New Disc?

[Kevin Cunningham]

I am hoping to get some opinions on getting a new disc. This spring I want to get my steers out into the field more to help work some ground. I have been looking around for older disc but they have all been either too far gone for repair or too large for my team of steers. Northern Tool has one for sale that looks decent, and fairly priced, it even looks easy to put a pole onto for using with draft as opposed to a lot of the ATV equipment. Here is the link: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200379214_200379214?isSearch=365345-2306 What do you all think? Is it going to be a cheap piece of crap? or is it a small investment for some simple team training? With the shipping it is around $200 which seems reasonable to start with. My team might need a larger disc in the future but they are just about 2 years old, so this might get them started.

[Andy Carson]

I have used a disc that is virtually identical to this one. They do a decent job if you are wanting a light harrowing action, but if you put much weight on them, they break down fast. The discs themselves go first. The soil presses them into washers and eventually the metal “bearings” (which are really just welded steel tubes). The soil grinds away at this steel/steel surface and eventually wears the hole in the disc larger and larger until it twists, the disc comes off, and is useless. This was the first thing I replaced. I am not even sure the origional discs were hardened steel… The replacement discs were just as expensive as the disc itself (I found one used for $75-100) and if you set up some washers to take the wear (and replace them in time) you can get good use out of this kind of setup with better discs. The next thing that breaks down is the bearings. They are really just welded metal tubes with a greasable steel insert that is not corected to the shaft directly. It’s all mild steel and developed some slop pretty early. The slop let dirt in and once the dirt was in, it mixed with the grease and created a grinding mix that created more slop, more dirt, more slop, more dirt. Eventually the steel insert wore down to uselessness. With medium work, you might be able to squeeze a couple years out of the bearings (I did), but once they are gone the tool is basically trash. I recycled the discs themselves into a tool with hardened tractor style bearings and substantially more weight. I have been much happier with this tool. Overall, I think if you can find one used a cheap it might be a good training tool for young oxen, but dont put alot of weight on it or it will break down fast. Adjust expectations accordingly.

[Kevin Cunningham]

Andy,
That is a very good review of the tool. I am still thinking of getting it, knowing that it will break down eventually. Considering what my time is worth for 200 bucks and I can get into the field this year and start training the team, it seems like a good deal. I plan on using the disc in already plowed ground so it is more of training tool than an actual tillage tool. Did you put a pole on it? and how long if you did?

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