Disc harrow?

[Angry Perch]

I've got a couple acre field in Sequim. I'd like to start putting in some winter cover crops o improve soil, as well as some food for deer, quail etc. I have a Mahindra Max26 tractor. Is a disc harrow the implement I want? Any other recommendations? I current just have a box blade.

[KFhunter]

Depends on the soil, if it rock hard and never been worked itll just bounce across the top and youll just get small clumps of sod

They aren't for breaking new ground, they're for smoothing already broke ground

[Sandberm]

Would this work with your tractor? Or something similar? https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-medium-duty-disc-2128260?cm_mmc=feed-_-GoogleShopping-_-Product-_-2128260&gclid=CjwKCAjwn8SLBhAyEiwAHNTJbXCIfORoxP8vUyvopNRFJcEpFvfxpOW9RadfmKyVjtAX3qa3tIXXpBoCNKcQAvD_BwE

Try it and if the ground is too hard place some tractor weights(anything heavy that you can secure evenly) on either side of it to help push it in the ground. Youd have to calculate what your 3 point can lift.

If the grounds rock hard because its dry you will need ample moisture from irrigation or mother nature to soften it up.

[Special T]

Sometimes you can rent implements cheap if you have a tractor

[Ridgeratt]

Just a thought you need to size the equipment to the tractor. You maybe disappointed with the depth your trying to get pulling a disc. You might not have enough grunt to drag a large disc.   

And the angle you have the disks set to.

[huntingfool7]

For breaking fresh ground a plow is hard to beat. 
https://media.tractorsupply.com/is/image/TractorSupplyCompany/2128058?$470$

[Woodchuck]

Just a thought you need to size the equipment to the tractor. You maybe disappointed with the depth your trying to get pulling a disc. You might not have enough grunt to drag a large disc.   

A disc is huge drag.

[Angry Perch]

Virtually no rocks at all, and soil is very sandy. I was thinking 6" at the widest.

[Angry Perch]

Would this work with your tractor? Or something similar? https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/countyline-medium-duty-disc-2128260?cm_mmc=feed-_-GoogleShopping-_-Product-_-2128260&gclid=CjwKCAjwn8SLBhAyEiwAHNTJbXCIfORoxP8vUyvopNRFJcEpFvfxpOW9RadfmKyVjtAX3qa3tIXXpBoCNKcQAvD_BwE

Try it and if the ground is too hard place some tractor weights(anything heavy that you can secure evenly) on either side of it to help push it in the ground. Youd have to calculate what your 3 point can lift.

If the grounds rock hard because its dry you will need ample moisture from irrigation or mother nature to soften it up.

That's pretty much what I was looking at.

[Angry Perch]

Just to give an idea of the dirt I'm working with, the driveway and excavation for the shop were done with a box blade on the same tractor.

[Mark Brenckle]

I used my '48 8N with a 4' drag disk and it worked fine, even with a couple railroad ties on top. Make sure you get one with adjustable pitch so that you can make a few passes to turn everything and then adjust and smooth it all out.
 The only thing I didn't like was the disk was narrower than my rear tires, so I would be packing down the areas I had already disked. Not an issue if you're just turning the soil for planting though.

[Sandberm]

Eh, I shouldn't even be posting in this thread. Your dark mountain soil doesnt even compare to the sand in the basin.

I do know one thing, I've royally messed up a field of grass by not working it in correctly. Chunks of sod, rough as all get out. Multiple passes to get it even close to smooth.

When we wanted to plant Alfalfa after timothy we would water the timothy so the ground was soft then rip it as deep as possible. Then make 2 passes with a rotovator. The rotovator made a really nice seedbed.

[Angry Perch]

Eh, I shouldn't even be posting in this thread. Your dark mountain soil doesnt even compare to the sand in the basin.

I do know one thing, I've royally messed up a field of grass by not working it in correctly. Chunks of sod, rough as all get out. Multiple passes to get it even close to smooth.

When we wanted to plant Alfalfa after timothy we would water the timothy so the ground was soft then rip it as deep as possible. Then make 2 passes with a rotovator. The rotovator made a really nice seedbed.

There's about 4-6 inches of that, then pretty much sand. It was also wet.

I suppose I could drop the rippers on my box blade down low to rip through the sod if necessary.

[jrebel]

The answer is YES, NO and MAYBE......

A disc harrow is great and will work for you application but may not be needed.  You may look into a cultipacker instead and try a no till method.  Mow, spray, cultipack and broadcast seed may be the answer and may be easier.  Breaking down / up the soil is not always the best way to go as it breaks up the soil nutrients and will then require replenishment with fertilizers ect.

There are some great videos on you tube about this.  I have a disc and I started from raw, never worked land.  The disc worked great, it just took some time....OK, lots of time.  My first couple years I had great productions and growth with my food plots.  This year the growth was not as great....could be because the deer keep it mowed  but could also be because I need to add some fertilizer due to breaking down the soil for the last 4 years. 

Very first thing I would do is get a soil test, then I would go with a mow and spray what you have to kill it.  Then I would cultipack it and broadcast a good cover crop for you area.  I bet you will be plenty surprised with the results!!

Here is a pretty good video. 

[Angry Perch]

The answer is YES, NO and MAYBE......

A disc harrow is great and will work for you application but may not be needed.  You may look into a cultipacker instead and try a no till method.  Mow, spray, cultipack and broadcast seed may be the answer and may be easier.  Breaking down / up the soil is not always the best way to go as it breaks up the soil nutrients and will then require replenishment with fertilizers ect.

There are some great videos on you tube about this.  I have a disc and I started from raw, never worked land.  The disc worked great, it just took some time....OK, lots of time.  My first couple years I had great productions and growth with my food plots.  This year the growth was not as great....could be because the deer keep it mowed  but could also be because I need to add some fertilizer due to breaking down the soil for the last 4 years. 

Very first thing I would do is get a soil test, then I would go with a mow and spray what you have to kill it.  Then I would cultipack it and broadcast a good cover crop for you area.  I bet you will be plenty surprised with the results!!

Here is a pretty good video. 

Great info JRebel. I've done some initial looking into no till. It's pretty interesting. As for the disc taking lot's of time? The tractor has a beer holder, so I'm good to go!!