6 Best Used Disc Harrows For Budget Conscious Hobby Farmers For Small Plots
Find the right used disc harrow for your small plot. Our guide reviews 6 top budget-friendly models for hobby farmers seeking affordable tillage solutions.
You’ve finally tilled up that half-acre plot, but the ground is still a lumpy mess of overturned sod and stubborn clods. A disc harrow is the tool you need to break it all down into a plantable seedbed, but new ones can cost a small fortune. For a hobby farmer, buying a solid used disc harrow is one of the smartest investments you can make, turning a rough patch into a productive garden without breaking the bank.
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What to Check When Buying a Used Disc Harrow
Before you hand over any cash, give the harrow a thorough once-over. The most important thing to check is the frame. Look for hairline cracks, especially around the welds where the gangs attach to the main structure. A bent or twisted frame is a deal-breaker, as it will never track straight or work the soil evenly.
Next, focus on the gangs—the assemblies that hold the disc blades. Grab the end of a gang and try to wiggle it up and down and side-to-side. A little bit of play is acceptable on an old machine, but significant clunking or wobbling means the bearings are shot. Replacing bearings isn’t impossible, but it can be a greasy, frustrating job that adds cost and downtime.
Inspect the discs themselves. They should be relatively uniform in size. If some are worn down to a much smaller diameter than others, it’s a sign of a hard life and uneven wear. Check the edges for major chips or cracks, which can happen if they’ve hit a lot of rocks. Also, check the scrapers—the metal bars that run behind each disc. They are crucial for keeping wet soil from building up and should be present and adjustable.
The Ford 201 Series: A Reliable Classic Find
If you see a blue or red Ford 201 series disc for sale, pay attention. These were built in an era when steel was thick and designs were simple. They are heavy for their size, which is exactly what you want for busting clods and cutting into compacted soil. Their weight helps them penetrate without needing to add concrete blocks, a common trick for lighter harrows.
The beauty of the 201 is its simplicity. There are no complex hydraulics or fussy adjustments, just solid steel and greaseable bearings. This makes them easy to maintain and repair. While they haven’t been made in decades, they were so common that finding used parts or compatible bearings is still very manageable.
These harrows are a perfect match for older utility tractors like a Ford 8N, 2000, or 3000. They provide enough cutting power for a few acres of food plots or a large market garden without being too much for a 30-40 horsepower tractor to handle. They represent a fantastic value in durability and performance.
John Deere KBA: Tough and Widely Available
The John Deere KBA is another old-school legend you’ll frequently find at farm auctions and in online classifieds. Known for its tough, rigid frame and heavy construction, the KBA was one of the most popular tandem disc harrows of its time. This popularity means they are easy to find and parts are still reasonably available.
Like the Ford 201, the KBA’s weight is its greatest asset. It bites into the soil effectively and can handle challenging conditions better than a modern, lightweight implement. They were often sold with notched discs on the front gang for aggressive cutting and smooth discs on the rear for finishing, a combination that works exceptionally well for primary tillage.
Be aware that the KBA is not a light-duty tool. Even the smaller 5- or 6-foot models require a tractor with decent horsepower and weight to pull them effectively, especially in heavy soil. Trying to pull a KBA with a sub-compact tractor is a recipe for frustration and spinning tires. It’s best suited for classic utility tractors in the 35-50 horsepower range.
Massey Ferguson 25: Simple and Effective Disc
The Massey Ferguson 25 disc harrow follows the same philosophy as its contemporaries from Ford and John Deere: simple, heavy, and effective. It’s a no-frills implement designed to do one job well. If you find one that has been stored inside and maintained, it will likely outlast many newer, more lightly built options.
The design is straightforward, with manually adjustable gang angles that allow you to set how aggressively it cuts. A shallower angle provides a finer finish, while a steep angle will dig and turn soil more aggressively. This versatility makes it a great all-around tool for a small farm, capable of both primary breakdown and final seedbed prep.
These discs were often paired with Massey Ferguson tractors like the iconic MF35 or MF135, so they are sized appropriately for that 30-45 horsepower class. Their durable build means that even a unit with some surface rust can be a great buy, as long as the frame is straight and the bearings are in decent shape.
King Kutter Angle Frame: A Common Budget Buy
You will find used King Kutter angle frame discs everywhere, and for good reason. They have been a staple at farm supply stores for years, making them an accessible entry point for new hobby farmers. Because they are so common, the used market is full of them at very attractive prices.
It’s important to understand the tradeoff here. King Kutters are a lighter-duty implement compared to the classic models from Ford or John Deere. They are built from angle iron instead of heavier box tubing, which makes them lighter and less expensive. This is perfect for working up previously tilled garden soil or maintaining food plots in sandy or loamy ground.
However, they will struggle with breaking up hard, compacted sod for the first time. Their lighter weight means they tend to bounce over hard ground rather than digging in. For someone with a smaller compact tractor under 30 horsepower, this lighter weight is actually a benefit, as it’s a load the tractor can comfortably handle.
Howse 500 Series: Light-Duty Plot Specialist
Similar to King Kutter, Howse is another brand that produces affordable, light-duty implements. The 500 series disc harrow is a common sight on small homesteads. They are designed for budget-conscious buyers and are well-suited for the specific tasks of a hobby farm.
Think of a Howse disc as a garden and food plot specialist. It’s the perfect tool for the annual task of breaking down winter cover crops or preparing your vegetable garden for spring planting. It’s not designed for the rigors of breaking new ground or working hundreds of acres, and it doesn’t pretend to be.
Their lighter construction makes them an excellent match for the lower end of the compact tractor horsepower range. If you have a 20-25 horsepower tractor, a 4- or 5-foot Howse disc is a much more realistic and effective choice than a heavier, older model that your tractor would struggle to pull.
IH Cub Tandem Disc: For Sub-Compact Power
For those with the smallest of tractors, like the legendary Farmall Cub or other sub-compacts under 20 horsepower, the IH Cub Tandem Disc is a godsend. These implements were specifically engineered to match the low horsepower and light weight of these tiny tractors. They are small, narrow, and light enough for a sub-compact to pull without issue.
Don’t mistake its small size for a lack of utility. For cultivating a large garden, tilling between rows, or prepping a small quarter-acre plot, it’s the right tool for the job. Using a larger, heavier disc with a sub-compact tractor is both ineffective and unsafe. The Cub disc allows these smaller machines to perform real soil work.
Finding one of these can be a bit of a treasure hunt, as they are often sold with the tractors themselves. But if you run a sub-compact and see one for sale, it’s worth grabbing. It’s a specialized tool that fills a crucial niche for the smallest-scale farmer.
Sizing Your Harrow to Your Tractor’s Horsepower
Matching the disc harrow to your tractor is the most critical step. A harrow that’s too big is a useless anchor, and one that’s too small is inefficient. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 4-5 horsepower per foot of disc width. For a 6-foot disc, you’ll want a bare minimum of 24-30 horsepower.
But horsepower is only half the story. The weight of your tractor is just as important for traction. A light tractor will just spin its wheels trying to pull a heavy disc, even if it has enough horsepower. Furthermore, soil type drastically changes the equation. Pulling a 5-foot disc through heavy, wet clay requires far more power and traction than pulling it through loose, sandy soil.
Ultimately, you have to balance width, disc diameter, and overall weight. A heavy 5-foot disc with large 20-inch blades is a much bigger load than a light 5-foot disc with smaller 16-inch blades. Always err on the side of a slightly smaller harrow. It’s far better to make an extra pass with a disc you can pull easily than to struggle and strain your equipment with one that’s too large.
A well-chosen used disc harrow can be a game-changer for your small farm, saving you hours of back-breaking labor. By focusing on the condition of the frame and bearings and correctly matching the implement’s size and weight to your tractor, you can find a reliable tool that will serve you well for years. The right piece of steel is out there waiting to turn your rough ground into a productive plot.
