High Speed Tillage Tool

High Speed Tillage Tool DISKS Disks (58D) 1-3-25 Recommended working speed for Parker Industries' new Disc-A-Mulcher is "at least 8 to 9 miles per hour". It combines discing, field cultivating and packing into one machine. "It'll till your fields in half the time it takes with conventional tillage equipment," says Marc Allhands, design engineer. "It's the only secondary tillage tool I know of that's specifically engineered to work at such a high field speed." "Suppose a farmer's present tractor is now pulling a 20 ft. tandem disk, that he makes two passes over the field, and that he can do about 50 acres a day. With the Disc-A-Mulcher, he only has to go over the field once, and he zips along at 8 to 9 miles per hour, covering twice as many acres with the same tractor." The secondary tillage tool requires just one pass over most fields, says Allhands. Burly 20 in. disc blades in front chop up trash and crop residue, making it easier for the three rows of S-tines in the center to reach under the soil and bring up clods. Key to the machine's high speed capability are rubber mountings which cushion the discs and extend their life. "This exclusive suspension system allows each disc gang to travel 3 in, vertically and more than 4 in. horizontally," explains Allhands. "If a blade strikes a rock, the rubber mounting is there to soften the blow. Another mounting absorbs the shock if the blade is shoved backwards. Twelve of these rubber pads are strategically mounted throughout the front row of discs. S-tines in the center section are spaced 5 in. apart for greater stirring action. Tines move sideways as well as frontwards and backwards, explains Allhands. Packer wheels at the rear put the finishing touch on work done by the discs and S-tines. "They pulverize the clods instead of pushing them into the ground, resulting in better moisture retention and erosion control. They're 19-in. in dia. and are equipped with scrapers to prevent sticking of wet soil," says Allhands. The Disc-A-Mulcher weighs right at 6,600 lbs. and retails for just under $1 per lb. Here, according to Allhands, are other key design features: • Disc gangs are set at only a 7? angle. "For the high speeds this tool is designed, a greater attack angle would throw too much soil", says Allhands. • The vibrating S-tines lose effectiveness below 5 1/2 mph. A typical operating speed is 8 mph, but it's not a maximum. • By adjusting large nuts on the spring cushioned tongue leveler, the tool can be leveled for transport. Ground clearance is 11 in. For more details, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Parker Industries, Silver Lake, Ind. 46982 (ph. 212 352-2141).

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