Recommendation on chain harrow

[tampamiketaylor]

Hey guys

I am about to disc, seed and drag 30 acres and want some recommendations on a good chain harrow. Looking at 6 to 7 ' wide and 6 ' long. Tractor supply and rural king seems to only have 3/8 or 1/2 " think tines and I was looking at the 5/8 " 6' by 6' gauge one from neat attachments for $750. Any one have any experience with that one or have recommendations on heavy duty chain harrow?

Thx
Mike

 

[kickinbull]

My recommendation is to make a drag with old tires. I have one that's 7 tires, 3 in front 4 in back. Would work very good following what you described.

 

[tampamiketaylor]

Thanks kickinbull,

I had an old set of those and one out of an old reeves gate. That works great for spreading manure. As I am switching grass I have to disc in all of the existing Bahia and was thinking I would need a chain drag that had the tines to help level up the ground after discing.

 

[Banjo]

I have 5/8's chain harrow. I don't think i would like the 1/2 or 3/8....too light. I have 3 truck tires wired to mine its 12'.
besides leveling up after disking you need something heavy enough to scratch the ground if you want to sow clover or something....helps get more seed to soil contact.

 

[tampamiketaylor]

Thanks Banjo!

What manufacture would you recommend? I was thinking 5/8" 6x6'. Do you think that would be too light? Neat attachments has them for $750 and larger ones for over 1k. Just want to get what will be effective and select a good manufacture. Locally in tampa we have tractor supply and rural king but too light, so I will need to order online.

 

[Banjo]

It depends on what you're pulling it with. You can always put something heavy on them if they are not scratching enough.
As far as brands go......i don't know. I got mine at a local farm parts dealer but don't know the brand.

 

[tampamiketaylor]

Pulling with 70 hp John Deere or maybe Kobota diesel side by side. Sounds like 6x6 May work if I weight it down. Just need to find one now.

 

[BlondeD]

I bought one about 25+ years ago and have used it.....almost up.....on these 90+ acres here.....I keep putting it back together with those individual chain links with the screw inserts. It's 16 feet wide and I sometimes wish it were wider has been my only negative with it. I've been trying to find an old HEAVY chain I had here years to tie onto the end.....it will show up. But it was good money spent for the use...

 

[tampamiketaylor]

Thanks BlondeD

That is one question I keep asking myself now as well is 6' wide enough or do i go wider. I think we have 8' clearance in the pastures so may go bigger.

 

[Texasmark]

Small Farm Innovations, Caldwell, Tx. is where I got a ⅝, 8 W x 6 or 7 L, forget which, pipes at both ends so that you could drag it with tines into or away from the direction of travel. Then pick it up with a FEL and flip it over if you wanted a soft, surface only smoothing. The pipes are removable if you don't want a pipe on the trailing end.....less likely to load up with dirt.

 

[tampamiketaylor]

Thanks man! Been looking for good manufactures of the 5/8 chain harrow. I will call them and see if they will ship to Florida.

Small Farm Innovations, Caldwell, Tx. is where I got a ⅝, 8 W x 6 or 7 L, forget which, pipes at both ends so that you could drag it with tines into or away from the direction of travel. Then pick it up with a FEL and flip it over if you wanted a soft, surface only smoothing. The pipes are removable if you don't want a pipe on the trailing end.....less likely to load up with dirt.

 

[Texasmark]

Thanks BlondeD

That is one question I keep asking myself now as well is 6' wide enough or do i go wider. I think we have 8' clearance in the pastures so may go bigger.

When I retired, I setup my operation on 6' since I am working smaller acreage with smaller equipment. Having the 8' harrow works nice as it covers both sides of my "workings".

While we are kicking around harrows, If you have crop residue on the surface, any harrow will "collect" it. If I get my speed up, which is easily done at the harrowing stage, it will bounce across the ground and let the residue out in small clumps, rather than one big blob ever so often and, unlike a 16' JD batwing spike tooth I had, won't plow up a big wad of soil-residue that you have to come back and disperse.

Other thing I have done with lots of residue on the surface was to come back with a rotary mower and scatter any accumulations that seem to be so large as to interfere with planting. Course I'm working heavy clay and usually, the only time you can work it, is when it's dry and hard and complications are part of it.