# Drag harrow versus liftable harrow...which should I get??



## KenEastman (Aug 30, 2020)

I'm in the market for a chain harrow. I want a 5/8"-tine in part because it will last longer but also because it's heavier than the standard 1/2"-tine harrow. I'm in SoCal and the soil is very hard when it's not wet..most decomposed granite and that's tough on the tines. I'm debating whether I should get a harrow that is just a mat that I pull behind the tractor or whether I should otherwise get a liftable harrow. If you have some experience with the liftable harrow, I'm intersted to know what you think of it. Does it work every bi as well as a drag-mat...but adds the convenience of being able to clean the crap out of the tines more easily?


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

From this ... 









to this ...



















My area is known as Sand Prairie. When a drought happens, the ground acts just like solid concrete. A ground auger on the tractor will not cut it either. 

We have been conditioning the soil. Livestock via permaculture methods of stacking organic compost (poo+hay) into garden wheelbarrow loads over the land. 










Then disc harrow the compost in to the soil as a blend. Not so deep either. 









Add another pass or 2.










In 2 years of time doing this effort, garden areas are no longer concrete when in dry or drought conditions. 

On the other tractor forum, there is a HUGE debate on your topic. The 3PT lift people, the pull only behind people and the no-added weight people. I had seriously tried all three methods. 

The 3PT has stronger advantages over just the pull type. For one, if you are doing garden beds like I show here, the tractor can 3PT lift it out of the bed allow the disc not to rip up your yard as a pull hind would do. Unless the pull behind has those funny flip down wheels that can get jammed and a hand sledge hammer is a must to carry around all the time to beat the wheel mechanism in place to transport. After awhile I despised that system and went fully 3PT lift and control. Some people have a top-link with hydraulic control for the 3PT method and need no weights. 

Now the weights on the disc harrow really comes down to your machine, the type of soil and how deep you really want to till. I'm for weights, but only 'selectively'. The trick is knowing when to properly use them, how much to add or how much to remove. 

Old American Iron tractors pre-3PT used the pull behind disc harrows that teams of horses use to pull. Very old and back breaking work. Amish still work this way today.


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## KenEastman (Aug 30, 2020)

KenEastman said:


> I'm in the market for a chain harrow. I want a 5/8"-tine in part because it will last longer but also because it's heavier than the standard 1/2"-tine harrow. I'm in SoCal and the soil is very hard when it's not wet..most decomposed granite and that's tough on the tines. I'm debating whether I should get a harrow that is just a mat that I pull behind the tractor or whether I should otherwise get a liftable harrow. If you have some experience with the liftable harrow, I'm intersted to know what you think of it. Does it work every bi as well as a drag-mat...but adds the convenience of being able to clean the crap out of the tines more easily?





bmaverick said:


> From this ...
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Tractor people are terrific! Thanks for that input for sure. I'm now heavily leaning in the liftable harrow direction. Thanks for taking the time to provide you input.


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