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.

 

[jeff9366]

Your weight calculation on each pan is useful calculating the setup. I believe added weight for my disc is limited by the less than robust construction of the implement? YES

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 thought of slotting the top link bracket to allow some float when encountering uneven ground.

Any bounce due to a slot will create transient stress on the Top Link.

With a factory-heavy Disc Harrow there are times when you want the Top Link long, adding pressure to rear gangs, which draw soil inward. An example is drawing in soil from edges of a slightly sunk dirt road to even it. Filling random depressions in a field is another example.


The narrow front gang cuts and tosses soil outward.
The WIDER rear gang smoothes, collects and tosses soil inward.

Consider moving rear gangs outward on the box frame from current location. Outer U-bolts suspending gangs should be near ends of rear frame member, so rear gang width is wider than front. Lube on the frame and a rubber mallet aids the process.

 

[jeff9366]

INITIAL ADJUSTMENT OF A NEW TANDEM DISC HARROW​

When you take delivery of a new Tandem Disc Harrow from a common carrier, you will receive it mal-adjusted. To save space Disc Harrows are shipped with the gangs collapsed inward, to minimize shipping width.

So, to start, mount the Disc Harrow on your tractor's Three Point Hitch, raise the implement with your hydraulic control to float all pans above the ground, PLACE BLOCKS TO SUPPORT HARROW BOX FRAME SO FRAME CANNOT DROP, loosen gang hangers, usually U-bolts, and slide the gangs out/wider along the frame. Usually, thumb pressure will suffice. As the paint ages and dust accumulates, spray lube helps overcome stickiness and a soft-blow mallet helps overcome inertia.

FRONT GANGS, which are the CUTTING GANGS, throw soil OUT, and should be fairly close together. You do not want an untilled center strip between the left/right front gangs. Neither do you want the inside pans of the two gangs to collide when tractor bucks over rough ground.

(Very large Disc Harrows sometimes have an optional Middle Buster shank, center mounted after the front gang, to disturb soil between two front gangs.)

REAR GANGS, which are SMOOTHING GANGS, throw soil IN, are set wider apart. Rule of thumb for initial spacing between rear gangs: Diameter of rear pans, less two inches. So a rear gang with 18" pans should be trial-set with 16" space between the inner pans on the right and left rear gangs. The rear gangs collect soil. The widest ground contact points on an operating Disc Harrow will be rear collecting and smoothing gangs.

Level Disc Harrow left-to-right, adjustment via 3-Pt. (threaded) right Lifting Rod.

 

[kthompson]

You know disk are not PRIMARY tillage tools. They are really designed to cut already plowed land such as with moldboard or chisel plows. If you have any way to tear up the land before the disk is use do that. Unless you have good bit of hp those are slow work for they take hp. Do you have any implement you can use to slice the soil? If so run it through there as deep as you can before the disk. It could be box blade with shanks down, could be heavy duty cultivator with spring shanks, subsoiler, there really are a few different implements than will help tear up the soil.

As to suggestions you have gotten: in you have thick roots (no idea how thick clover roots are) then mow the crop as low as you can and allow it to dry. Any green material hurts the working of the disk. Tall dry material hurts the disk also. If you have much dry material and can burn it off do. Bare land is easier to disk. As has been pointed out set your gangs at max angle. A disk that is having hard time to cut the trash and ground will do better at slow speed as you get faster it will tend to ride up as it does not have time for the material be to be cut. Don't expect too much on the first cut. Don't do all cutting in one direction. Often you will benefit by disking at 90 degree to last time as it helps cut the trash as hard to cut when disking the direction the trash is laying.

I ALWAYS run my disk level. If in really thick roots and need to use disk will only mover over half disk width. Some will say that is same is coming back second time and it is not. Over lapping as I do allows the weight of the disk to have more effect on the half that is being cut the first time. Try it for yourself. If it works good it not then forget it.

We all have seen weight added to a disk and I will say be careful in doing so. Especially is you like to disk fast. As you add weight you are affecting the stability of your tractor when you have the disk lifted especially for turning. You may need weight on the tractors front end. Water is about 8 pounds per gallon. So 60 gallons is about what your disk weighs now.

 

[Oldoak]

I never saw a misuse of disks like pictured in comment #4.

Tandem disks were never designed or intended to be used in that manor. Disks with a 3-pt hitch should ride on the ground the same as disks pulled by being hitched to the draw bar. All the disk gangs should be allowed to float on the ground with each individual disk doing their share of cutting or tilling.

When disking sod, it helps to set the gangs strait when making the first pass to cut the cut better, then set the disks to angle more on succeeding passed for better tillage. Particularly helpful when using using small and rather light weight disks. Commercial farm disks are a different animal.

Of course I come from a real farm background and still live among the farming community. Today's hobby farmers may look at things differently.

 

[jeff9366]

When disking sod, it helps to set the gangs strait when making the first pass to cut the cut better, then set the disks to angle more on succeeding passed for better tillage. Particularly helpful when using using small and rather light weight disks. Commercial farm disks are a different animal.

My experience is contrary to yours.

I have a 66" operating width Monroe Tufline 18/20 Disc Harrow weighing 915 pounds, pressuring each pan with 46 pounds.

I have attempted to aerate Saint Augustine turf and Argentine Bahia pasture grass with the pans set straight. The straight set but concave pans simply roll over the sandy-loam pasture like thin wheels, making no impression whatsoever, though pans are notched, front and rear.

Now I use a Field Cultivator for Bahia pasture grass aeration. PHOTOS.

My Tufline maintains 1-1/4 miles of fire breaks with Top Link adjusted short but with front and rear gangs in soil contact. The somewhat rough output encourages the disturbed verdure to die and decompose fairly quickly in Florida high heat and high humidity. I also de-crown sandy farm roads with the Top Link adjusted short.

There are great variations in conditions within the several United States. And considerable variations in the results desired from Disc Harrows.

 

[FredH]

I added 5 100 pound tractor weight's to my 6' KK disk without any issue . I also changed up the angle of the front by moving - rewelding the hangers , thus to get more bite . I use mine only for weed abatement and fire line building around property , thus not concerned about " level " ground . It is just a angle framed disk and have had no issue's with any part with the added weight . Weigh's over 1,100 pounds now with the disk , weights and some I beam steel I added to hold the weights . Notched disks front and back . Here in Southern Oregon , I have a lot of red clay , thus If I can catch the moisture right , it will sink it to the axles but won't gum up with clay .
Pull it behind my TC 30 with HST . Going downhill , I use middle range and can get really good turn over of soil . Uphill , Well with the 12% - 14% grade , low range is best it will do , but still gets decent soil break up .
As I stated though , My use is different .
I initially had a galvanized water tank as weight . Maybe a 40 gallon ?? ( was over 4' tall and maybe 16" in diameter ? ) . It worked okay , but I knew I needed more , thus removed tank and picked up the used tractor weights from a metal scrap yard . I just used a couple of ratchet straps to secure the tank . Even with that tank though , you knew there was extra weight back there .

Fred H.

 

[oosik]

I have a light weight disk( Land Pride 1048 ) and a 475# "blob" of concrete. Together they are just one tiny step short of damaging the disk. I have to be VERY careful when using this setup. Particularly, with the M6040.

If I were to do a lot of disking - I would get a much heavier disk.

View attachment 595906View attachment 595907

 

[flusher]

I use 5 gal plastic pails filled with concrete (~110 lb each) with a length of galvanized fence post to make handling easier.



Good luck

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I never saw a misuse of disks like pictured in comment #4.

Tandem disks were never designed or intended to be used in that manor. Disks with a 3-pt hitch should ride on the ground the same as disks pulled by being hitched to the draw bar. All the disk gangs should be allowed to float on the ground with each individual disk doing their share of cutting or tilling.

When disking sod, it helps to set the gangs strait when making the first pass to cut the cut better, then set the disks to angle more on succeeding passed for better tillage. Particularly helpful when using using small and rather light weight disks. Commercial farm disks are a different animal.

Of course I come from a real farm background and still live among the farming community. Today's hobby farmers may look at things differently.

I agree with you, your last 2 sentences say it all.