My disc harrow needs to gain some weight

[def38]

I have a disc harrow with two rows of gangs, 6 ft long. The implement weighs about 500 lbs, not near enough to provide adequate bite when tilling up my clover cover crop and preparing the ground for Bermuda seed. There are plenty of downed trees here in Alabama due to recent rain and storms. I plan to make a bracket system at the rear of the disc onto which I can load 6-7 foot of tree trunk to provide more weight and improve the cutting action of the disc.

I plan to use steel angle stock left over from shipment of Chinese implements. Any thoughts as to a design for the bracketing to hold the logs on the disc?
Is there a way to tell if the angle stock is hot roll or cold roll or will the welder know from experience?
Does it even matter?

 

[3gunr]

just lay the log up on the top flat part of the disk and use a couple ratchet straps to hold it down.

 

[Oldoak]

Is there a way to tell if the angle stock is hot roll or cold roll or will the welder know from experience?
Does it even matter?

It doesn't matter. Although, depending upon the rod your welder will be using, the scale on hot rolled metal may have to be cleaned of in the area of the welds before welding. A little touch with a 4-1/2" grinder does the job. An experienced welder will know from looking at it what if any prep work needs to be done.

 

[jeff9366]

Maybe.

The front gang on a correctly adjusted Tandem Disc Harrow does the cutting.

The rear gang smoothes.

Your picture shows both front and rear gangs have three gang-angle pin adjustments, with the front gang set in the middle adjustment. Before you weight the implement, which adds a lot of stress, adjust the front gang to the rear pin hole which will make the front gang cut more aggressively. Draft force resistance will increase in proportion.

If your shorten Three Point Hitch 'Top Link' more weight will bear on the forward, cutting gang. Caution: It is possible to strip Top Link threads.
PHOTO.

These two adjustments should improve cutting/penetration.



Assuming your Disc Harrow weighs 500 pounds, you have 31 pounds bearing on each of 16 pans. It takes a minimum of 40 pounds, better 45 pounds, of weight bearing on each pan to mix soil with only two or three passes over MOIST land. So target weight increase at 200 to 220 pounds, in increments, not all at once. (Augmented DH weight of 700 to 720 pounds, if DH and Top Link will maintain integrity.)

I plan to make a bracket system at the rear of the disc onto which I can load 6-7 foot of tree trunk to provide more weight and improve the cutting action of the disc.

If you add weight, bias weight to the front gang.
Caution: It is possible to strip Top Link threads.

Observe the pans. No matter how you weight the implement you cannot cut deeper than the lowest part of pan hub, through which the axle passes.

The hitch on your implement does not appear too robust. Add weight in reasonable increments.

Moist ground will mix much easier than dry ground.

Good luck.


DISC HARROW ADJUSTMENT:https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...ing-three-point-hitch-mounted.html?highlight=

just lay the log up on the top flat part of the disk and use a couple ratchet straps to hold it down.

Brilliant!

 

[def38]

just lay the log up on the top flat part of the disk and use a couple ratchet straps to hold it down.

That's much to easy...I tend to be a bit ****. Also, the bracket(s) need to stand up off the four cornered frame so as to provide clearance to allow for the angle adjustment of the gangs.

 

[RoyKing]

Too much work use pt wood build frame that just lays on top and put two 55 gallons drums on the their side with some wedges to hold in place and fill with water till they cut for you, grease the heck out of those slip bearings before each use.

 

[def38]

Too much work use pt wood build frame that just lays on top and put two 55 gallons drums on the their side with some wedges to hold in place and fill with water till they cut for you, grease the heck out of those slip bearings before each use.

Roy, I thought of just that setup however two 55 gallon water filled drums would weigh about 900 lbs., too much for the mediocre construction of my disc IMO. Also, my disc bearings are sealed, lubed for life.

 

[RoyKing]

You don't have to fill them up, adjust till the disc cut, I run about half full.

 

[def38]

Maybe.

The front gang on a correctly adjusted Tandem Disc Harrow does the cutting.

The rear gang smoothes.

Your picture shows both front and rear gangs have three gang-angle pin adjustments, with the front gang set in the middle adjustment. Before you weight the implement, which adds a lot of stress, adjust the front gang to the rear pin hole which will make the front gang cut more aggressively. Draft force resistance will increase in proportion.

If your shorten Three Point Hitch 'Top Link' more weight will bear on the forward, cutting gang. Caution: It is possible to strip Top Link threads.
PHOTO.

These two adjustments should improve cutting/penetration considerably.



Assuming your Disc Harrow weighs 500 pounds, you have 31 pounds bearing on each of 16 pans. It takes a minimum of 40 pounds, better 45 pounds, of weight bearing on each pan to mix soil with only two or three passes over MOIST land. So target weight increase at 200 to 220 pounds, in increments, not all at once.



If you add weight, bias weight to the front gang.
Caution: It is possible to strip Top Link threads.

Observe the pans. No matter how you weight the implement you cannot cut deeper than the lowest part of pan hub, through which the axle passes.

The hitch on your implement does not appear too robust. Add weight in reasonable increments.

Moist ground will mix much easier than dry ground.

Good luck.


DISC HARROW ADJUSTMENT:https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...ing-three-point-hitch-mounted.html?highlight=





Brilliant!

Jeff, your photo shows the rear gang doing little if any cutting, similar to my experience, hence my thought that additional weight should be biased toward the rear of the disc.

The bent strut shown in my photo was damaged when I got stuck in wet soil on an incline and had to reverse. It has since been replaced with a straight strut.

Your weight calculation on each pan is fascinating and useful when calculating the setup. I believe added weight for my disc is limited by the less than robust construction of the implement so your advice to add weight incrementally is a good one.

Agreed, the front gang needs to do most of the cutting, leaving the rear gang to break up soil clods. Also proper adjustment of the top link is critical. I had even thought of slotting the top link bracket to allow some float when encountering uneven ground.

Yes, till depth is limited by the radius of the pans. My disc has never achieved that depth but I'm working on it. Thanks for your ideas and comments.

I need to wait for increased soil temperature for Bermuda to germinate so, I have time to make the modifications. I'll till with the disc, drag harrow then seed with a rotary spreader. We have had so much rain here between Birmingham and Huntsville so, I'll have to wait for soil to dry somewhat.

 

[def38]

You don't have to fill them up, adjust till the disc cut, I run about half full.

Would you be able to share a photo of your setup? It sounds interesting. I have one 55 poly barrel that I use for spraying herbicide and pesticide. I might swap it for two 30 gallon poly barrels.