Disc clogging...but only one or two sections.

BufordBoone · Apr 29, 2016

My Disc has one spot that clogs up, very badly. The spot next to it clogs sometimes. The rest of the disc has no issues. The problem doesn't occur if the ground is very dry.

Anyone have any idea why just one area would clog up? If it was a moisture content problem, I'd think the entire disc would have the issue. I'm also puzzled why it is the same area all the time.

Thanks, in advance.

fidowanttobe · Apr 29, 2016

I can't see in your pic if you have scrapers on it. My disc has a scraper on every disc. In the old days when we lost one during planting, we would loop a chain through it but it needs to be bolted to the frame otherwise the chain spins and raises ****.

gwdixon · Apr 29, 2016

Isn't that a complete PIA!!!! It turns the disc into a tire! And then there is the fun of getting the mess off with a digging bar.

Mine used to do the same thing. Of course, the mount that holds the bearings cleaned those sections off.

Sooooo...I took some old lawn mower blades, fabbed a mount, and added scrapers like fidowanttobe describes.

Maybe I can get a photo and post it later.

EDIT: OK, photo below of what was cobbed together to keep the blades clear. Note that it was not necessary in the space with the bearing hanger.

oldnslo · Apr 29, 2016

Is the area that plugs located directly behind the tractor wheels? If yes this ground is potentially compacted a little tighter than the other areas which could cause it to stick together more.

bcp · Apr 29, 2016

Any chance one blade is a replacement with a slightly different curvature? That might make the edges a little closer together than near the hub.

Bruce

Fossil Farm · Apr 29, 2016

Is the section that clogs have a zerk in it or wider for the shaft joint? The ground seems to have a lot of grass on top. Has it been plowed or chiseled first?

crankshaft21 · Apr 29, 2016

Its caused by a little to much moisture in the ground. My disc did the same, one on each gang on the front and one on the rear gang. The only way to solve this, is to add scrapers to the ones that clog up. That is what I did, no more clogging.

joefromga · Apr 29, 2016

Has anyone tried spraying cooking spray on it? If it is causing you a lot of trouble that may save some time.

What would be nice is if you could get a nonstick coating on the discs. Like frying pan stuff. Slide right through.

930ck · Apr 29, 2016

Have used an old roller chain loosely looped around the frame and spool as mentioned above for years on my disk. Mine is an offset disk and it always built up between 2 taper blades especially in wet ground

gwdixon · Apr 29, 2016

joefromga said:
Has anyone tried spraying cooking spray on it? If it is causing you a lot of trouble that may save some time.

What would be nice is if you could get a nonstick coating on the discs. Like frying pan stuff. Slide right through.

Tractor Supply sells a graphite-based paint in a can or spray. I tried it on the bottom of a rotary cutter, on my backhoe bucket, and on plow shares. Lasted about 10 minutes with all the abrasion involved.

Also, common practice is to spray diesel fuel on the surface of a backhoe bucket in muddy ground to keep the soil from sticking and clogging the bucket. It lasts about 5 minutes.

If somebody could find something that worked great, they would make a fortune.

joefromga · Apr 29, 2016

Polished chrome discs?

BufordBoone · Apr 29, 2016

Some really good ideas. That's why I love this place.

It is not directly behind the tires but that was a good thought.

I understand that the ground is likely too moist but that wouldn't explain why it only happens on one or two places of the disc. If moisture was the issue, wouldn't the whole disc fill up?

I think I'll try to make some sort of scraper.

gwdixon · Apr 30, 2016

BufordBoone said:
Some really good ideas. That's why I love this place.

It is not directly behind the tires but that was a good thought.

I understand that the ground is likely too moist but that wouldn't explain why it only happens on one or two places of the disc. If moisture was the issue, wouldn't the whole disc fill up?

I think I'll try to make some sort of scraper.

Although it is logical to think that all the spaces on the disc would fill up, in practice that doesn't happen. At most, a couple might get clogged at the same time. Plus, only my front gangs on a tandem disc are ever liable to turn into a tire.

My thought is that, once one of the spaces clogs, the "tire effect" raises the whole gang off the ground so no more spaces are engaged to be subject to clogging. As the gang rolls along the tire, any dirt/mud in the other spaces falls off.

As others have pointed out, the clogging happens when the ground is really too wet to disc...or you run through a wet patch. Plus, clay soil contributes to the problem since it packs so easily. Chipping that stuff out is misery.

If you weld, scrapers are fairly easy to make. Since my rear gangs never clog, I only needed to make scrapers for the front. Never tried the chain idea mentioned in previous posts.

whis · Apr 30, 2016

chain will work fine

BufordBoone · May 1, 2016

GWDixon, I think you are spot on, again. My rear gangs never clog. Chipping the mess out is a total pain. Let it sit for a week and it can be like concrete. I did that once and had to resort to the pressure washer and 0 degree nozzle. At 3K + psi and 4 GPM it took a surprising amount of time to carve the mess out.
The widow of a close friend just gave me his MIG welder. I've always wanted to learn to weld. Perhaps I'll try this as one of my first projects.

Until then, if anyone has a photo of the chain setup, I'd appreciate seeing it. I think it could be a quick fix.

gwdixon · May 1, 2016

The only issue I see with the chain idea is the possibility that it could get hung up in the slotted disc pans and cause havoc. The chain would seem to need to be secured.

If the chain ends were welded, or attached somehow, to the frame in the middle of the space and then under the axle without a whole lot of sag, it should work.

Just thinking aloud.

Scrapers do the job for sure.

As far as welders go, a 220V stick welder is perfect for farm use and use on heavy machinery. I have a couple of Everlast welders and a plasma cutter from them as well. A couple of the old Lincoln "tombstone" welders are in the barn as backups.

With a stick welder there is no worry with MIG gas or the other issues that plague MIG welding. (gun problems, wire feed, type of gas, etc.) But since you have a free MIG welder, it is a good start.

BufordBoone · May 1, 2016

I'm thinking a loop of chain over the frame, under the axle, in the middle of the space. Bolt the chain together both above and below the frame, That should prevent it from slipping.

I'd enjoy seeing a photo of any setup anyone has.

Thanks, agian.

whis · May 1, 2016

that will work for the chain, did it 40 years ago

breadtrk · Apr 13, 2017

Old thread but I'm going to add chains, thanks for the ideas.

For getting the "tire" removed, I've been going out to the road, building up some speed and lightly dropping the disc. The mud flies right off, turn around and scrape it to the shoulder with the FEL.