BDM-M Upgraded 3-Row Modular Disk Harrows

In order to improve the quality of operation and reliability of disk harrows, BDT-AGRO Company has developed and launched a new line of modular disk harrows BDM-M.

The modular harrow consists of a carrier module, disk module, and press wheels. The carrier module is comprised by a trailer, longitudinal frame, and chassis, while the disk module consists of a transverse frame with the disks on individual tines; the attack angle of the disks in each row can be simultaneously varied. The disk module is attached to the bottom of the carrier module using flanges that form a single base surface. The press wheels are installed in a single line immediately after the disks and ahead of the chassis. As an option, support wheels for precise adjustment of the tillage depth may be installed ahead of the tool.

BDM-M 3-Row Harrow Features Compared to 2- and 4-Row Harrows:

• 4-row harrows have a relatively small distance between the rows, that is 675 mm. As harrows are transported as metal frame structures, the row-to-row distance is limited by shipping concerns. As a result, the soil lifted by the front disk rows prevents the rear disks from operating efficiently. To avoid jamming, the user either has to slow down or decrease the operating depth. 3-row harrows have a smaller disk-to-disk distance in a row, 350 mm, while the row-to-row distance is much longer, that is 1050 mm. Each disk coverage and overlap are similar for 3- and 4-row harrows. So both 4- and 3-row harrows can operate on very weedy fields and at greater depths.

• The first-to-last row distance is the same for 3- and 4-row harrows. The longer frame better absorbs the small unevenness of the ground. 3-row harrows are also perfect land planning tools. They easily remove crown ridges, backfurrows, deep wheeltracks, molehills, etc. The 3-row harrow is your best choice for fallow land reuse.

Key Advantages of 3-Row Harrows:

1. Originally, 3-row harrows with separate holders for each vertically tilted disk had a disk-to-disk distance of 300 mm within a row. Then this distance was simply divided by the number of rows. So the offset for each holder with respect to the frame came up to just 100 mm. It should be noted that each disk is vertically tilted and its lowermost point almost never matches the holder pivot axis. This resulted in an irregular disk pattern. Many 3-row harrow manufacturers still use such an arrangement. Based on the studies performed, BDT-AGRO has developed and tested a new, improved disk layout. The 3-row harrow disk-to-disk distance is 350 mm. For this reason, lower tractor power is required, and up to 12 % of fuel is saved compared to the same-width tools from other manufacturers, while preserving the soil processing quality.

2. All disk tools face a problem: each row of disks tries to pull the harrow in the direction of the disk rotation. The tool turns about the tractor hitch point. To balance the harrow, its first row is made symmetrical: half of the disks face one side and the other half face the other side. Nevertheless, for a 300 mm row-to-row distance it is impossible to exceed a 15° angle of attack for two adjacent disks facing opposite directions. Since the angle of attack is adjusted for the entire row at once, the first row angle would always be below 15° regardless of the adjustment mechanism operation. There are two solutions: either to cheat the customer by falsely declaring that the tool has an adjustable angle of attack, or to install one disk outside the row, making the tool and the adjustment procedure more complex. The 3-row harrows from BDT-AGRO have a disk-to-disk distance of 350 mm. It is quite sufficient to avoid any adjustment issues for the first row angle of attack.

3. The tools from BDT-AGRO have disk holders with a grease channel and groove. Lubrication is required just once a season. That is why the harrows have only one grease fitting. In an emergency, you can unscrew the holder mounting bolt, put some grease inside and push it all the way down to the joint while screwing in the bolt. The design significantly improves the joint performance and makes it easier to remove the holder.

4. The new generation bearing assemblies from BDT-AGRO are easier to maintain and much more reliable than the “conventional” design.

5. An optional new generation, maintenance-free cutter can be installed to the standard harrows mounts. In practice, one maintenance-free cutter can treat up to 70 hectares with no user intervention.

6. A common disadvantage of all disk harrows is that the outermost disk in the last row leaves an open, deep furrow. The outmost last row disk holder on the tools from BDT- AGRO is 40 mm shorter than other holders. As a result, the outmost last row disk is positioned 40 mm higher than the other disks. This makes a shallow furrow but still undercuts, grinds and throws enough soil to cover the furrows left by the front row and other rear row disks. The press wheel finishes leveling the field. The patented design of LLC BDT-AGRO tools improves land treatment quality.

7. LLC BDT-AGRO provides a 12-months warranty for the frame, the straight holder, the chassis and the drawbar (the warranty does not cover the bearings and wear parts).

BDM-M 3-Row Modular Harrows vs. Basic BDM 3-Row Harrows:

• In the BDM-M modular harrow with a maximum operating width of 6 m, the folding tools have a transport width of 2.55 m. This enables them to be operated on public roads without an escort.

• In basic BDM harrows, the press wheels are installed after the chassis, far from the disks. The press wheels run on soil already treated by the disks. In this case, the press wheels have weaker action and pulverize and level the soil to a lesser extent. For large operating width tools, the wheels are located on wings immediately after the disks, while the central press wheel is located far behind the chassis. When press wheels are used in rough terrain or if the tractor is pitching and rocking, the varying distance between the wheels and disks causes the whole weight of the tool to rest on the central press wheel in a pulsatile manner, while the wheels on the wings are, on the contrary, unloaded; this effect causes overloading of the central press wheel frame and bearings. On modular harrows the press wheels are mounted in a single line right after the disks. In this case, the soil thrown from the disks falls on the wheels. The wheels operate in conjunction with the disks to crush and level the top soil better. Furthermore, wheels mounted in a single line accept the same load from the entire tool. But the load caused by the tractor rocking is much less, as the wheels are located close to the disks, and the wheel oscillation amplitude is much less. This allows replacing spring shock absorbers with standard wire stretchers. The design has become easier and more reliable.

• The press wheels of different types are available: helical, slatted, helical slatted, toothed, or disk-shaped.

The slatted and helical slatted wheels manufactured by BDT-AGRO are designed so that a bar enters into the soil in a near-vertical orientation, and leaves the soil nearly horizontally. As a result, it digs, cuts ridges and levels the field surface properly after the tool passage.

When treating loose soil, for instance in tillage operations, when the wheels fall through and are clogged with the soil, the wheels shall be turned 180°. In this case, the bar will be laid down on the soil horizontally, and moved out of the soil vertically, thereby increasing the wheel support surface; the wheel will grab less soil, and its clogging will be reduced.