6 Best Tractor Disc Attachments for Tillage

You’ve just finished harvesting a bed of kale, and now you’re looking at a patch of compacted soil and tough plant residue. Or maybe your winter cover crop of rye is waist-high, and it’s time to terminate it and prepare for spring planting. In both scenarios, turning that ground into a workable seedbed feels like a monumental task, but this is exactly where a good disc harrow earns its keep on a small farm.

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Understanding Disc Harrows for Market Gardens

A disc harrow isn’t a plow. It doesn’t invert the soil deep down, but instead performs crucial secondary tillage by slicing, lifting, and mixing the top several inches of earth. This action breaks up clods left by a plow, chops up crop residue, and incorporates amendments like compost or fertilizer. For no-till or low-till growers, it’s often the primary tool for terminating a cover crop, chopping it into the surface to begin decomposition.

The key is matching the disc to your tractor and your soil. A disc that’s too heavy or wide will bog down your tractor, making it useless. One that’s too light will just bounce across hard ground, barely scratching the surface. You’ll hear terms like "gangs" (the axles holding the blades), "angle" (how aggressively they’re set), and "blades" (notched or smooth). Understanding these simple components is the first step to choosing the right tool for the job.

King Kutter XB Angle Frame Disc Harrow: Versatile

King Kutter is a name you see everywhere in small-scale farming, and for good reason. Their XB Angle Frame Disc Harrow is a solid, middle-of-the-road option that offers fantastic versatility for most market garden tasks. It’s heavy enough to bite into moderately compacted soil but light enough for most compact tractors in the 25-45 horsepower range to handle without issue.

What makes it a great all-rounder are the adjustable gang angles. You can set them aggressively to chop up a tough cover crop or straighten them out for a final, smoothing pass before planting. They typically come with sealed bearings, which is a huge plus—it means less time on your back with a grease gun. The angle iron frame keeps the weight manageable, making it a reliable workhorse for incorporating compost, breaking up old vegetable beds, and general field prep.

CountyLine Disc Harrow: Accessible and Affordable

If you need a disc harrow today and your budget is tight, the CountyLine models from retailers like Tractor Supply are often the most accessible choice. They are designed as an entry-level implement, perfect for someone just starting out or for light-duty work on soil that’s already in good condition. They get the job done for annual garden prep and breaking up soil that’s been previously tilled.

The tradeoff for that accessibility and low price point is durability. These are typically lighter-duty implements with an angle iron frame and components that may not stand up to years of abuse on rocky or heavy clay soil. If you’re farming a few acres and using it multiple times a season, you might find yourself replacing bearings or dealing with frame flex sooner than you would with a heavier-built model. It’s a fantastic starting point, but be realistic about its limitations.

Titan 4-Foot Notched Disc Harrow for Tough Soil

When you’re faced with hard-packed ground or a thick mat of residue, smooth disc blades can struggle to dig in. This is where the Titan 4-Foot Notched Disc Harrow shines. The notches on the blades act like teeth, grabbing and ripping through tough vegetation and compacted soil. This makes it an excellent choice for breaking new ground or for terminating a dense cover crop like sorghum-sudangrass.

This disc is built to be aggressive. Its compact 4-foot width concentrates your tractor’s power into a smaller area, increasing its cutting force. This design is ideal for sub-compact and smaller compact tractors that need every advantage they can get. The downside of all that aggression is the finish. A pass with a notched disc can leave the ground lumpier than a smooth disc would, sometimes requiring a follow-up pass with a chain harrow or field cultivator to create a fine seedbed.

Tarter Angle Frame Disc for Compact Tractors

For those running sub-compact tractors (under 25 horsepower), weight and size are everything. The Tarter Angle Frame Disc is specifically designed for this class of machine. It’s lightweight, narrow, and won’t put undue strain on your tractor’s three-point hitch or engine. It’s the perfect tool for maintaining established garden plots, working in tight spaces, and preparing soil that doesn’t require deep, aggressive tillage.

Think of this as a maintenance tool, not a sod-buster. It excels at creating a fine tilth in raised beds or small plots where a larger, heavier disc would be overkill and difficult to maneuver. If you’re trying to break up a decade of compaction, this isn’t your tool. But for the yearly task of turning over your half-acre market garden, it’s an efficient and appropriately scaled implement.

ETA Box Frame Disc Harrow: Heavy-Duty Performance

When you move from an angle iron frame to a box frame, you’re making a serious upgrade in durability and performance. The ETA Box Frame Disc Harrow uses a frame made of square steel tubing, which is significantly heavier and more rigid. That extra weight is its biggest advantage—it forces the disc blades into the ground and keeps them there, preventing the implement from bouncing over hard spots.

This is the kind of disc you buy when you’re tired of your lighter model skipping across dry, baked clay. It’s built for the serious market gardener who works several acres and needs an implement that can handle constant use. Of course, that extra weight requires a more capable tractor, typically in the 30+ horsepower range. It’s a bigger investment, but the return is better soil penetration and a tool that will last for many seasons of hard work.

Land Pride DH15 Series Disc Harrow for Durability

Land Pride has a reputation for building high-quality, durable equipment, and their DH15 Series disc harrows are no exception. Often sold through tractor dealerships, these are a premium option for the small-acreage farmer who values longevity and performance. The DH15 is engineered specifically for compact tractors, bringing heavy-duty features to a smaller package.

What you’re paying for here is build quality. The steel is thicker, the welds are cleaner, and the components, like bearings and bushings, are made to last. These discs often feature a combination of notched front blades for aggressive cutting and smooth rear blades for a finer finish, giving you the best of both worlds in a single pass. If you believe in buying a tool once and having it for a decade or more, a Land Pride disc is a strong contender.

Choosing Your Disc: Gang Angle and Blade Type

Ultimately, the best disc harrow is the one that fits your tractor, your soil, and your specific tasks. Don’t get caught up in brand names alone; focus on the features that matter. Two of the most critical are gang angle and blade type.

Gang angle determines how aggressively the disc cuts. A steep angle creates a "V" shape that digs deep, flips more soil, and requires more horsepower. A shallow, or "straight," angle is for light finishing work. An adjustable gang angle is one of the most valuable features for a market garden, as it allows one tool to perform multiple jobs, from aggressive primary chopping to light seedbed finishing.

Blade type dictates how the disc interacts with the soil.

• Notched Blades: Best for cutting through thick residue and breaking up hard, cloddy soil. They are aggressive.
• Smooth Blades: Best for leaving a finer, more level finish. They are ideal for secondary passes to prepare a seedbed.
• Combination: Many of the best harrows for market gardens use notched blades on the front gang to do the hard work and smooth blades on the rear gang to clean it all up. This setup offers tremendous versatility.

Before you buy anything, check your tractor’s manual. Know your three-point hitch category (likely Category 1) and your tractor’s recommended horsepower and lift capacity. The most impressive disc harrow in the world is just a heavy lawn ornament if your tractor can’t lift it or pull it effectively.

Choosing a disc harrow is a foundational decision for a market garden. It’s not just about turning dirt; it’s about managing soil structure, terminating cover crops efficiently, and saving your back from hours of labor. By matching the disc’s weight, width, and features to your tractor and your land, you’re investing in a tool that will pay you back every single season.