Disc Harrow Adjustment

[gwdixon]

Thanks for posting the pics. I noticed the Frontier link shows the plow between the front and rear gangs and yours appears to be in front of the front gang. Any thoughts or comments as to one possibly being better than the other?

Mine was put there to allow the mount to seat against the adjustment bars on the front gang. The tremendous force of dragging through the soil is absorbed by the bars/frame and the sweep won't move around.

Perhaps the sweep located after the front gang and before the rear gang would more efficiently clean the center stripe in turns. Can't say for sure. The way mine is set up there is no problem in turns (knowing full well that tandem discs basically don't do well in turns).

 

[deere5105]

Got behind a farmer pulling a large tandem disc harrow last week and noticed his disc harrow had the plow point in the middle. After giving thought to having to make multiple passes due to the strip being left, I am leaning hard toward adding the plow point. I looked back through some bids I had received when looking at new disc harrows and came across one for a Frontier unit that included the center plow in the quote. Frontier refers to it as 5TL11476 and it was quoted as a $248 option. Since I would have to buy the pieces to cut and weld to build one I am considering finding one ready to install. Any ideas where something like this could be found besides the Frontier unit? Going to price check that unit again next week to see what all it comes with and if I can get the price down any.

 

[boggen]

might suggest the middle buster, or cultivator shank, or even a tooth for a box blade, modified sub soiler. be placed between front and rear gangs. so if you hit a rock and it bends , it does not take out a gang of discs and in that also any sort of bearings in the end one of the gangs.

i would imagine, you are looking for something that has higher grade strength of metal. that has more of a thicker metal. so when it is in the ground and you take a turn. it turns to vs getting bent and twisted.

what ever you do use, think about any sort of hard dirt or large rock it may hit, and the middle piece of metal bending downwards as the tractor keeps pulling along, causing disc to come up off the ground, as this middle piece of metal bends and twists or breaks off.

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what ever you are discing, do you fell like you need to make a second or third pass over the ground. to help break things up and flulff the dirt up some more and also get discs to cut in a little deeper on second or third pass?

are you looking at plowing and then discing and letting ground dry some, and then hit things one more time with a disc before planting?

are you looking to say disc the front yard. to help remove some ruts, or un-evenness within the yard. and then tossing some grass seed out. and using disc, to get grass seed under some dirt?

are you running something before hand like a plow? or tiller or something else? were middle strip really does not become an issue?

what about after pulling a disc, is the planter, or chain harrow or harrow, does it have anything to deal with middle strip and not a big deal?

 

[deere5105]

might suggest the middle buster, or cultivator shank, or even a tooth for a box blade, modified sub soiler. be placed between front and rear gangs. so if you hit a rock and it bends , it does not take out a gang of discs and in that also any sort of bearings in the end one of the gangs.

i would imagine, you are looking for something that has higher grade strength of metal. that has more of a thicker metal. so when it is in the ground and you take a turn. it turns to vs getting bent and twisted.

what ever you do use, think about any sort of hard dirt or large rock it may hit, and the middle piece of metal bending downwards as the tractor keeps pulling along, causing disc to come up off the ground, as this middle piece of metal bends and twists or breaks off.

============
what ever you are discing, do you fell like you need to make a second or third pass over the ground. to help break things up and flulff the dirt up some more and also get discs to cut in a little deeper on second or third pass?

are you looking at plowing and then discing and letting ground dry some, and then hit things one more time with a disc before planting?

are you looking to say disc the front yard. to help remove some ruts, or un-evenness within the yard. and then tossing some grass seed out. and using disc, to get grass seed under some dirt?

are you running something before hand like a plow? or tiller or something else? were middle strip really does not become an issue?

what about after pulling a disc, is the planter, or chain harrow or harrow, does it have anything to deal with middle strip and not a big deal?

On some occasions there will be a need for multiple passes and sometimes only one. Typical use is breaking up for food plots for hunting and small garden. Was giving thought to the issue of what if the added plow point catches a root or some other immovable object. This is very possible/likely due to working in the woods on occasion. Currently blades will roll over any roots or hidden stumps that aren't cut. The plow point however would seem by nature to snag and hang until the weakest link either gives or breaks. If strong enough, I guess it could damage the frame. If only plowing in open field may not be an issue, but not sure for my required uses.

 

[boggen]

perhaps doing something like a sub soiler. were if the portion down into the ground nails something, a shear pin will go, and sub soiler will come up out of the ground.

see attach diagram. for a swing away tooth or what not. located in the middle of the disc.

 

[deere5105]

After considering different options, I decided to try to move the gangs closer together. I had to break it down, cut a metal plate down and reassemble. Attached are before and after pictures. In retrospect, I wish I would have removed another 1/2" or so but was concerned I would take away too much metal. Gave it a trial run and seems to do much better. Still able to see a few places where grass still sticking up. I am a little hesitant to put something like a rigid plow foot down over concern if it contacts an immovable object something has to give. This year I will be breaking up four or five new plots that I have never plowed before. Plan to use as is through the fall and reevaluate if further modifications are needed.

 

[gwdixon]

Yeah, I tried to move the gangs closer like you have done.

Notice how the "cup" of the disc blades will force the axles toward each other - more so in heavy soil. The arms that suspend the gangs from the frame are liable to flex under a heavy load.

Anyway, the two close gangs would come in contact and stop rotating. Doesn't seem like they would...but it does happen.

Plus, the contact or the side forces (or both) ended up destroying a bearing on one of the gangs that had to be replaced.

 

[deere5105]

Yeah, I tried to move the gangs closer like you have done.

Notice how the "cup" of the disc blades will force the axles toward each other - more so in heavy soil. The arms that suspend the gangs from the frame are liable to flex under a heavy load.

Anyway, the two close gangs would come in contact and stop rotating. Doesn't seem like they would...but it does happen.

Plus, the contact or the side forces (or both) ended up destroying a bearing on one of the gangs that had to be replaced.

I don't believe they will touch the way they are now. On a PICO disc we have I have seen them get together and could see and hear them rubbing, but there didn't seem to be any issues.

Out of curiosity, have you ever contacted an immovable object with the plow point you installed and if so what was the result?

 

[jenkinsph]

deere5105,
If you are concerned about the middle buster point hanging up you could set it up with a shearbolt on the front mounting. This would allow the plow point to fold backwards before it damaged the shank or disk frame.

 

[gwdixon]

Never have hit anything immovable. The point extends far enough beneath the shank that my guess would be that the plow bolts that hold the point on would fail and the point would come off. The shank is above ground level so anything contacting the shank should readily be seen first. Really not willing to experiment.

The other possibility is that something immovable would be fairly large and the point / disc would ride up over it.