Wingfield ED3PT57 (TPH/Framed/Lift) --- CHAIN HARROW ---

[jeff9366]

Wingfield is a producer of tractor implements specializing in Chain Harrows.

I have Wingfield's model ED3PT57 "Econodrag" framed Chain Harrow. ED3PT57 is 67" operating width. Outside to outside width of my R4/industrial tires is 62". Width is just right for my use, which is trail grooming and following my Disc Harrow in food plots and small fields, no field individually larger than three acres.

Econodrag 'kit' arrived as rolled harrow mat and a cardboard box via UPS. UPS delivery is an advantage in rural area where I live, as UPS leaves parcels on my porch. No waiting half a day for delivery by a common carrier.

I was short one of two bags of fittings, which arrived four days after I called Wingfield, with an apology. The assembly directions I was supplied were for an earlier iteration with some non-current parts pictured, confusing assembly. The partially assembled harrow was in my driveway for almost two weeks before I got it together correctly. The sub-assemblies are HEAVY. Many are max one person can position to align brackets and bolts. Once you begin assembly you will not move the harrow until it is mounted on your tractor. Approximate assembled weight is 300 awkward pounds. Wingfield should supply up-to-date assembly directions.

Bolt heads require either 11/16" or 3/4" tools. Seems like one size or the other could be standard throughout, ending swaps between two 1/16" difference wrench and socket sizes.

The assembled Chain Harrow mounts to the Three Point Hitch easily when new. I use Chain Harrow mostly in its most aggressive mat orientation and I know it is behind the tractor. I use harrow occasionally in the one increment less aggressive mat position. In both mat orientations harrow skips over tree roots barely below soil surface. In both mat orientations harrow slips over tree stumps without 'catching'.

Wingfield lift Chain Harrow reliably drops 'trash' accumulated in mat, when harrow is raised and tractor moved a short distance in reverse. Self cleaning is perhaps the major advantage of framed Chain Harrows over unframed, mat Chain Harrows pulled from the tractor drawbar.

I sometimes forget to raise and pin the three parking stands after mounting, however I still have all three stands. The chain mat height adjustments works well, although I replaced long clips provided by Winfield with short clevis pins with small hair clips, less likely to flip off. I mailed Winfield short clevis pins I believe superior.

The quality and weight of materials is good. Nothing has broken since November 2019.

An excellent implement deserving detail refinements.


Today prepared 1/2 acre lot for winter cover crop: Florida 401 Black Rye. Applied 50 pounds Split Pea Sulfur to lower soil pH over several years and 50 pounds 43-0-0, both per soil test. I dispensed amendments casting with an aluminum scoop. Chain Harrow was used to scratch in and disburse dry amendments. After rain I will sow 100 pounds of Black Rye seed, then roll in small seed with my Cultipacker. After another year or two of green manures, I will sow Argentine Bahia for low maintenance turf. Lot is a mini-arboretum.

HANCOCK SEED FLORIDA BLACK RYE: FL 41 Grain Rye Seed hancockseed.com

WINGFIELD WEB SITE: 3pt EconoDrag Chain Harrow | American Harrow

Wingfield exhibits at the October Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia.


PHOTO #1 ED3PT57 at work. Top Link 50% extended.

Optimal smoothing adjustment has row of tines nearest the tractor in light soil contact, succeeding rows of tines proceeding to the rear in heavier soil contact.


PHOTO #2 + #3 ED3PT57 travel position. No tine in ground contact. Top Link completely screwed in.

PHOTO #4 Over long factory clip pin and replacement short clevis pin.



T-B-N ARCHIVE: Wingfield chain harrow site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search

 

[jeff9366]

Wingfield Framed/Lift Chain Harrow Adjustment
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CREDIT: - pmbutter - March 18, 2019

"There is a lot of contradictory information about which hole to use for the tractor end of the top link.

The top hole gives the least elevation change of the tail wheel, but better maintains parallelism with the ground.

An earth turning plow ought to be in one of the upper holes, so it remains at a proper working angle, regardless of its depth.


The bottom hole provides the greatest elevation change of the "tail wheel" of my "implement", but it also the greatest angular change relative to the plane of the ground.

The bottom hole is best for something like a landscape rake where you might want to lift it up and out of the way, perhaps with a little more angle so trash drops off the tines."

The bottom hole is the position of choice for a Subsoiler, an implement which often has issues with penetrating sufficiently deep and, when raised, having enough clearance to clear the dirt completely.

RELEVENT VIDEO:

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From continued reading I speculate that a Landscape Rake might provide a similar usefulness and take up less space. Have never used either so have no idea which would be better for my use. I have the land decently level with the box blade, but don't know which of these two tools are optimal for final leveling before the grass seed is put down.

You will probably prefer the Chain Harrow, which is flexible and the mat suspended, therefore mat follows the contour of the land closely, even as the TPH moves up and down. Due to mat design Chain Harrows do not dig in nor hang up on stumps or roots in the soil.

A rigid Landscape Rake moves up and down with the oscillation of the Three Point Hitch as the tractor wheels encounter uneven ground individually. Even with gauge wheels this is a problem. The Landscape Rake is more for grading when you want to move dirt or gravel to fill low spots, though move less dirt than a Box Blade. ( A heavy Landscape Rake is functionally 1/3 of the way to a rear/angle blade.)

If your dirt contains a lot of 2" to 4" surface rocks, which a Landscape Rake will windrow for removal, it would influence my recommendation an increment toward the rake over the harrow.

I owned an excellent ETA Landscape Rake with gauge wheels but sold it because I used it infrequently in my woodlands trail maintenance. I use the Chain Harrow regularly.

I have not priced ETA Landscape Rakes with gauge wheels in the last two years but I speculate they are twice as expensive as a framed/lift Chain Harrow. Light, cheap Landscape Rakes are practically useless.

You have not revealed how much space you want to smooth. Have you considered hiring four High Schoolers to power four bow rakes under close supervision?

 

[jeff9366]

My Wingfield Chain Harrow has three short stands for supporting the frame when the harrow is stored, two in the front, one in the rear. The stands are painted black, like the rest of the harrow. I have overlooked raising the stands repeatedly after attaching the harrow to the Three Point Hitch. As a result the stands are distorted and difficult to raise and lower. I have to tap the stands up and down with a nylon mallet.

WINGFIELD SHOULD PAINT THE STORAGE STANDS BRIGHT ORANGE OR BRIGHT YELLOW.

 

[pokey1416]

They are painted red now Jeff. I’ve had a problem with the rear stand getting pinched by the mat bar so I have to reverse it when using the harrow. I’m with you I really like the quality. I use the most aggressive when going over mulch and flipped it other way over gravel parking lots. I’m thinking that a short piece of full width chain hanging at back end might be beneficial for a more smoothed out look. I did find that you can just lower it all the way or you’ll have drag marks from the bar ends - having just the mat in contact with ground eliminated that. Probably something you already knew.

 

[jeff9366]

Thank you for the exceptionally clear photo.

The red painted components are an improvement.

Attachment of the TPH tower to the frame with U-bolts is another improvement.

"The assembly directions I was supplied were for an earlier iteration with some non-current parts pictured, confusing assembly."

Did your assembly directions match the components actually shipped?

 

[pokey1416]

I don’t know as Chris Wingfield delivered it assembled on his way to pick up chains in Holland MI. He showed me how to swap stuff around and said attach the mat at 3 links in the front and 4 links at the rear. He left instructions but I haven’t read them.

 

[jeff9366]

So would a reasonable course of action be to clear the ground of large debris using a grapple, use something like a box blade or this TR3 Rake - ABI Attachments to smooth the ground and then broadcast seed between the stumps?

(Tractor - Kubota MX5400 with bucket.)

2/28/2022​

I believe one of the two following implements will better meet your requirements:

A HEAVY, Three Point Hitch mounted (Category 2) Chain Harrow, like these 8' or 10', 785+ pound models from Wingfield, should be considered. Chain Harrows will not "hang up" on stumps or roots. You will need all 785 pounds of Harrow weight to move enough dirt in your application.

I have one of Wingfield's lighter model Three Point Hitch mounted (Category 1) Chain Harrows.

3pt Heavy-Duty Chain Harrow | American Harrow

The Wingfield 3 Point Heavy-Duty tractor harrow is designed to grow along with your needs. You start with a center frame, then add hydraulic wings, and finally transform to a pull cart. The heavy-duty three point pasture drag is an ideal unit to break up manure, thatch, aerate, and seed a pasture.

www.americanharrow.com

Also consider a Yorkmodern Rake, model "RI-HEAVY".
The Model RI is available in two versions, Landscape or Heavy. The Landscape version uses 1" rake teeth and 1" spacing for a finer finish. The Heavy uses 1-1/4" rake teeth and 1-1/2" spacing for a coarser finish. These units combine many versatile features and adds the convenience of a Hydraulic Angle Option and a permanently mounted drop-down blade option. The Landscape and Heavy RI models are available in 6', 7', 8', 9' and 10' widths. The Model RI is now also Quick Hitch Compatible.

LINK TO SPECIFICATIONS:

https://www.yorkmodern.com/downloads/RI%20LandscapeHeavy.pdf