Disc Harrow How big of a disk can I use?

[Stonewall Cardinal]

I have a 55 horse JD 5055 4WD. I am looking to disc a field and wondering how wide of a disc I can pull with this tractor. The field has very loose sandy soil. TIA

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I have a 55 horse JD 5055 4WD. I am looking to disc a field and wondering how wide of a disc I can pull with this tractor. The field has very loose sandy soil. TIA

A lot of variables play into your question, but I would say with fwd your tractor should be able to pull a 10' disc with anywhere from 18-22" disc pans, weight will help you, so hopefully your rear tires are loaded, you probably could pull a 12" disc but it's better to ere on the lesser side than to keep your tractor in a strain the whole time you are harrowing, also all disc aren't equal, some are lightweight and other brands heavy, stay away from the lightweight ones as you would be just as well off scratching the dirt with your finger nails.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Use to pull an 8' disc with a John Deere 70, it was around 50 horsepower but weighed in the 7,000 lb range. In sandy soil it was hardly any work on the tractors part at 8' of width.
So I would say a 9 to 10 foot disc would not be a problem in sandy soil.

 

[jeff9366]

What do you wish to accomplish with your proposed Disk Harrow?

Is your tractor 2-WD or 4-WD?

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

We use a 14' easily with a tractor size like yours. Only problem was making wider gates.

 

[MF243RedTop]

I pull a 8ft with a 52 hp 2wd... I see no problem with you going with a 10-12 ft disc.

 

[jeff9366]

Can My Tractor Pull XXX Tandem Disk Harrow??​

Tractor factors in declining importance:

1. Tractor weight ((traction))

2: 2-WD or 4-WD tractor power transfer to ground ((traction))

3. Tractor tires in relation to vegetation and soil ((traction))

tire tread​

tires inflated with air or filled with liquid​

4. Tractor horsepower



Objectives for Disk Harrow use:

Smoothing a field previously plowed with a moldboard plow or a disc plow.
This is the traditional use for Disk Harrows, since horse and mule motive power.
Penetration less important than smoothing and disk width.
Less draft force resistance than other Disk Harrow applications.
This function is SECONDARY TILLAGE.

Maintenance tillage of previously "broken" ground.
Gardens, fire breaks, fence margins, annually planted game food plots, reducing ruts and hillocks in established fields.
This function is SECONDARY TILLAGE.


Tilling virgin/unbroken/unplowed ground and hoofed animal grazed pasture.
This function is PRIMARY TILLAGE.
A Tandem Disk Harrow is not very good at PRIMARY TILLAGE.
A specialized ((one trick pony)) "Offset Disk" is designed for PRIMARY TILLAGE.


Implement Issues:

Total Disk Harrow weight bearing on each pan.
Adjustment of gang angles, aggressive for penetration, relatively 'flat' for smoothing.

(( Ease of adjustment varies from Disk Harrow model to model a great deal. ))​

​

Pan structure, scalloped for compact category tractor use, smooth/round for utility category tractor use.

 

[Stonewall Cardinal]

What do you wish to accomplish with your proposed Disk Harrow?

Is your tractor 2-WD or 4-WD?

4

 

[jeff9366]

4

What do you wish to accomplish?

Smoothing a field previously plowed with a moldboard plow or a disc plow.
This is the traditional use for Disk Harrows, since horse and mule motive power.
Penetration less important than smoothing and disk width.
Less draft force resistance than other Disk Harrow applications.
This function is SECONDARY TILLAGE.

Maintenance tillage of previously "broken" ground.
Gardens, fire breaks, fence margins, annually planted game food plots, reducing ruts and hillocks in established fields.
This function is SECONDARY TILLAGE.


Tilling virgin/unbroken/unplowed ground and hoofed animal grazed pasture.
This function is PRIMARY TILLAGE.
A Tandem Disk Harrow is not very good at PRIMARY TILLAGE.
A specialized ((one trick pony)) "Offset Disk" is designed for PRIMARY TILLAGE.