What to drag behind a disc?

Doz · Dec 21, 2023

scootr said:
Just made a pair of cylinder safety locks using scrap L metal. 2 pieces laid over each other making a U shaped lock. I prefer the bucket raised to clean the air filter etc.
These will make it safe.

Pictures later.

Fields_mj · Dec 21, 2023

scootr said:
What to drag behind a disc to flatten the ground?
I've been looking around and raking my brain on this.
I want to add something behind my 6x7 Towner disc to smooth the ground for future mowing of a feral field.

I've heard of people using old railroad ties or telephone poles.

I've also seen where guys have made their own cultipacker by filling a piece of plastic culvert pipe with concrete and fashioning an axle of some sort for it. They seem to work extremely well.

I don't have a disk myself, and I don't really do any tillage. If I need to prep a seed bed for a food plot, I use a couple of RR ties that I drove some 1/2" rebar into for rippers (after mowing it down to almost nothing of course). Its not the most efficient design, but it works for my limited needs and I've got less than $50 in it.

Sly B.tch · Dec 21, 2023

What I use to drag behind my tractor to smooth out the dirt is a 10” I-beam 10’ long that is attached to the rear of the tractor by chains. If you shorten one side you can get an angle so the dirt will flow to one side Found the I-beam in a junkyard In their scrap pile. Paid just the cost of the steel. At the time I bought it it was $25

flaing · Dec 21, 2023

scootr said:
What to drag behind a disc to flatten the ground?
I've been looking around and raking my brain on this.
I want to add something behind my 6x7 Towner disc to smooth the ground for future mowing of a feral field.

About the best and simplest thing we used on the farm is a drag harrow, and maybe a solid beam on the rear.

scootr · Dec 21, 2023

flaing said:
About the best and simplest thing we used on the farm is a drag harrow, and maybe a solid beam on the rear.

A friend gave me a very heavy old cutting edge and I cobbled together a drag which worked good behind the tractor, see post #42 and 47 for what I ended up using to smooth the field.
I've been going out and picking up the big rocks in preparation for mowing. This field serves as a hunting ground for hawks, eagles, cranes, owls, and an occasional coyote. There is a abundance of moles and squirrels out there. Plan is to keep it mowed once or twice a year with the brush hog with the chain conversion. And hopefully avoid any more discing out there.

Indiana haymaker · Dec 21, 2023

scootr said:
What to drag behind a disc to flatten the ground?
I've been looking around and raking my brain on this.
I want to add something behind my 6x7 Towner disc to smooth the ground for future mowing of a feral field.

I used a couple of old rail road ties wrapped in a piece of chain link fence, worked great

Bluesky9 · Dec 21, 2023

For twenty years, I used a 11 foot tandem John Deere disc and pulled a 12 foot piece of 6 inch "I" beam behind it. I welded two chains to the beam and attached to the rear of the disc. It worked great to smooth as well as break up any large clods. When changing fields, I would pick up one end and place it on top of the disc; then the other end. Tractor was a Deutz 6806 (68 hp) .

MMC · Dec 21, 2023

Bluesky9 said:
For twenty years, I used a 11 foot tandem John Deere disc and pulled a 12 foot piece of 6 inch "I" beam behind it. I welded two chains to the beam and attached to the rear of the disc. It worked great to smooth as well as break up any large clods. When changing fields, I would pick up one end and place it on top of the disc; then the other end. Tractor was a Deutz 6806 (68 hp) .

All of these responses have merit, depending on the job and the money invested. I will say as an old guy that Kentucky tobacco ground in the past was prepared with a lot of different things being drug behind a (disc) harrow. Anything that's heavy and reasonably flat does the job. For many years we just used railroad ties in triples or fourples tied together with whatever was available. Sometimes with weight on top. Best (as mentioned) was an old set of steel steps cut down to drag size. Just put something out there that's flat and heavy. And put weight on top as needed (your choice).

Lena · Dec 21, 2023

scootr said:
What to drag behind a disc to flatten the ground?
I've been looking around and raking my brain on this.
I want to add something behind my 6x7 Towner disc to smooth the ground for future mowing of a feral field.

The man that farmed beside us years ago. Had 4 or 5 eight foot 4x4 he had drilled corner to corner. Ran steel rod through each end. It worked great and wasn’t too heavy. I have saw some drags made to heavy and they wound up collecting dirt on top which can only be cleaned by taking the tractor to the back of the drag and pulling it backwards which will cause the drag to upset and dump the dirt off. Time consuming for sure