Green disc

Will be looking at a JD transport disc, 1960-70 vintage. Any thoughts, what type of bearings and do they last? How well do they work in mostly sand? Anything to look for problem wise?

yep...they are a ridger! go find an old IH 470 or even a 70 and you'll be more pleased!

My uncle was glad when his JD disk went down the road. Said it always broke axles.

Thanks for the help, will continue search. Any thoughts on King Kutter  or other 3 point?

I have a 9.5' JD RWA wheel disc. It does a decent job but it does ridge. The Oliver and AC snap couple 40 we used to have did a nicer job. I drag a 10' steel fence post behind the JD disc to knock down the ridges.

Edit: The bearings are the old pocket you fill with grease. Very simple disc but seems like a light duty disc IMO.


Edited by albatros_3 - 30 Jul 2016 at 9:31am

I have a 18' JD (BW ?) disk. Mine cuts very well but does ridge pretty bad even with a good heavy drag. Never had any broken axles or much bearing troubles, but I guess it helps that it stays under a shed and a grease the pi$$ out of it when I use it. Bearings are available for those disks through Shoup and aren't terribly expensive.

I bought one of those disc's once, had trouble with it walking side to side, tried slowing way down, adding weight and every combination of everything else to no avail. Talked to a dyed in the wool JD man about it, he told me, "that was a problem with that model but the good thing about it is that it is green and yellow and it will sell."

My McCormick #37 will ridge if I go to fast, or if I set it wrong. Ridging can be reduced if the angle of the rear gangs are reduced.

How i set it depends on what I am trying to do. If I have trash I want to knock down, I will set all the gangs at the sharpest angle to turn the soil. To prepare a nice smooth seedbed, I will set the rear gangs at the least angle and the front gangs in the middle and possibly increase my ground speed. This way the front gangs stir up the soil and the rear ones smooth it out.
One mistake some people make that causes permanent ridging is working the ground the same way every time. Change the direction or angle of attack with each pass over the field. Changing from 10-30 degrees each time will help fill in furrows and knock down the ridges. And it will be a smooth rolling ride on the tractor.

One old timer neighbor told me that disking slow was a bad idea. That it took at least 9 mph to kill weeds. At such a high speed the weeds get tossed up in the air and laying on top the ground the roots dry and the weeds die. I know going slower, that clumps of grass and weeds like wild mustard all survived the disking. The field cultivator took them out though.

Gerald J.

I've been using a 12' Deere RWA for close to 40 years, and it was "old" when we got it it seemed! I don't know what you guys are talking about broken axels or the like, I've never broke a thing on that disc all those years except tires and a few scrapers.

As far as trash, it won't cut up corn stalks, neither will my Oliver. It will disc up weeds and grass in sandy or loamy soils no problem. I've heard the 9mph (or whatever, for killing weeds), and laugh. Seriously? I don't think I own a tractor with a 9mph working speed, including the 7045! I'd be exhausted steering that thing trying to go that fast in a field!! Hahaha

It will ridge some...lighter the soil, the worse I suppose. To reduce ridging, change angle of pass each time, and on your last pass, disc a little shallower, no need to bury it to the axels every time, and lift when you turn. Take a lap or 2 around the field at the end to cover your turn around tracks, or, do as they say and drag something behind it to knock them down.

Biggest drawback I know of is there is no rock cushion like an Oliver or White has or the newer ones....the trade off is those will ride up over harder ground too though.

TedBuiskerN.IL. wrote: I had a Kewanee 1010 hydro-fold 18' disc that was very suseptible to ridging unless the speed was "just right"  Pull it too fast and you could have built terraces with the thing.

Ya, go like hell to kill weeds, then wonder why you have a ridge! Isn't killing weeds what sprayers are for?

I doubt any disc of the type we're talking about here would satisfactorily till a field left 25 years with woodchuck holes big enough to swallow a tractor! Hahaha...If I came across a field like that with the equipment I own, it would see a plow first, then 2 or 3 passes with a disc, then level the best I could with a field cultivator. A heavy offset or breaking disc would likely work, but I don't have one nor have I ever used one.

Edited by Tbone95 - 01 Aug 2016 at 8:42am