Turf tires and disc harrow

[hoffmtc]

After purchasing property last fall, I've been watching for used tractors every day. I wasn't desperate to buy one until summer, but recently could not pass up a nice deal on a Kubota L4310 HST with front end loader and box blade, low hours . The only thing wasn't crazy about is that it has turf tires instead of R4's. Upside is that the tires are fluid filled.

That is a 43hp tractor, and I'm wondering about pulling a disc harrow to turn some alfalfa field area into deer food plot. I was considering a 5.5' box frame 16 disc 18" from Everything Attachments. Soil I have is on the sandy side. No clay.

Think the L4310 will pull that ok with turf tires? Or should I look smaller?

 

[jeff9366]

A Disc Harrow with 18" diameter pans will be nearly useless for cutting/mixing virgin land.

If your L4310 (3,200 pounds, bare tractor weight) is 4-WD, with loaded rear tires you will be able to pull a Disc Harrow with 20" diameter pans no problem.

As Disc with 20" pans, spaced 9" apart will cut/mix virgin soil better than a Disc with 20" pans spaced 7" apart.

I like the gang angle screw adjustment on EA's Disc Harrows.


A Disc requires minimal 50 pounds of weight bearing on each pan in order to cut/mix virgin land with two to three passes sufficient for food plots.


DEL Cutting Width No. of Blades Blade Diameter Weight
ETA-XD-LG-BF-DH-20-18 82" 20 18" 1,038 lbs.
ETA-XD-LG-BF-DH-20-20 82" 20 20" 1,150 lbs.
ETA-XD-LG-BF-DH-20-22 82" 20 22" 1,239 lbs.
ETA-XD-LG-BF-DH-24-18 98" 24 18" 1,137 lbs.
ETA-XD-LG-BF-DH-24-20 98" 24 20" 1,249 lbs.
ETA-XD-LG-BF-DH-24-22 98" 24 22" 1,338 lbs.

 

[hoffmtc]

Thanks for the info, yes, my L4310 is 4WD. I wasn't sure about 18" or 20" pans, I've not used a disc before. Used lots of other tractor tools, but never disc'd a field so I have no experience with them. I was picking 18" because it was 'middle of the road' in their range.

Why would someone choose the 18" vs the 20"? Soil type? Previously worked fields?

I was wrong on the width I mentioned, I see EA has the 68" width (I though it was 66"), with the 20" discs is 751 pounds. I'm hoping this might be a good match for my tractor even though it has turf tires. Is there a big difference pulling 18" vs 20"?

 

[jeff9366]

Disc Harrows with 16" and 18" pans are for gardens with minimal crop residue, mixed spring and fall each year.

Divide the total Disc Harrow weight by the number of pans. A Disc requires minimal 50 pounds of weight bearing on each pan in order to cut/mix virgin land with two to three passes sufficient for food plots. Eighteen inch pans have about 37 pounds weight bearing.


Also consider a 66" Fred Cain Ca7 Field Cultivator, a conservation plow.
Fred Cain 7 Shank Field Cultivator with 66in bar


I have both implements in other brands.

 

[oldnslo]

In sandy soil the disc may cut more than you realize. I have black loamy - clay soil and with my little BX chewed up sod in 3 or 4 passes with and old beat up 54 inch Ford 220 disc The were originally 20 inch pans but are wore down closer to 18 now.

Suspect the turf tires will pull just as well as R4's so your 43 HP should have no problem pulling 5. 5 ft

 

[hoffmtc]

I have one area which is few acres of last year's picked cornfield, so it is stalk stubble remaining this spring. The other areas are alfalfa field that has been there several years.

I'd like to rip/disc up both areas (about 5 acres total) for new planting.

 

[jeff9366]

I'd like to rip/disc up both areas (about 5 acres total) for new planting.

New planting of ~~~~ what?

To cut crop stubble in you will probably want 20" pans, spaced 9" apart for penetration.

Seven inch disc-pan spacing is more for smoothing plow furrows.

Monroe Tufline and Dirt Dog offer 9" pans spacing on the front, cutting gangs and 7-1/2" spacing on the rear, smoothing gangs.

A Disc Harrow with 20" diameter pans will penetrate and mix MOIST soil to a depth of 7" with several passes.
A Field Cultivator will penetrate MOIST soil to a depth of 12", but not mix soil.

T-B-N ARCHIVE: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...disc-harrow-selection-compact.html?highlight=

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

 

[hoffmtc]

Planting some sort of clover deer mix in one area, the other area will be warm season grasses.
After buying the tractor with box blade, I have found a nice shape used Woods brush hog. My budget for the remaining year is for one other ground working implement, which is why I'm thinking disc harrow.
thanks for the info!

 

[Egon]

Make sure you get a heavy duty narrow disc so you can put weight on and use the angle adjustment to maximum. Don’t worry about the turf tires.

 

[jeff9366]

In sandy soil the disc may cut more than you realize. I have black loamy - clay soil and with my little BX chewed up sod in 3 or 4 passes with and old beat up 54 inch Ford 220 disc The were originally 20 inch pans but are wore down closer to 18 now.

The thin circumference of the pans has worn away. The middle of the pans, where weight is concentrated, remains.

 

[hoffmtc]

EA's disc spacing is 7.5" on all their disc harrows, as are LandPride in this size.
I do like their construction from what I can see in pics and videos, and owner reviews seem quite good.

Is there a recommended well-built disc manufacturer for this size tractor with wider 9" spacing?

 

[jeff9366]

Is there a recommended well-built disc manufacturer for this size tractor with wider 9" spacing?

Monroe Tufline: Tufline | Well Built, Performance Driven Implements

Dirt Dog: Dirt Dog Manufacturing >> Disc Harrows and Tillage Equipment

Woods: Landscape Equipment


Tufline and Dirt Dog make Disc models with 9" spacing on the front gangs and 7-1/2" spacing on the rear gangs, as well as models with 9" spacing front and rear.

 

[hoffmtc]

Thanks I had looked at Tufline, but not Dirt dog. Nearest Tufline dealer is 3.5 hours away unfortunately.
Dirt Dog does have a dealer not all too far away from me.
I see on some of these to get into the 9" spacing with 20" discs, you have to size up to 72" or over.
Would that be pushing it for my 43hp tractor with turf tires?
http://www.dirtdogmfg.com/UserFiles/Image/200-series-specs.JPG

 

[jeff9366]

Have you measured the outside-to-outside width of your rear turf tires with a tape measure?

I speculate that measurement is about 70". You want a Disc to cover your rear tire tracks.

On some of these to get into the 9" spacing with 20" discs, you have to size up to 72" or over.
Would that be pushing it for my 43hp tractor with turf tires?
http://www.dirtdogmfg.com/UserFiles/Image/200-series-specs.JPG

As you decrease aggressiveness of gang angle adjustment, draft force resistance decreases as well. So a minor operating width change will not stall out your tractor/Disc Harrow combination.




If you enter your LOCATION into your T-B-N PROFILE it will make answering some questions easier.

 

[jeff9366]

EA's disc spacing is 7.5" on all their disc harrows, as are LandPride in this size.
I do like their construction from what I can see in pics and videos, and owner reviews seem quite good.

Half my implements are EA brand. The EA Disc Harrows are an evolution with improvements of the well proven, now defunct, Leinbach brand. I like easily adjustable Disc Harrows. Many respondents here never adjust their Disc Harrows; a shame.

If buying another brand for 9" pan spacing is considerable trouble, go with EA. Their customer service and delivery agents have always been good.

We are working dirt. Even I can outsmart dirt.

When soil has a lot of 3" to 5" stones the difference between a 7" and 9" "gate" can make a difference in dirt flow. We work sand.

 

[3gunr]

ha ve you considered a tiller instead of disks? I do the same things you are talking about on my hunting property and i have disks and tillers. I have found the tiller to be much easier to get a good seedbed for food plots the disks have there place but as others have said. they need to be heavy. Whatever you get it is important to kill and mow any grass and weedsdown as low as possible before you try either implement. I have turf tires on one tractor and they work fine as long as its not muddy.