Any tips or tricks for using a pull behind disk?

I got rid of discs here for that reason,,leaving humps and ridges,,more ya change the angles, then ya really get ocean waves,, I guess there are some that level good,, but I haven't owned one...

How fast are you traveling. FAster you go the taller the ridges. You are gonna have to get yourself a harrow to smooth everything out. You might have to harrow it 3 of 4 different ways to smooth her out.

also...look on the right rear of your pic. it's packing in..in between the disks. get the scraper fixed, keep it clean between the disks. if you can find a good scraper, loop a chain around the spool and up over the frame, leave it loose, it will keep it clean between the blades.

You have a great AC tractor. It’s also good to see spring tillage photos - thanks for sharing. I have an older worn 12’ Kewanee Disk that ridges badly too. I’d double back on passes to try to get more even cut & manage ridges.

When my brother & I were young (10-12yrs old), we’d plant winter wheat in the fall. It took both of us to bucket the wheat from the Yetter gravity wagon’s 55 gal half barrel bolted under its door, to the drill. I drove the Farmall H & wagon. He drove the D17, disk, & drill. Dad had a one pass setup consisting of AC D17, AC 10’ disk, & JD 10’ grain drill. The AC disk did a fair job. It had 1/2 size outer blades on rear gang to help smooth out front gangs outer throw ridges. Yes, slower speed was critical.

Edited by AC7060IL - 23 Apr 2019 at 5:30am

along with all the other comments, maybe too aggressive an angle ?  I had a Flurry-bessel(sp) drag disc and used  less angle, with a lot of weight in the back. I also did  a E-W pass, then N-S pass, then final E-W pass with 'levelling ' chains to smooth it out .

Last tool before planting for me which was done here with horses before tractors also. Called a spring tooth. When the power and traction was available it was hooked behind the disc. Many times when conditions called for it the cultipacker was hooked behind the disc and then the spring youth was hooked behind the cultipacker.
Always finish up corner ways so you can see the plater marker or drill tracks.

Your disking job looks good very good.





Edited by Dick L - 23 Apr 2019 at 6:31am

It is not the condition of the disc when you get ready to plant it is the condition of the soil. Money is more available for repairs to equipment than it was 70 years ago and good crops were grown with equipment in worse condition than your disc.

With the disc in my picture you set the angle to cut deeper. The deeper you cut the higher the ridges. With the wheel disc you lift the disc with the tires and your ridges will hot be as high. There is no rule that you have to disc with the disc set as deep as it will go.   With fall plowing all you need is a seed bed. The ground is already mellow enough to get deep roots.

The 3rd pic, appears you have a ridge in the middle. That is caused by the back gangs digging deeper, or at more of an angle than the front.  Even with larger blades in the back, you should be able to level the disc, so the front and back blades do the same amount of work, not leaving a ridge in the middle.
 Pull a 2 section harrow behind that disc, running level, and you'll have a much smoother seed bed.

Garden_guy,

Years ago an old timer neighbor told me that disking at 9 or 10 mph was more effective at killing weeds by the spinning disks tossing weeds and their roots up in the air where they would die from lack of soil.

Gerald J.

Remember John Deere's only go putt putt so slow down and lighter the disc they couldn't pull it that deep😁😁😁🤡🤡🤡

Edited by bradley6874 - 23 Apr 2019 at 12:58pm

May I ask you at what stage do you apply fertilizer?

We were just doing some of this over the weekend.  My father-in-law is a big advocate for pulling the spike harrow sections behind the disc.  It also helps break the clods more with one pass.  This maens fewer passes across the field and less soil compaction. 

you need to level it from to front to back it's pulling more soil back in than what the front is moving out