Would you call this a "spring tooth harrow"??

WI Dan

Well-known Member
Dad had this for quite a few years. Used it once. He called it "the drag" as that's what the neighbor called it.
Now we're looking to sell it and I want to give it a proper name on craigslist. Is "Spring Toothed Harrow" correct term?
It's two four foot sections. Got some green paint remnants, so I assume it is John Deere brand.

20764.jpg

20765.jpg


20766.jpg
 
You are correct. Dad had one like that and we used it for years on our sandy soil. It was an early form of the modern field cultivators. Gary.
 
That's what we called it in NW Iowa when I was growing up in the 1950's

To us a "drag" was a "spike tooth harrow" that had several rows of teeth that looked like rail road spikes
 
Spring toothe harrow...Dad had an eight foot, I think it was a Sears...when I first started driving tractor I pulled it behind a WC. 1955 he got a Moline 8 1/2 foot with trip rope lift. The spring tooth, I had to disengage the teeth if I got stuck, then pull away.
 
That is a John Deere. Spring tooth harrow is the correct name. Used them for many years as the first time over implement on plowed ground, and the last time over before planting. Still have a couple sitting in the weeds. Last one was on a wheeled carrier which was patented by a neighbor and manufactured in Lindsborg, Kansas for a while. 20' wide. Have seen them up to 36' wide. They were replaced primarily by the "Crust Buster" which was a folding version made in Spearville, Kansas for many years. Still see one occasionally but the field cultivator has replaced most of them.
 
Thanks Farmall plowboy

How close to Wausau are you? Some real sand over there. My parents have the fine-grained stuff. Locals call it "Blow Sand" and our rural Township nickname is "The Camels"
 
Dan, I see several people already answered your question. I want to add that I have one of these, but it's a three part instead of two part. I am in north central WI, where it is all clay and rock, and it does an excellent job. Peels easily right through that clay and rocks pass right through. Only place it is a pain, is if you take it through a weed patch or old cut cornfield or anywhere that has standing vegetation: everything will get tangled in there and then you have to get off and pull it out by hand. If you disc first and get everything chewed up, it goes smooth. I find it goes a lot deeper than a disc. Really like this implement.
 
I can guarantee you if you tried to pull that spring toothed harrow as it is hooked up in the first picture you would have it climbing your rear tractor tire the first time you tried to make a turn with it, Be careful
 
Correct name for that implement is Peg-Tooth harrow. Really didn't till or loosen up the dirt, but broke up some clods and really did a nice job of leveling ground. Was the last thing we pulled over ground before planting corn or beans, last thing we pulled over freshly seeded oats and future hay ground. Always sowed oats in spring, combined them about mid-July, following year those fields were hog pasture and hay ground. Was nice to have those fields as smooth as possible.
 
(quoted from post at 21:34:16 08/01/18) I can guarantee you if you tried to pull that spring toothed harrow as it is hooked up in the first picture you would have it climbing your rear tractor tire the first time you tried to make a turn with it, Be careful

Not even close. The tractor is narrower than the distance between the straight chain and the bridle chain. You would have to be at a nearly 90 degree angle to that straight chain for it to catch on the wheel.

Still be careful, but it certainly isn't going to be a problem "the first time you tried to make a turn with it."
 
I do not think that turning will be a problem with that chain hooked on the front of the diagonals. We pulled 20' Case springs tooth's with cable stays coming from the outside ends and 2 coming from equal points of the evener bar, hooked into a common ring with a clevis, and you DID have to be careful turning tight if you had to ride the brake to turn.
Loren
 
mtman
Good for noticing that. You can't see it in the pictures, but there is a heavy bolt about 6 feet back from the hitch that holds the two chains together. It goes straight back from the hitch, then splits in the triangle shape to connect to the unit.

Safety is good to have in mind. It never hurts to mention the word of caution. Thank you, I will keep it in mind.
 
80 years old and have been pulling a spring tooth drag since I was 8 years old. Turned so the drag caught the tire and started to climb the tire back around that time. That is when I learned to turn my head and watch what I was doing rather just turning. Along with the help of my dad explaining to me how large of an area in a field you have to turn and to do a little planning ahead before turning. No matter what your pulling if you are not watching what your pulling as you turn your asking for a problem of some sort.

This is also a John Deere spring tooth that I bought new in 1962.

2vEj4PwLxevZ4.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 10:55:53 08/01/18) That's what we called it in NW Iowa when I was growing up in the 1950's

To us a "drag" was a "spike tooth harrow" that had several rows of teeth that looked like rail road spikes

That was correct in central Kansas in the 50s and 60s anyway.
 
Dick L
That's exactly what the ground looks like behind this unit. Yours is quite a bit wider though.
The farmer dad bought this S-T-H from, he was an ingenious guy with loads of creative ideas. The log chain has giant links - probably 1/2" thick round stock. It's pretty long. My hunch is that he wanted a longer hitch, with a long lead back before the "Y" part started, so he used whatever heavy chain he could find that was long enough. So, the heavy log chain got used. I guarantee the implement will break before the chain ever does.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top