So my new M5660 should be arriving middle of next week, 4wd, loader, etc. I currently have a l3301 with a 6' disc, but wanting to upgrade to heavier and larger. So I opted for the R4 tires(hope this wasn't a mistake) due to FEL work as were planning to purchase a sawmill and the wider base seemed to make more sense, and I use my tractor to mow about 3 acre yard(not wanting to tear it up) But we live to hunt deer and foodplots are a must, so what size(width/Weight) disc do you think I can get by with. Will note land is river bottom, but is fairly well drained. Thanks. I also got a fieldking robust tiller, but feel I still need a disc to break initial ground. Thanks
size disc R4 tires
- Thread starter Watrboyo1
- Start date
R4 tires are only good on dry ground. I got stuck with mine in about 2 seconds in muddy clay. Pulled it out with my truck. I would tread carefully in river bottom ground.
BigG
Well-known member
Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
Unless you are made of money I would not buy a new disc. First make the cut more aggressive. Also add some weight i.e. a fat piece of log or some steel to keep the disc engaged with the ground and it will work well.
Reason I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I've used a log before to add weight, and 99% of time disc are in most aggressive state. Just try to ng to reduce time and see if I didn't screw up on the r4 tires.
Sizing a disc for your tractor depends mostly upon the weight and aggressiveness of the disc and the ground where you intend to use it.
Premise: Your tractor produces about 50 PTO HP. The good news is that it is equipped with a gear type transmission so it will not be subject to the inefficiencies of a hydrostat vis a vis ground engaging implements. Still, 50 HP will limit you to an 8 or 9 foot disc if it is sufficiently heavy to cut well and if you plan to operate it at reasonable discing speed.
Will need to know if you prefer a pull type disc or a three point mounted disc to provide much more useful information.
Pull type discs are less convenient but cut better and pull harder. Three point types are more convenient and but do not cut as well. Accordingly, they do not pull as hard. You will, however, probably need front weights to carry a decent one.
SDT
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Your R-4 tires will not grip the ground well in loose ground so you will find yourself traction limited well before you become HP limited, especially with a pull type disc.
Does your tractor have the optional draft control? It will help when using a three point mounted disc but few are so optioned.
SDT
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
tride the 'use disc to cut sod into garden' method... didn't work well, took too long....
I'd be using a plow NOT a disc to 'breakup new grounds'. It's the correct tool for the job. Plow, wait a day, use your disc, mild NOT aggressive, 2-4 times,wait another day then rototill.
You need time between oeprations to let the soil dry a bit, air up, breakdown, and more time if soil is wettish....
If ground id hard , running asubsoiler FIRST is even better !
I'd be using a plow NOT a disc to 'breakup new grounds'. It's the correct tool for the job. Plow, wait a day, use your disc, mild NOT aggressive, 2-4 times,wait another day then rototill.
You need time between oeprations to let the soil dry a bit, air up, breakdown, and more time if soil is wettish....
If ground id hard , running asubsoiler FIRST is even better !
You should be able to use a 9' three point disc if it is not too heavy though I would recommend a heavier 8' model.
In either case you will need front weights.
Draft control will help a bit but not enough to justify the expense of adding it if your tractor does not have it.
SDT
Im not sure if youre asking regarding your new M5660 or the L3301. Obviously the M5660 should have no trouble at all with a disc larger than 6'. If youre asking regarding the L3301 I can give you some good insight on this, because I was in the same boat recently.
I have an L2501. Less HP than your 3301, but almost identical size tractor with almost the same weight. I also run R4 tires on it. I recently got a Frontier 1176 Disc Harrow. Its 76 inches in width, so a little over 6 foot, and is over 700lbs. Its a beefy, well built disc. Its also too big for my L2501 based on the owners manual recommendations for implement size on disc harrows. I got it for a steal of a price from someone I know though so I took it. If I put it in the most aggressive orientation, I do have to go into 4wd to pull it comfortably. I tend to keep it at about a "40 %" aggressive orientation, just under the halfway point, and I can pull it fine in 2WD at this setting. In 4WD I have not had any trouble pulling it in any circumstance yet however. Many people told me I wouldnt be able to pull this disc on my L2501 - that I would spin tires and struggle. That hasnt been the case for me. Here is a picture of the two together:
I have an L2501. Less HP than your 3301, but almost identical size tractor with almost the same weight. I also run R4 tires on it. I recently got a Frontier 1176 Disc Harrow. Its 76 inches in width, so a little over 6 foot, and is over 700lbs. Its a beefy, well built disc. Its also too big for my L2501 based on the owners manual recommendations for implement size on disc harrows. I got it for a steal of a price from someone I know though so I took it. If I put it in the most aggressive orientation, I do have to go into 4wd to pull it comfortably. I tend to keep it at about a "40 %" aggressive orientation, just under the halfway point, and I can pull it fine in 2WD at this setting. In 4WD I have not had any trouble pulling it in any circumstance yet however. Many people told me I wouldnt be able to pull this disc on my L2501 - that I would spin tires and struggle. That hasnt been the case for me. Here is a picture of the two together:
Looks to be a 5' disc, as properly measured, though a heavy one.Im not sure if youre asking regarding your new M5660 or the L3301. Obviously the M5660 should have no trouble at all with a disc larger than 6'. If youre asking regarding the L3301 I can give you some good insight on this, because I was in the same boat recently.
I have an L2501. Less HP than your 3301, but almost identical size tractor with almost the same weight. I also run R4 tires on it. I recently got a Frontier 1176 Disc Harrow. Its 76 inches in width, so a little over 6 foot, and is over 700lbs. Its a beefy, well built disc. Its also too big for my L2501 based on the owners manual recommendations for implement size on disc harrows. I got it for a steal of a price from someone I know though so I took it. If I put it in the most aggressive orientation, I do have to go into 4wd to pull it comfortably. I tend to keep it at about a "40 %" aggressive orientation, just under the halfway point, and I can pull it fine in 2WD at this setting. In 4WD I have not had any trouble pulling it in any circumstance yet however. Many people told me I wouldnt be able to pull this disc on my L2501 - that I would spin tires and struggle. That hasnt been the case for me. Here is a picture of the two together:
SDT
So I'd like an 8' disc for the m5660. Heavy but just wanted to make sure she'd work with r4 tires. But if 8' would be too big I'll keep my current one and add weightsIm not sure if youre asking regarding your new M5660 or the L3301. Obviously the M5660 should have no trouble at all with a disc larger than 6'. If youre asking regarding the L3301 I can give you some good insight on this, because I was in the same boat recently.
I have an L2501. Less HP than your 3301, but almost identical size tractor with almost the same weight. I also run R4 tires on it. I recently got a Frontier 1176 Disc Harrow. Its 76 inches in width, so a little over 6 foot, and is over 700lbs. Its a beefy, well built disc. Its also too big for my L2501 based on the owners manual recommendations for implement size on disc harrows. I got it for a steal of a price from someone I know though so I took it. If I put it in the most aggressive orientation, I do have to go into 4wd to pull it comfortably. I tend to keep it at about a "40 %" aggressive orientation, just under the halfway point, and I can pull it fine in 2WD at this setting. In 4WD I have not had any trouble pulling it in any circumstance yet however. Many people told me I wouldnt be able to pull this disc on my L2501 - that I would spin tires and struggle. That hasnt been the case for me. Here is a picture of the two together:
@SDT It is over 6 feet . The picture is perhaps a bit deceiving I think. Im attaching a picture of the spec sheet on it from the manual: DH 1176 (76 being the width in inches)
@Waterboyo1: I don't think you would have any trouble with an 8' disc on an M5660. If you tried pulling it through pure mud or something maybe, but other than that I cant imagine you run into any trouble. It would be 2 foot wider than mine, probably several more hundred pounds, but youd be pulling it with twice the tractor both in weight and power. I just cant imagine it not handling it fine. Folks told me this harrow wouldnt work with my tractor, and Ive yet to have an issue. It is big for the tractor, and I wouldnt want to go any bigger for sure, but The tractor has pulled it fine, even without anything on the front I can pull it in my horse pen through manure and soft dirt fine in 2wd. If I go with aggressive angles on the disc in 2wd the tires will start to slip some but jumping to 4wd solves all the problems. Ive never slipped or failed to pull it in 4wd.
@Waterboyo1: I don't think you would have any trouble with an 8' disc on an M5660. If you tried pulling it through pure mud or something maybe, but other than that I cant imagine you run into any trouble. It would be 2 foot wider than mine, probably several more hundred pounds, but youd be pulling it with twice the tractor both in weight and power. I just cant imagine it not handling it fine. Folks told me this harrow wouldnt work with my tractor, and Ive yet to have an issue. It is big for the tractor, and I wouldnt want to go any bigger for sure, but The tractor has pulled it fine, even without anything on the front I can pull it in my horse pen through manure and soft dirt fine in 2wd. If I go with aggressive angles on the disc in 2wd the tires will start to slip some but jumping to 4wd solves all the problems. Ive never slipped or failed to pull it in 4wd.
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BigG
Well-known member
Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
I had planned to actually get a land pride one this winter, but then someone I know offered this one to me for FREE. This disc is about $2,000 from what Ive seen online. He had never even used it, it just had sat out under a tree for a year. I jumped on it. He did finally let me give him a few hundred dollars for it but wouldn't take any more. I had to just live with the fact that it was green. Now everyone can point and laugh at the contradiction when I use it I guess. Im not complaining though! It works well, fits perfectly with the Land Pride quick hitch.
Thanks for all of the input guys, yeah I got a little up tight looking around last night, but after hearing from a few of yall, and talking to a few friends I'm very glad Im getting the R4 tires, only time I'll have issues is using disc, and that would be if it was wet ground, which you shouldn't be discing anyway, just makes clumps. but thanks for all of the input, I can't wait. I bought 100 acres on a local river a few years back and the 3301 was all I could justify financially, 5 years later im super stoked about the 5660 and what im going to be able to accomplish out there, where I just couldn't get the job done before(fortunately my land neighbor has a small dozer if I really needed help). Thank ya'll so much
Discs are not measured by overall width. Rather, one measures from the outside leading edge of one of the front discs to the outside leading edge of the opposite disc on the front axle. I would expect that this is about 5' on the pictured disc when fully angled.
Aside from bog discs, I have never seen a 6' disc with less than 5 discs on each axle.
Still, your disc looks to be a good one, and I am surprised that you can pull it at discing speed in loose ground with the serrated blades. If you ever get a chance, try pulling it in plowed ground as a learning experience.
SDT