Disc Harrow Adjustment

[deere5105]

After thinking on it further, wouldn't it stand to reason that if I mounted one behind the front gangs and set it to the same depth as the gangs, that if I encountered a root or stump it would roll over it like the disc blade? If out front it might strike a hidden/unseen object first, but between the gangs should give warning or lift the disc harrow. May just give it an extensive trial run as is to see if it is a legitimate problem.

 

[gwdixon]

If you can fit one there then that makes perfect sense. Good luck...those undisced grass lines up the middle will be a thing of the past.

 

[deere5105]

Decided to make another few trial runs this weekend. The food plots were still in tall grass. I figured after recent rains the grass would lay down and cut under easily. The grass laid down easy enough, but quickly became wrapped around the axles VERY tightly. It even managed to get hung up behind the two front middle blades. Spent hours cutting it out with a razor knife. Chalked it up to wet clay sticking and adding to the problem. Proceeded to try a second time the next day in drier soil with the same end results. Another couple hours later and I don't believe I will try turning under the tall grass again. I believe mowing it first would have helped or avoided the wrapping problem. Any thoughts on







adjustment to help this? If front middle blades brought in further, close enough to touch, would that eliminate the grass hanging up between them?

 

[jenkinsph]

Mowing sure couldn't hurt and I would let the stems dry out first before I tackled it again.I doubt the blade spacing would have any effect on wrapping since the blades are all turning the same direction.

 

[gwdixon]

Yeah, discing tall grass is a recipe for failure unless you have a LARGE ag tractor and a very, very heavy disc. Some of the big ag farmers around here go through their fields with a CAT and a multi-pronged huge subsoiler first.

One year I tried going over the grassy field with a box scraper with the rippers down to try to emulate what the big boys do. That lasted about 50 yards before it looked like several hay bales were being dragged. The rippers were lifted and were just skidding along the ground.

Mowing first is the only thing that makes discing work well around here. Even then, letting the grass dry out a bit for a week or two seems to improve the disc's penetration.

Ideally, if you have a fairly small area, is to mow to 3" to 4" when the grass is a foot tall and keep it down by re-mowing until it is time to disc. It is more expensive in fuel but the process keeps the blood pressure low.

 

[boggen]

i didn't re-read back through thread. but for tall grass, if you can run a bottom plow or like through the dirt first. it really helps to turn over the "sod" and allows the disc to cut the sod into clumps. much easier and quicker. you might try drop scraficers down (teeth) on a box blade. to cut through the sod as well before running disc through.

you might try adding extra weight to disc. so the individual discs have a better chance to cut down into the sod.

you might try adjust discs, so they are parallel with wheels of tractor vs at an angle. and make a pass or 2. with added weight. so the discs actually cut down into to sod vs trying to grab and turn the sod over. then re-adjust disc back at an angle. to turn the dirt / crumble the dirt.

if you have ever dealt with "sod" rolls for putting in a new yard. to just using a spade and flat end shovel to remove some sod that was a couple inches cut thick. sod gets pretty packed together with roots from the grass. and it can take a good amount to cut through it all. to a point were a disc can start turning things over. vs just scratching the surface.

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as far as tall grass/weeds, a disc is just acting like a tiller would. and wrapping the stuff around everything.

mow it down, remove any grass clippings, and let it dry out the grass itself. and you may still yet get clumps of stuff hanging up on the disc. more so clods of "sod" that get stubborn and hang up. until ya make a couple passes to get the "clumps" cut up.

if i had a garden year before, and there is no sod / grass. generally disc just sinks in and just crumbles the dirt up fairly easily.

 

[deere5105]

All good suggestions. Typically I try to mow a week or two before discing. Thought maybe I had "super disc" and could just turn it under easily. That thought has passed! What would scrapers do in this situation? Would they be able to help keep the grass from wrapping or just bend them due to the pressure applied. I realize their intent but was curious. Still considering the plow foot, but can't imagine it would have helped in this environment.

 

[gwdixon]

Disc scrapers are designed to peel off the clay or mud from the disc blades so you aren't running on a built-up "mud tire" and getting no penetration. One of my pull-offset discs has them and that disc is used in wet conditions.

I doubt the disc scrapers would help with the grass build-up. More likely the grass would clog the narrow space between the scrapers and the blade with the result being the blade being "frozen" and not turning.

Couldn't tell from the photos whether or not the grass on your disc was there because of the underlying mud/clay or whether it was wrapped around after breaking off. Probably a little of both. If there was a lot of soil involved then scrapers might have a positive effect.

A plow foot would not have helped at all in the situation. It may have made it worse by building up grass in front of it and gathering a hay bale like I described in an earlier post.

Best bet is to keep the area mowed as you usually do.

 

[ENG18LT]

I have a couple food plots on my property and this is what I do: first year mowed short with brush hog, sprayed round up like stuff from Tractor Supply, wait week, turn over with two bottom plow (with coulters), disk, let dry some, disk again, lime, fertilize, seed, hang game cameras. This seems to work well and keeps the weeds from building up on my disk. I need to figure out how to add scrapers though.

 

[LeadPoison]

You definitely need to bush hog and let the grass dry out. Even after that the blades and gangs would get the same way. I welded some angle iron to the tubes which extended almost down the axles. This kept it cleaned out. You don't need to weld angle where the hangers are. They do the same thing.