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Iowa | I've tried several VT tools, but not the Mcfarlane. The Mcfarlane has some unique features.
In general, VT tools like the great plains turbotill do more cutting and less scraping than a disk. This results in residue cut up in smaller pieces and more of it laying on the surface with minimal soil movement. The disk has fewer blades and runs them at more of an angle, doing less cutting of residue and more scraping and inversion of soil. Several VT machines fit somewhere inbetween. A standard disk will uproot and kill more weeds than a straight blade VT tool. A Landoll VT has just enough angle to take out some small weeds. The CIH VT tool runs at more of an angle, but less angle than a standard disk. A standard disk will move more soil horizontally and do a better job leveling out chisel plow ridges. The standard disk is able to penetrate consistently on chisel plowed ground, but not so much (at least here) on fresh 200+ bu corn stalk ground as compared to a VT tool. The VT tools shine in the fall on heavy corn stalks. It might not look like they are doing much from the road since they dont throw much dirt or bury much residue, but the difference is like night and day the following spring, very consistent and a dream to plant in. Some plant directly into the stale seedbed while others do a spring preplant pass with the VT tool, field cultivator, or soil finisher.
It really comes down to what you are trying to do. They are good for dealing with crop residue without doing major tillage. One of the VT tools could be a good fit or perhaps not, but they are not the same thing as a disk. There are differences in the way things work.
Edited by tigger 11/19/2012 18:34
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vertical tillage
