DAPNET Forums Archive › Forums › Equipment Category › Equipment › How much disk w/ how many horses
- This topic has 15 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 2 months ago by
mitchmaine.
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- September 16, 2010 at 6:21 am #41966
near horse
ParticipantI know this is almost a rhetorical question BUT ……… I’m looking at an 8′ single HD disk to buy – in great shape but is that too much for my 2 Belgians to manage? I know “it depends” somewhat on how deep I plow and how loose the soil etc BUT in general – too much or is it doable for them?
Thanks.
September 16, 2010 at 10:53 am #62195Tim Harrigan
ParticipantMy first reaction is a 4+ horse disk if you want to work right along. This is a heavy duty, tandem disk built for a tractor? We visited single disk draft some time ago in this thread. For a tandem disk the pulling force is proportional to the weight of the disk, like most things. At a typical working depth the draft (lbs-force) on a clay soil would be about 1.5 times the weight (lbs) of the disk, 1.2 * weight on a silt loam and 0.8 times on a sandy loam. So if your disk goes about 200 lb/foot or 1600 lbs my starting guess for draft would be about 2400 lbf in clay soil, 1920 lbf in silt loam and 1280 lbf in sandy loam. If you want to test your team, hitch on to a 6000 lb stoneboat to estimate the clay soil, 4800 lb stoneboat for the silt loam and 3200 lb boat for the sandy loam. Those could easily be +-30%.
http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?t=3226&highlight=disk
September 16, 2010 at 12:29 pm #62199Andy Carson
ModeratorI have a single gang disk that is just about right for one horse at 40 inches wide, but the weight is only 120-150 pounds per foot depending on how much I weigh it down. The weight makes a huge difference in the draft and you notice it right away. Is there any way you can weigh the implement in question? I would guess that if it is a single gang there is potential.
Another random thought. My disk is a converted lawn tractor disc with a few extra reinforcements, heavier blades, more weight, and a seat. You can pick one of these up used (as on craigslist or similar) for about $75. If I had a team, I might be tempted to buy a couple of these, and bolt them together to make a double gang disc. Similarly, you might be able to modify the disk you are looking to buy. It would probably not be as easy as just taking blades off, though, as all the weight would be on the remaining blades. Maybe if it’s a double gang, you could remove the rear gangs. Not sure how this disk is put together though…
On the other hand, implements designed and built for a team of horses aren’t too hand to find (at least around here) so it’s probably not worth the time and expense of modifying things…
September 16, 2010 at 4:47 pm #62190Participant@Tim Harrigan 20815 wrote:
My first reaction is a 4+ horse disk if you want to work right along. This is a heavy duty, tandem disk built for a tractor? We visited single disk draft some time ago in this thread. For a tandem disk the pulling force is proportional to the weight of the disk, like most things. At a typical working depth the draft (lbs-force) on a clay soil would be about 1.5 times the weight (lbs) of the disk, 1.2 * weight on a silt loam and 0.8 times on a sandy loam. So if your disk goes about 200 lb/foot or 1600 lbs my starting guess for draft would be about 2400 lbf in clay soil, 1920 lbf in silt loam and 1280 lbf in sandy loam. If you want to test your team, hitch on to a 6000 lb stoneboat to estimate the clay soil, 4800 lb stoneboat for the silt loam and 3200 lb boat for the sandy loam. Those could easily be +-30%.
http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?t=3226&highlight=disk
Hi Tim –
Of course I didn’t search the threads first! That would make too much sense (sorry). When I did, I came upon the “long thread” regarding power including horse vs tractor etc.
This disk is a single gang 8′ IHC – w/ tongue trucks & seat so it seems to be a horse drawn disk to me. The guy that has it says it’s too much for his ATV to pull in tilling his food plots. Maybe that’s not a good sign.
I’ll try and post a picture
September 16, 2010 at 4:59 pm #62200ModeratorTo me, this actually looks like it’s got alot of potential. I wouldn’t be suprised if a team can outpull an ATV for this kind of work at all. I use alot of ATV/lawn tractor equipment and have found that a single draft is often a more than adequate substitute for an ATV or large lawn tractor. Now I know the machines make more HP, and given the correct gearing and speed, they could probably outwork a horse, but they don’t have the traction, so there you go… I would still weigh it, it possible, because I think that will give you the best idea of what you are looking at. It would probably also be helpful to know how long you plan to use it at a stretch.
Another piece of unasked for advice… Make sure your team “whoas” well when you are riding on a disk. A rock and palouse hill and we might have no more Geoff.
September 16, 2010 at 5:45 pm #62191ParticipantThanks Andy for that “nice” thought 🙂
I’d pictured a sort of Geoff bologna left in the field 😮
September 16, 2010 at 6:38 pm #62196ParticipantOK, I was sidetracked by the HD, I pictured a heavy duty tandem disk, but I see you also wrote single presumably meaning single gang. In that case my guess is a 2-3 horse disk depending on gang angle and soil conditions and added weight.
September 16, 2010 at 10:15 pm #62202mitchmaine
Participantgeoff, nice set of harrows. grab ’em. i have two similar single gangs. one 10 disc 5′ and a twelve disc 6′ set. each go well with a pair of horses in our soil. if you really crank it open, it can be a job for two, and they might not last as long as you wish. but a third horse will take it away. straight out covering seed seems to be no resistance.
spreading s**t today. trying to get our spelt in and packed. rain coming.mitch
September 17, 2010 at 4:08 pm #62192ParticipantHi Mitch,
I’m still “on the fence” about this harrow. Just concerned about the size – owner says it’s 8′ wide and that makes me question whether I can use it w/ just my pair. It is a nice looking disk ….. Are you headed for NEAPFD this yr? Maybe I’ll see ya there (possibly w/ my disk in the trailer:).
September 17, 2010 at 5:44 pm #62201ModeratorHere’s a trick I’ve used to weigh heavy things when a scale is not convenient. First, weigh yourself in the clothes you will wear when looking at the disk. Then find a long piece of lumber (12 feet is nice) or other prying device that can be used to lift it. Next, find a point by which you can lift the thing in question. You will want to pick a place where almost all the weight is suported by your prybar. Often times a human helper is needed to balance the thing on the prybar. Now the tricky part… Move the pivot point back on forth on your prybar until you find a pivot point where you and the disk are even. Now, mark and measure the distance between the place on the bar where the disk is supported and the pivot point, and also the distance between where you are standing and the pivot point. By knowing your weight and these two lengths, you will have a pretty good estimate of the weight of the disk. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, and are standing 8 feet from the pivot point, and the disk is supported at 4 feet from the pivot point, the disk weighs 400 pounds. This method has gotten me to within 10% of the true weight in the past. The most likely cause of error is 1) estimating your own weight (rather than actually weighing) and 2) not having a long enough prybar or having to move the pivot point very close to the thing being weighed, which both make accurate measuring difficult.
September 17, 2010 at 5:52 pm #62203Participanthi geoff, penny and i made it over last years saturday, and it was one of the best days we ever had. topped it off that afternoon with a loop through barnett to visit threshers water mill, and home in time for chores. if your thinking about parting with the harrow i’d be interested. hop to see you there.
mitch
cleaning spelt for seed todaySeptember 17, 2010 at 7:58 pm #62197Participantnear horse;20830 wrote:Hi Mitch,…it’s 8′ wide and that makes me question whether I can use it w/ just my pair…
If you are not in a hurry I encourage you to wait for a 6 footer. You know your ground though, maybe it will be fine. I would rather have enough zip to go around the field a few more times than have to nurse them through it because it is a little too much. Its like stacking bales. Its not the first 400 that are a problem, it is the last 50.
September 17, 2010 at 9:20 pm #62198blue80
Participant:DI have a 7ft 14 disc adjustable. When set aggressively it is too much for a pair, my pair anyways, on heavy ground.
So I bought another horse:D
September 18, 2010 at 2:04 am #62193Participant@blue80 20838 wrote:
:DI have a 7ft 14 disc adjustable. When set aggressively it is too much for a pair, my pair anyways, on heavy ground.
So I bought another horse😀
That’s what I’m afraid of!!
Seriously, I’m not thrilled by the idea of overloading my horses and will likely pass on this disk (the owner called me tonight to see if I was still interested and I stalled until i could get more feedback from DAP). If anyone on here and attending NEAPFD or near my travel route is interested, the disk is in Illinois and I would be willing to haul it up in “MY NEW STOCK TRAILER” for NC. It’s not cheap though – he’s asking $450. Any takers – please let me know ASAP and I’ll tell him I want it.
WOW.
September 18, 2010 at 12:40 pm #62204Participanthey geoff, like the sound of that harrow, and the price don,t scare me too bad.
but asking a man to drive from idaho to pick up a peice of machinery in illinois that neither of us has ever seen and drag it clear to vermont so we might end up running into each othe 250 miles from here without knowing what the weathers gonna be sounds like asking too many planets to line up or something like that so guess i’ll pass on it, but hope to see you in tunbridge.
we should have a fence post or picnic table assigned somewhere for dap folks to meet at and talk. what do you think?thanks again, mitch
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