Tiller Thinking of working my 9 acres to plant with my 4120

[jeff9366]

If it's already been tilled last year, you can probably whip it into shape with just a disc harrow and a drag harrow.

Your JD 4120 and my Kubota L3560 are comparable. You can pull a Disc Harrow with 20" diameter notched pans.
With luck, you will find a used one in good condition.

LINK: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/332493-tandem-lift-disc-harow-monroe.html

You will need to cut stubble as short as possible with a Rotary Cutter or Flail Mower before starting with a Disc Harrow. Disc Harrow with 20" notched pans is heavy enough to till the soil with some crop stubble if soil is not too dry.

You can pull a drag/chain harrow after the Disc Harrow.

A Disc Harrow with 22" diameter pans would be better but I think your tractor will bog from draft force on a second pass.

Is your soil unusual in any way; rocks, etc? It would help if you refined your location in your T-B-N profile to something more specific than MIDWEST.

 

[olllotj]

The 4120 is a step up in frame size from a L3560, and is also a 4cyl, with some more horsepower as well.

 

[jeff9366]

Tractordata.com shows the two tractors weighing the same, and weight, not horsepower, determines what you can pull through the dirt.

The JD 4120 cannot pull a Disc Harrow with 22" diameter pans in a second pass, nor can my Kubota.




(I wish all OPs specced out their tractors in Post #1, instead of specs being a rare courtesy.)

 

[nspec]

Hey guys, I plow myself with r-4's. Heck, I say as long as you're plowing life is good! Anyway, when I recommended ditching the tires right off the bat, it was because he was asking about doing field work on 9 acres with a small utility tractor. For a few acres, I'd say buy some tillage tools and a solid planter and go nuts. In my opinion, 9 acres in field crops is a committment that warrants ag tires.

 

[jenkinsph]

Hey guys, I plow myself with r-4's. Heck, I say as long as you're plowing life is good! Anyway, when I recommended ditching the tires right off the bat, it was because he was asking about doing field work on 9 acres with a small utility tractor. For a few acres, I'd say buy some tillage tools and a solid planter and go nuts. In my opinion, 9 acres in field crops is a committment that warrants ag tires.

The problem with swapping the tires and wheels for R1's is the cost is prohibitive on 9 acres of beans. I would use what he has and be happy with it. Not that it is financially worthwhile to pursue this anyway but we all like to use our tractors, cheaper than a shrink imo.

 

[flusher]

Sorry for being so vague .

Last year I contracted with a farmer who has the big rig equipment to get the field ready for planting in a few hours (225 HP IH ) after our first year of planting winter wheat and harvesting the crop(with his JD combine) I thought I might give it a go to do the work getting the field ready for this years crop of Soybean. I am at the mercy of having him come in when he has the rest of his own fields ready... two years ago the weather did not cooperate with me being able to get my field ready so the field stayed dormant.. The intention this year is to follow up with Soybean I would still have him do the planting and harvesting but I might like to do the seat time on my John Deere if I had the right attachments. My field is clay with topsoil and prior to last year it was 20 years as a dormant plot of land.

.

For 9 acres, you're in the used implement market. I'd look for a 2-14 plow, a 6-7 ft wide tandem disc with 18-20" dia pans. Fabricate a DIY drag using a section of chain link fence and tow chains to attach the drag to the disc. Use whatever heavy material you have around your place to add weight to the drag.

I bought an old JD 2-14 plow for $200. My neighbor gave me an old 7-ft Towner offset disc. I used the disc and a home made drag on my 7-acre hayfield (Kanota oats). Didn't need the plow since the topsoil on my place was only about 6 inches deep. Running a moldboard plow over such a field just brings the bad soil to the top and buries the good stuff.

Good luck.