When designing our harrow tine we tested many different types of steel hardness and thickness. We found that anything above 1/2" (.5") diameter collected too much trash, and also mild steel is...well....mild steel and prone to break and/or spread open. We also tried heat treating the tines, but like cast iron it made the tine too brittle and was prone to break when hit.
Therefore, we decided to go with a high quality, yet slimmer steel rod in which to form our tine. Our precise manufacturing, using the highest quality materials, has allowed us to create a tine that will outlast the competition by 3 times!
We start with a 1/2" (.5") 1038 carbon spring steel rod. The rod is then drawn (or pulled) through a .452" die. This is the real secret to our tine strength, because by drawing the steel it gives the steel rod an additional 20,000 lbs. tensile strength! Drawing the steel proved to be better than heat treating for our tine, in that we were able to greatly increase the steel strength but did not compromise the steel's integrity.
The steel rod is then bent using a computerized bender to ensure consistent form. Since every single tine is identical to the others there is even wear throughout the entire harrow mat, and there is no need to replace individual tines - once one is worn out, they all are. All tines are 4 1/2" long and are held at a 120 degree angle in the aggressive mode. The 120 degree angle creates the perfect balance between penetration and trash clearance.
Each of our harrow sections come in seamless single widths, so there is no streaking, no need to tie together sections, and no binding and tangling.
Like every other tine harrow out there we have front and rear sections. However, we use welded front hooks that go around the drawbar instead of smaller hooks that are placed through holes in the drawbar. The welded hook allows free movement to stop binding and premature wear, as well as eliminates the issue of unhooking! The open rear hooks are designed so they are able to be hooked and unhooked, but not out in the field when the harrow is in use.
The tines can be pulled in the aggressive mode (tines standing up), less aggressive mode (tines laying flat), or a combination between the front and rear sections so you can work-up and smooth-out all in one pass!
Who says they don't make anything good in America anymore? While foreign manufacturers are trying to cut costs using the cheapest materials and labor, we refuse to manufacture a product that wears out too fast, breaks apart, or functions unevenly. We feel farm equipment isn't supposed to be disposable, and have created a product that even our grandfathers would be proud of.