and simple to repair relative to tractor Three Point Hitch.

If stabilizers are too loose, disc will yaw noticeably when raised with hydraulic control.


Time for you to enter your new Kubota B2650 in your T-B-N PROFILE.

 

[CoyPatton]

For most ground engaging implements you want a slight bit of free play in your lower 3ph arms at the lowered position. Not so much that the implement or lower arms can get into your rear tires but that the implement is free to shift a bit if it hits something solid. This will normally save abuse to your tractor usually to the pin connections of the lower arms on the tractor. Frequently these pins are mounted into cast and can crack with lots of abuse.
I mentioned a slight amount of slack in the stabilizers at the lowered position of lower arms. The geometry of the lower arm movement often means the tension of the stabilizers changes through the travel of them.

 

[jeff9366]

I would start with maximum angle/set in the gangs and adjust the top link for optimal cutting with front gangs. Make multiple passes in several directions. Easier after a rain soaks in the ground and you can work it again. Not muddy but not too dry.

~~ YES ~~

To get compacted ground worked deeper, you need to plow it first.

The disk is a secondary tillage tool. It also helps to add some weight to the disk. I bolt steel plates that weigh about 200 pounds onto the upper frame of my 6.5 ft 3 point disk, which helps it cut deeper.
< 400 pounds? >

Compacted soil, like you are dealing with, needs to be plowed first. In the following years, you could probably get away with just the disk, especially if you add some weight to it.

An MX has a Category 2 class Three Point Hitch. If 200 - 400 pounds is owner added to a relatively light Category 1 class Disc Harrow you may over stress the frame and pull it to distortion or destruction. Once distorted the ability to adjust gang angles is lost. I discourage adding weight. Owner added weight is outside the stress parameters calculated by Disc Harrow designers.

Shorten the Top Link and adjust gang angles aggressively for penetration. If that does not do give the penetration you need, you have too light an implement.

 

[jeff9366]

I'm in the market for a disc harrow. I had my heart set on an 8' pull-type, 22" pans x 24 pans coming in right about 2000lbs. 8' seems to be the narrowest tractor pull-type disc without going to a utv type which wouldn't make any sense. For those that have some experience with an L6060 or L5460 do you think this is feasible? or just too big/heavy? Do I need to start looking at HD 3pt discs and most likely add weight to get decent depth?

Purchased an L5460 hydro with a multitude of tasks to be done. I realize this is not a farming tractor but this is the only task on my long list where a bigger geared tractor obviously would've worked better. Tractor has r-4's loaded so tractor weight is right around 5500lbs plus loader.

My land is flat and soil is easily worked up, sandy so to say. Looking to work up approx 5-10 acres per year, starting with 5 acres virgin ground this spring. I'm not interested in purchasing any older discs as time for accessing and rebuilding is not something I have time for now. I also have a 6' tiller but cringe at moving at a snails pace. I know multiple passes will have to be done with a disc too.

Three Point Hitch mounted Tandem Disc Harrows have a significant proportion of implement weight supported by the tractor. This improves tractor traction. However, there is less pan weight bearing on the ground so pan penetration is less.

Drawbar attached articulating towed Tandem Disc Harrows have all pan weight on ground so they cut better, which may be an advantage or disadvantage. A towed Disc Harrow with same weight and pan spacing will exert significantly more draft resistance force to the tractor, while there is less weight on the tractor, meaning tractor is more likely to lose traction.

Drawbar attached articulating Disc Harrows follow the ground better than TPH Disc Harrows unitized with the tractor. Not an overly valuable trait harrowing flat ground.

A transport Disc Harrow with hydraulically adjustable wheel height will vary pan penetration.

I am dubious an open-station L5460 has enough weight to pull an 8' pull-type, 22" pans x 24 pans coming in right about 2000lbs more than one pass through a sandy field. However, all my experience has been with TPH mounted Tandem Disc Harrows.


Is there a reason you are reluctant to use a 3 X 12" = 36" wide or 3 X 14" = 52" wide moldboard plow for primary tillage?

Then a 1,200 pound Disc Harrow with 7-1/2" (+/-) pan spacing for secondary tillage"?

How deep is your top soil? You do not want to mix top soil with infertile subsoil.

How many total acres do you wish to process in yearly segments?

My L3560 and your L5460 are within 10% of identical bare tractor weight. I have air in L3560 rear tires, not liquid.


PERHAPS INTERESTING: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/332493-tandem-lift-disc-harow-monroe.html?highlight=

I'm in the market for a disc harrow. My land is flat and soil is easily worked up, sandy so to say.

Consider an APP/Field Cultivator for 10"+ depth. You do not want to mix top soil with infertile subsoil.

MORE: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/339095-dirt-dog-all-purpose-plow.html?highlight=

VIDEO: Fred Cain 7 Shank 3 Point Field Cultivator 85in bar

 

[jeff9366]

What is the spacing between pans on prospective Disc Harrow?

Nebrfarmr
Veteran Advisor - Successful Farming
‎09-22-2011
Re: Disc spacing

We have both a 9" and 7 1/2" spaced disk, both are older IH disks, so they are built similarly.

9" spacing - goes deeper, pulls just a little easier for the depth you are going, doesn't plug. Usually with the wider spacing, you go with bigger blades. Chops through heavier residue easier.

Better for going deep, and burying some stalks.


7-1/2" spacing - smoother seedbeds, doesn't make as big of clods if the ground is a little wet, cuts stalks into smaller pieces, but will plug sooner in heavy trash. In wet conditions you better be sure the scrapers are in A-1 shape, at least on our soils. One pass with it on bean ground leaves the ground as smooth as 2 passes with the 9" spaced one. However, in heavy cornstalks, and deep ridges, it is hard to get it down deep enough to chop the stalks in the bottom of the ridge all the way through in tough conditions.


jeff9366
1/31/2019
Disc/Pan Spacing

My primary Disc Harrow objectives involve CUTTING; opening new game feed plots, maintaining vegetation free fire breaks and vegetation control along woodland trails. Harrow weight on 16 discs, rather than 20 discs, puts more cutting weight on each disc. Spacing between discs is 9". If you have rocky soil, 9" disc spacing will collect fewer rocks.

Tractor users with SMOOTHING (plow furrows) as their priority may consider the 20/18 or 20/20 configuration. Both have 7-1/2" spacing between discs.

Disc Harrows are available with two types of discs: notched and smooth. Notched discs cut pasture grass and crop stubble better; in open soil notched blades jerk out trash, meaning vines and tree roots, which sporadically stick in the notches. Smooth discs roll over some vegetation that notched discs cut through.




"If you go all notched on all gangs the ground will loot ratty and clumpy."

While I am occasionally surprised by 'exceptions' on T-B-N, few disc harrows with pans of diameter 16" - 18" - 20" - 22" are available outfitted with anything but notched pans front and rear. All these relatively light discs struggle to cut unplowed ground and only the notches make cutting through feasible. (( Dirt Dog and Monroe Tufline offer discs with notched pans in front, smooth pans in the back. ))

Discs with 9" spacing between pans penetrate better than discs with 7" or 7-1/2" disc spacing. Less important than notched vs un-notched, but a factor. Less "float" with 9" pan spacing.

When pan diameter increase to 24" - 26" - 28" - 30" there is enough weight to cut through almost any grass. You need a Utility Class tractor (6,000 pounds bare weight) to pull these.


Box frame discs are adjustable. If you begin with aggressive gang settings, then reduce aggressive set with each succeeding pass, a disc harrow can leave a quite smooth field. For reasons beyond my understanding few on T-B-N seem to adjust their disc harrow gang angles.

 

[jeff9366]

Monroe Tufline ~~ TPH Tandem Disc Harrow review:

Disc Harrow - TANDEM LIFT DISC HAROW, Monroe Tufline 18/20", TH971820B, REVIEW

After two years consideration and replacement of my light Kubota B3300SU by a heavy Kubota Grand L/L3560, I purchased a Monroe Tufline Tandem Lift Disc Harrow, TH971820B, $2,428.15 delivered (no sales tax on ag equipment in Florida) January 2015. Tufline specs this DH with 20" diameter pans...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

I have an older, much used, but still useful disk my mother in law gave us.. It is angle iron frame, non adjustable, about 5'6" wide. The last coat of paint on it was red.. None of this matters as it is useful and was cheap..

The big thing seems setting it up.. This was done on the garage floor, with the tires inflated to proper pressure, the top link adjusted so the disk was level.. The top link measurement, center to center of pins and this measurement painted on the disk frame for easy set up the second time.. The top link measurement plus the number on the 3pt control where it runs the best depth for our use.. As I remember it runs best at 4.0 on the 3pt control..

I mostly use it to prep ground for over seeding in our pastures.. It isn't critical work and doesn't have to run that deep.. In our ground this system works well..

 

[jeff9366]

SirMatthewT wrote:

I'm looking to pick up a small tandem disk for a subcompact Massey-Ferguson GC 2300. Looking for opinions as to whether the 1,400 pound bare weight GC 2300 will reasonably handle a 5' disc or whether I should wait to find a 4 footer.

Disc Harrows behind subcompact tractors are suitable for preparing kitchen gardens with friable soil for seeding every year.

Measure the max spread of your GC2300 Three Point Hitch, Lower Links. Spread dimension is likely 20", like most SCUTs.
Most ( not all ) 5' Disc Harrows will have Lower Link pins spaced 26" apart.

A PTO-powered, forward tine rotation roto-tiller is a better soil mixing option behind a subcompact tractor.

VIDEO:

Behind a subcompact tractor, with its small wheels, the Disc Harrow and the tractor operator in the video would bounce around much more.


SPECIFICATIONS: XTreme Duty 48'' width Compact Tractor Angle Iron Disc Harrow

Weight with 12 X 16" diameter pans, as in video = 320 pounds.

320 pounds likely an absolutely max Disc Harrow load for a GC2300.

 

[jeff9366]

12/27/2017 jmsmithy wrote:

I'm looking at buying new tandem disc harrow for my Kioti DK40SE HST primarily for approximately 20 acres of food plots. May also use to cut up some old logging roads, roundup them all, then resurface....

What is the difference between notched vs smooth discs?


Twenty acres is a LOT of food plots.

Notched discs will CUT and chop crop stubble and grass. Smooth discs are somewhat better for SMOOTHING minimally vegetated fields. Smooth discs have a a tendency to roll over vegetation that notched discs will penetrate. For Food Plots, unless you have a lot of rocks in your food plot soil, go with notched front, notched rear. If you get a disc with 50-60 pounds bearing on each disc you could go with notched front, smooth rear.

Generally speaking you want a minimum of 40 pounds harrow weight bearing on each disc. For opening 20 acres of food plots, 50-60 pounds per disk will open ground for eager germinating food plot seed in one pass. After seeding you need to cover or roll in the seed. ( In a field you can disc more than once at a 45 degree angle across first pass, in a food plot a second pass is rarely practical.)

Disc diameter and concavity influence total harrow weight, how far soil is thrown out and in, and how deep disc can sink on successive passes. I recommend 20" or 22" disc diameter on 1-1/8" axles, not 18", for your 4,000 pound tractor.

You could pull a 7' to 7'-6" disc harrow with 20" disc diameter in a field with no strain. But for food plots, where you will be maneuvering between trees and boulders and working on slopes, buy a disc 5' to 5'-6" in width. Anything wider and the tractor will pass through gaps but the disc will "hang up" and you will waste a lot of time extricating tractor+ harrow combination.

You need minimum of 5-horsepower per foot of disc width plus four wheel drive. Your Kioti has plenty of horsepower plus ample weight at 4,000 pounds.

You probably want a disc harrow with 9" spacing between the pans, rather than 7" spacing. Wider spacing will have less "float" and therefore cut better. Also, a little easier to clear vines from axles with wider spacing. (That said, EverythingAttachments.com offers interesting, HEAVY 20"-22"-24" Disc Harrows with 7" spacing.)

Consider the purchase of a CULTIPACKER to roll in your seed and help prevent erosion. Rolling twenty acres a CULTIPACKER will improve seed germination enough to pay for itself over five years.

 

[jeff9366]

RE: Kubota L4701 tractor.
​

With 4x4 FEL loader could one fill front bucket with dirt to add weight, then pull a 900 pound Tandem Disc Harrow without rear wheel weights or liquid in tires ??


My L3560 has 35-horsepower. I have air in the tires yet pull the 900 pound disc fine in Florida sandy-loam, toggling between HST MED/High and HST MED/Low on the Grand L 'HST+' half step transmission, generally at 75% to 100% throttle.

The L4701 has 47-horsepower and is lighter. From experience I guesstimate supplemental weight on the rear tires will aid traction to apply the additional horsepower to the ground. You have to pull a Disc Harrow at a brisk clip for it to even the land properly.

While an FEL does add weight and dirt in the bucket adds more, FEL weight in front of the tractor leverages weight off the rear tires, negating some ( all? ) of the FEL weight bearing on rear tires. So FEL weight is neutral or negative to rear wheel traction.

Most with an SSQA bucket probably drop it for improved forward visibility when harrowing. I do. I once removed the entire FEL when preparing to harrow for several hours.

One can reduce the disc gang angles to reduce draft force resistance. One can raise the disc. One can lengthen the Top Link to shift more disc weight to the rear, smoothing gangs. But above draft force reduction adjustments reduce pan penetration of the soil.

Soils vary a lot. Soil moisture varies a lot. Tractor tire types and tread wear varies. Perhaps half of disc harrow users set their new disc aggressively, then never adjust the gang angles again. Too many variations to really answer your question with certainty.