WHAT SIZE/BRAND OF DISKS?

[JoeinTX]

@dweitzel

That JD you picture is a true disc "harrow" and not a plow. It is intended to bust clods, even ground, and cut plant residue ahead of a classic grain drill..........not till rough ground. Your CC should be able to pull it given the flexible nature of it's design and light weight.

Put a 10' offset or true disc plow in it's place and the CC will set nearly still.

Not a bad unit and it can be handled by smaller machines.......but for it's limited ability only.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

i've been looking for a set of these. i don't know about your area, but i haven't seen a set for sale in the trader, at two auctions i've been, just asking fellow farmers if they knew of any for sale in my area.....no luck so far. thought theyd work really well on my firebreaks behind another tractor. what would you guess the weight of those are?

I wanted a set for years, but never got around to buying one. I had an International Harvester #350, 8'-9" wheel disc that was in new condition. Original owner bought them and used one time back in the early '70's. Then he had a stroke. I bought them in '02. They still had most of the paint on the disc blades. At that point, I figured I was set for life. No need for another disc. I ran on to the MF #25's one day and decided to fix 'em up and sell them to make a few bucks. I had 17 acres on our new place (new? We've been here almost 2 years now) that needed discing before seeding grass. I decided to use the #25's. 2 days later I had the IH wheel disc for sale! I decided to narrow the #25 to where it was a legal width to haul. I use it so rarely, a few extra minutes in the field wasn't that big of a deal. I've got it mechanically in excellent condition now. Probably give it a good coat of paint this fall or winter. Even have the decals!

2 weeks after I found these, another set appeared along our road. A neighbor had them and decided to sell them. Since then, I've seen 3 more sets being sold. Good ones usually bring $350 to $500. One set was priced @ $700.

Just a guess, but I'd say it weighs in around 950# to 1000#. It's heavier than it looks. They're built with heavy gauge metal. Even at that, they work like a much heavier disc. Being shorter from front to rear than a lot of lift type disc's, it works better with the draft control than any lift disc I've ever used. About the only time I've ever really used (or needed) draft control while using a disc is in plowed ground.

The #25 is a further developement of the original "Ferguson System" lift disc offered when Harry Ferguson first started building his own line of tractors. The geometry is what Harry intended to use with his draft control system. In short, they work.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

a guy down teh road from me has a Massey #25 with solid blades front and back and they do a great job in plowed or unplowed ground. I have pulled them with a MF 135 and it handles it great, I have yet to try with my Ford but the guy who owns them has the same tractor I do which is about 10 more horses than the 135. I told him when he gets too old to use them to call me, he told me I am the second person on teh waiting list.. my dad already has first dibs on it.

They were built with small utility tractors like the 135 in mind. They handle like a much lighter disc. They perform like a much heavier one. My 150 played with the 8'-10" width version.

If the weather cooperates, I'm plowing under 11 acres this fall, discing, then re-seeding for a hayfield. I'm looking forward to using the #25 enough to shine up the blades. Right now it's so danged dry (and H.O.T.) I can't even imagine planting anything. We have ZERO moisture.

 

[dweitzel]

@dweitzel

That JD you picture is a true disc "harrow" and not a plow. It is intended to bust clods, even ground, and cut plant residue ahead of a classic grain drill..........not till rough ground. Your CC should be able to pull it given the flexible nature of it's design and light weight.

Put a 10' offset or true disc plow in it's place and the CC will set nearly still.

Not a bad unit and it can be handled by smaller machines.......but for it's limited ability only.

Yep, as I stated in the previous email, big difference between a harrow and disk plow. I only needed to clean up the surface of a hay field prior to some re-seeding. The 10' harrow is all I can handle with my Cub. It was churning up about 4"-6" in the moist dirt a few weeks ago. That really impressed me for the size of tractor I have. Someday I'll upgrade to a little larger tractor. Needed to start somewhere.

Will the MF 25 mentioned dig deeper than 4"-6" on his 38hp MF tractor?

Dw

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Will the MF 25 mentioned dig deeper than 4"-6" on his 38hp MF tractor?

Dw

It'll cut all the way to the spools if conditions allow. My MF150 is "rated" at 38 hp, same engine as a 135. I've turned up the fuel screw just a tick to where it dyno's at 47hp. It'll run with the #25 in 8'-10" width, even less effort with it now, in the 7'-8" width. The only time I had any trouble with the wider version was on a steep hill, with the disc sunk in to the spools' gangs set at most radical angle. I ran out of traction. Not enough weight with just 5100lbs worth of tractor. All it took to keep moving was to raise the 3-point hitch a bit.

 

[heymack]

Mine is a Dale Phillips 7.5', 24x20 and weighs in right at 1000#. The channels are heavily reinforced for added strength and weight. So far, I haven't torn it up with my little 55 HP tractor.

 

[Soundguy]

In all but the most severe soils your machine should 'play' with a 6.5' 3pt disc.. and would probably perform well with an 8' lift disc if you didn't get to agressive in bad soil.

I think you may find that once you choose frame type.. you will be more limited as to bearing type. In some cases i see the angle iron framed units with the sealed bearings only, and the more HD box frame with grey iron greasable bearings.. etc. However.. i'm sure that will vary by manufacturer.

Soundguy

Hey,

I just got my 1998 Massey Ferguson 231 tractor. It is 38 engine horse power, and 34 PTO horse power. It weighs 4,065 lbs without water in the tires. This is without a front end loader also (which I don't have).

I bought a new 5 1/2 ft King Kutter box blade the other day and it pulls it fully loaded in high 1st with no problem at all. That is without even giving it any throttle!

I was wondering what SIZE and BRAND of disks should I buy? Do I need SEALED or GREASABLE bearings?

I am looking at the Howse, King Kutter, and United brands, but that don't actually mean I will buy one of those.

I definitely want the "tubing" type frame and not the angle iron. I also want both the front and rear to all be "notched" disks.

I will mainly be using it to do my deer food plots in the winter time, along with other people's to maybe make a little extra money. Other than the food plots, I may make a very small garden to plant a couple rows of cucumbers too. But other than what I mentioned, the disks will be just sitting there in the weather in the pasture.

I don't want to buy something that is made of cheap material and flimsey, but on the other side of the coin I don't want to buy the top-of-the-line on the market either. I don't plan on doing landscape work with them.

WHAT ARE YA'LLS RECOMMENDATIONS?

Thanks,
Travis R

 

[dweitzel]

It'll cut all the way to the spools if conditions allow. My MF150 is "rated" at 38 hp, same engine as a 135. I've turned up the fuel screw just a tick to where it dyno's at 47hp. It'll run with the #25 in 8'-10" width, even less effort with it now, in the 7'-8" width. The only time I had any trouble with the wider version was on a steep hill, with the disc sunk in to the spools' gangs set at most radical angle. I ran out of traction. Not enough weight with just 5100lbs worth of tractor. All it took to keep moving was to raise the 3-point hitch a bit.

Farm, what gear and speed do you think you are running in the 8'10" width? I can keep it in high range 1st gear on gently sloping pastures, but if I hit more than a small hill, I need to downshift to 4th gear low which really does not till the soil much. Just wondering since I've been told that the speed does the work with the disc.

Dw

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Farm, what gear and speed do you think you are running in the 8'10" width? I can keep it in high range 1st gear on gently sloping pastures, but if I hit more than a small hill, I need to downshift to 4th gear low which really does not till the soil much. Just wondering since I've been told that the speed does the work with the disc.

Dw

Hard to compare gears from one tractor to another, but coincidentally, I ran with that disc in H-1st. @ 1750 rpm, that was just under 5 mph. In the tough spots (hills, wet spots, ect) I'd shove the throttle up to about 2000 rpm. Wheel spin would keep me about the same speed. I've always had the best looking seedbeds with 4-1/2 to 5 mph.

 

[Travis_R]

Thanks for all the recommendations.

I am looking at the Linebach Line, Hardee, and Monroe Tufline.

I think I want greasable bearings, but those are hard to come by with the "tubing" framed disks. As far as I know, the Howse brand is the only one I could find with greasable bearings in the size (6.5') I am looking for.

My uncle's 231 Massey Ferguson pulls a 6.5' King Kutter disk harrow. He bought the pacakge 'deal' with the tractor. He has had his since 98' when he bought everything new. I have pulled the disks with his tractor on myfood plot last year. It did very good. Thats the size I am getting.

Oh... He just had to change his bearings (sealed) last year.

Travis R