What size disc?
- Thread starter split toe
- Start date
Your limit is your tractor horse power. You will want to go with a pulled type on wheels with hydraulic raising and lowering ( not 3 point) type). They also need to be heavy for true cutting. You will find light weight wheeled owns designed for smoothing, but will not cut well. I use a John Deer 425 off set discs that cuts 8 ft width with 2 rows of 8 . I pull it with a 100 hp 4 whd. tractor. These discs are not cheap.
Many are now going no-til and avoiding all this time spent turning soil and expense of equipment and fuel. Most frustration occurs when turning a field for the first time. I always spray with Round-Up at least 3 wks before turning the soil. This gives the plants time ti die and the roots a chance to begin to breakdown.
Many are now going no-til and avoiding all this time spent turning soil and expense of equipment and fuel. Most frustration occurs when turning a field for the first time. I always spray with Round-Up at least 3 wks before turning the soil. This gives the plants time ti die and the roots a chance to begin to breakdown.
sagittarius
Active Member
I do almost 5 acres with a 10.5' disk(36 double offset disks) on a old 60Hp tractor. As mentioned, you want a pull type with hydraulic lift, and weight for cutting. You do not need to run full depth all the time, 2-4" is enough most foodplot work, and soil health. Smooth disks will give you a better finish, and by raising it up you can smooth out a field with the disks barely touching the soil. Can also be used for lightly covering seed. Smooth disks will also do a reasonable job chopping up corn stalks with several passes. The wider the disk, the shorter your work time. 
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I have read that a good place to start is approx needing 5hp per foot width of disc. But there are just so many additional factors. Soil type, 3pt vs pull behind, weight of your tractor, traction: type of tires, 2wd vs 4wd.
Start calling some of the disc manufacturers and check their recommendations starting with that 5hp/ft.
I have a 24-20 8' 3pt disc. I pull it with a 45hp 4wd without issues.
Start calling some of the disc manufacturers and check their recommendations starting with that 5hp/ft.
I have a 24-20 8' 3pt disc. I pull it with a 45hp 4wd without issues.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I run a small 30hp tractor with a 6' double gang 3 point style disc and I plot roughly 3 acres as well. I would think with 60 hp you should be able to handle something in the 12 foot size range without much issue.
Something I see is interesting and you may need/want to consider. Let use some round numbers and some other figures just for an example. Lets say with your 6 footer and 3 acres it takes you 3 hours of discing time currently. That is an average of an hour an acre. If you double the width of your disc you should cut that time in half. As such you could double the amount of plots without spending more time in the discing process. However, your talking about increasing the plotting acres to 10 or even 20 acres. Even with a larger disc, that is going to grossly increase your total discing time. Based on our estimated figures above - a 12 footer gets you an acre every 1/2 hour. So 10 acres requires 5 hours and 20 acres requires 10 hours, and your currently at 3. That's just the discing time.....I have no idea how it would impact your other plot prep and seeding efforts.
My point is - be certain you are ready to handle that many acres from a time perspective. I see folks do this a lot and over extend themselves and turn a hobby into a lot more work than they can handle. If you don't have the time then you need even bigger equipment to reach that level if you so desire. Not trying to tell you not to do it, I'm just saying to beware of what your signing up for. I know with my schedule plotting even 3 acres can be a challenge at times.
Something I see is interesting and you may need/want to consider. Let use some round numbers and some other figures just for an example. Lets say with your 6 footer and 3 acres it takes you 3 hours of discing time currently. That is an average of an hour an acre. If you double the width of your disc you should cut that time in half. As such you could double the amount of plots without spending more time in the discing process. However, your talking about increasing the plotting acres to 10 or even 20 acres. Even with a larger disc, that is going to grossly increase your total discing time. Based on our estimated figures above - a 12 footer gets you an acre every 1/2 hour. So 10 acres requires 5 hours and 20 acres requires 10 hours, and your currently at 3. That's just the discing time.....I have no idea how it would impact your other plot prep and seeding efforts.
My point is - be certain you are ready to handle that many acres from a time perspective. I see folks do this a lot and over extend themselves and turn a hobby into a lot more work than they can handle. If you don't have the time then you need even bigger equipment to reach that level if you so desire. Not trying to tell you not to do it, I'm just saying to beware of what your signing up for. I know with my schedule plotting even 3 acres can be a challenge at times.
Brokenbear
Active Member
Lots of great ideas ....all having merit ...
But if you get along with your farmer neighbors which we do ...I just have one come in with a serious tractor and tillage equipment and let him go big go deep ...but only about every 4-5 years ...so I keep only a 50HP 4WD New Holland diesel with a 3pt 8' double gang disc, a 5 tine chisel plow, a double wide harrow, a 10' cultipacter, a 7' bush hog a 2 row Ford planter and a 12' John Deere drill .
First ...year in and out you only need to be scratching 3 to 4" for food plots ...even corn and milo ...and there is little plant matter left over from brassicas and such ...and if you follow corn which you will shred the stalks and disc the old style discs will plant soybeans just fine and with seldom if ever a debris hang on a coulter ....following beans is easy as the debris from beans is minimal
I have less $$ in all of the above equipment than a lot of the "known big name no-till" planters plus you would still need many of the other pieces anyway
True ...I am going to take a tad more time to do some of the processes but the process itself is as much a pleasure as the success of the crop and resulting wildlife support ....like I still have memory after memory of hunting events that had zero to do with killing a deer and everything in the pleasure of the grandson's look of incredibility when his buck dropped at his squeeze of the trigger ...
Even if you have to pay someone with the right equipment to do you every now and then it is still cheaper than buying big Iron so you will have it when you want/need it
There is no wrong answer ...some guys are busy,hunt spot far from home etc. etc. so it simply comes down to sweat equity on the cheap or throw $$ at it for big equipment and quick in and out
But if you get along with your farmer neighbors which we do ...I just have one come in with a serious tractor and tillage equipment and let him go big go deep ...but only about every 4-5 years ...so I keep only a 50HP 4WD New Holland diesel with a 3pt 8' double gang disc, a 5 tine chisel plow, a double wide harrow, a 10' cultipacter, a 7' bush hog a 2 row Ford planter and a 12' John Deere drill .
First ...year in and out you only need to be scratching 3 to 4" for food plots ...even corn and milo ...and there is little plant matter left over from brassicas and such ...and if you follow corn which you will shred the stalks and disc the old style discs will plant soybeans just fine and with seldom if ever a debris hang on a coulter ....following beans is easy as the debris from beans is minimal
I have less $$ in all of the above equipment than a lot of the "known big name no-till" planters plus you would still need many of the other pieces anyway
True ...I am going to take a tad more time to do some of the processes but the process itself is as much a pleasure as the success of the crop and resulting wildlife support ....like I still have memory after memory of hunting events that had zero to do with killing a deer and everything in the pleasure of the grandson's look of incredibility when his buck dropped at his squeeze of the trigger ...
Even if you have to pay someone with the right equipment to do you every now and then it is still cheaper than buying big Iron so you will have it when you want/need it
There is no wrong answer ...some guys are busy,hunt spot far from home etc. etc. so it simply comes down to sweat equity on the cheap or throw $$ at it for big equipment and quick in and out
Elkaddict
Well-Known Member
We use an 82" disc that weighs 1250lbs. We turn over 10 acres or so every year which is lots of work. A larger pull behind is not practical for our mt plots given the trails that must be traveled to get to some of them. Even with a relatively heavy disc for the width, it still takes multiple passes to prep the soil, particularly if cutting up corn stalks. Despite Truck loads of rocks having been removed, rocks remain a huge impediment and slow us down. Believe we are using 24" scalloped discs.
The Famous Grouse
Member
I just bought a 7.5 foot Howse HD 3 point mount disc this spring and it's been a good investment. we do about 5 acres.
I would add that it's not just about bigger acreage = bigger disc. You have to consider the access to your plots and how you are going to work them. If you have restricted access to the plots with narrow approaches or maybe the plots are in the woods, it's a totally different set of needs than just converting an old field to food plots where everything is clear and set up for big equipment access already.
Also, think about how you are going to turn at the end of each pass. A big, wide disc needs a bigger swing area to turn without really dragging the discs and risking damage making a hard corner with the discs down. This is where a 3 point comes in handy, just raise the disc, swing around, disc down and I'm right back to digging the next pass.
Doubling the size of your disc may or may not cut your discing time in half. Everything depends on how your plots are laid out and how efficiently you can work them with given size of disc.
Grouse
I would add that it's not just about bigger acreage = bigger disc. You have to consider the access to your plots and how you are going to work them. If you have restricted access to the plots with narrow approaches or maybe the plots are in the woods, it's a totally different set of needs than just converting an old field to food plots where everything is clear and set up for big equipment access already.
Also, think about how you are going to turn at the end of each pass. A big, wide disc needs a bigger swing area to turn without really dragging the discs and risking damage making a hard corner with the discs down. This is where a 3 point comes in handy, just raise the disc, swing around, disc down and I'm right back to digging the next pass.
Doubling the size of your disc may or may not cut your discing time in half. Everything depends on how your plots are laid out and how efficiently you can work them with given size of disc.
Grouse
