13 foot disc too much, suggestions?

Heres my questions.
1. Should I just get rid of one disc on each gang to make it roughly 11ft wide? I have plenty of spares, and a buddy with a plasma cutter. If I ever have to sell, I can just put others back on.
2. Should I try to keep the ground speed closer to 6mph? The dirt will actually "roll over" good. No so well at 4mph.

I don't want to sell it and find a 10-11 footer. This piece was always shedded, looks great, tight gangs, always greased, etc. 90% of the other discs around the area are junk and they want $200-300 more than I paid for this one. I use it for hobby farming only. The tractor, NH 3930, 4wd, 45hp.

YES, I would love a bigger tractor, but that will never happen.

Thanks,
Rick

Rick

You will not be able to get as close to the field edges/obstructions with the bigger frame overhang.

I would not torch the blades off, put a washer in their place.

The problem with bringing it back to current condition years from now is matching up blade size. The blades on the disk will wear down, the ones you stick on will be bigger, making an uneven disk. No one will give that mess a second look. Save your blades so you can make it good again if the modifications don't work out.

You can totally modify the disk and rebuild it smaller as some suggest, but not sure that is how you want to go?

You can hold the disk up a little bit on the wheels, or you can replace your large disk blades with smaller blades (if you have a pile of them, maybe you have access to someone's worn out old ones....)so the disk does not move as much soil.

It's hard to downsize as you want to, but you can get there. I'm still not sure 4 blades is going to make much difference - you are going from 36 to 32 blades, or about 10%. The disk might go a little deeper with less blades - not sure this will make up the hp you need.

You could have pulled a 13' finishing disk, but those big blades take some hp.

--->Paul

One guy suggested you go shopping for a big tractor and would be surprised how cheap they go, same applies to big implements. I have always found the very best source of implements for smaller tractors is buy used big equipment and cut it down. I once cut a new machine down as the price was right. I cut it in two at middle and made two from it and sold one of them. Interesting fact on this is John Deere dealer wouldn't let me cut it in two in his yard.

Getting back to my original post, I really didn't pay a lot of attention too how much your disk was over sized. You will find that it takes 1 to 1.25 hp per disk blade on a good cutting disk. This 9" spacing may even push a bit above the 1.25 hp. If you want to send an e mail, I can send a photo of a 44 blade wheel controlled tandem disk cut down to a 24 blade. This was done to match up to a Farmall C. He bought the 44 blade disk for $100, was able to do all his own fabrication. I advised him via computer from 800 miles away. He now has a 24 blade disk with real heavy disks, bearings, spacers and gang bolts. It will cut also.

I think you bit off more than you can chew. A 13ft disc requires a little more horsepower. My 730 john deere pulls a 14ft aw disc. But I would look into getting a smaller disc.

jimmy

Mark

So what to do - The one thing you did not state is how many acres you plan to work. If you are like me now, and work a little dirt because it seems like the right thing to do. I would forget the "good deal" sell the disk and buy half that size or whatever I could afford and be happy.

On the other hand if you are planning farm enough to make bread and milk money you will be riding that 45hp tractor for a while - but do not give up on a bigger tractor. In my area it is not uncommon to find a 100 - 125 hp tractor in reasonable shape in the same price range as a utility sized tractor in similar condition. Bottom line, no demand. Back when I rode a tractor all day tying to make a buck a 125 hp was something. Today the demand is for something else. The professional farming the heavy tillage is done with 4WD at least double the hp. They still use 75 - 90 hp tractors for cultivating etc. And every one that has a big yard wants a 30 - 45 hp utility tractor.

Bottom line - The pros don't want them and they are to big to drive around the yard. Go look, you might be susprised shopping for what you might think is out of reach.

But here in N. TX the black clay has to be aerated. That means if you want a really good crop, to last thru the dry part of the summer so you can cut hay thru October, you need to get down 8 to 10". So a chisel then a good disc then a spike harrow and sometimes you have to use each piece on 2 passes to get her all powery and all.

Mark

Mark

Mark

On the larger tractor....Ug Man speak truth....know human nature.

Mark