Deep dive into Big Dog disc machinery

Apr 12, 2024

The Big Dog disc plough, already a desirable option for chemical-free weed control, is growing both its machine size and product range

Sometimes in farming, efficiencies are sought through subtle adjustments or highly advanced nuances.

Other times, the best way of getting that desired boost is just through a bigger and more powerful machine.

This latter approach is how Big Dog disc ploughs have created their point of difference and become a popular option for Australia’s broadacre farmers and contractors.

“We are building the machines heavier than before,” Big Dog Disc’s Andrew Nolan says.

“We have moved to 8m, 9m and 10m machines and we’re finding a lot of the big broadacre farmers want to get over the land and they’ve got the horsepower on their tractors to pull these types of ploughs. Bigger is better – that’s what people want to do.”

To change animal analogies, the Big Dog is clearly a solid workhorse which is designed to excel in the wide and often harsh expanses of Australian farmland.

It is therefore unsurprising that Big Dog disc ploughs are heavy-duty machines which are built to last and can handle rugged conditions.

The Big Dogs all have 10mm and 12mm thick frames, 200mm by 150mm box sections and 8mm thick plates on the front and back.

It is this durability, combined with the size, which makes Big Dog disc ploughs ideal for farmers and contractors looking to bolster their efficiency by getting the job done in less time.

“It’s a one pass machine. Everything is getting down to one pass so people can minimise fuel costs and someone sitting on a tractor at $40 an hour,” Nolan says.

“With the price of chemicals, which is a big cost now with contractors, people obviously want to minimise cost and get as much of a weed kill as they can.

“Preparing that bed for seeding with as few passes as possible seems to be the way people are going.”

The cost benefits in terms of reduced chemical usage and minimised labour time can become significant, in addition to the obvious advantages of having land prepared sooner.

Big Dog disc ploughs are far from a “quick fix” though, as Nolan believes the cultivation methods offered by the offset discs provide major advantages to both weed control and soil health.

“What offsets do is keep the ground very cloggy and chunky and they don’t lose the moisture,” he says.

“Our feedback is that people who are fallowing paddocks are getting a better yield to those crops through fallow and they’re improving the microbes in their soil, which is a big topic at the moment with soil preservation.”

Big Dog disc ploughs are also fitted with levellers, a travel hitch, overcentre hydraulics and adjustable gangs.

Nolan says a change in bearing type ensures easier use, while the design of some of their smaller units ensures their transportation is a breeze.

“We used to use an oil-barbed bearing but they were very problematic with people not knowing how to fill the correct amount of oil back in to them,” he says.

“We would find the oil-barbed bearings would start seeping, so we’ve gone back to a greaseable bearing, which gives us minimal headaches.

“We also use a 400mm and 500mm flotation tyre, which gives the machine very good stability on the road moving from one paddock to another farm. The flotation tyres also work well on any undulating country.

“One of the big attractions with the smaller machines, which is very popular with the 4m, 4.5m, 5.5m and 6.5m machines, is they fold up to a 2.5m to 3.4m folding width.

“This allows people to move without an escort and through 10ft (3m) and 12ft (3.7m) gateways, which is a big plus for a lot of farmers.”

New breed

While Big Dog Disc may be on to a winner, the company is not resting on its laurels.

In addition to boosting the size of disc plough available, crumble rollers have also been added and a retrofittable seed box is another option.A new machine – the Big Dog Speed Disc Harrow – has also been included in the offering and is available with widths from 4m to 9m.

“That is a new one which is coming onto the market and is good for farmers doing secondary passes, although you can use it as either a primary or a second pass machine,” Nolan says.

“It has got smaller discs and allows you to go a bit faster, to therefore get over the land quicker overall.

“It is ideal for paddocks which have been worked a couple of years in advance and they don’t need a set of offsets to bust up virgin country.

“It has a retrofittable seed box, which can also be retrofitted onto the plough or the offsets.

“If you want to do pasture improvement – which seems to be a growing area in the farming community as well – once again it’s one pass.

“This means you can offset your land, you can sow it at the same time and the crumble roller will leave the paddock like a bed, so when you’re going to drive across in your vehicle it leaves the paddock very smooth.”

Big Dog disc ploughs have become a common sight on Australian farms, and Nolan says many sales have come through farmers seeing a neighbour operating one and noticing the benefits.

“We have the ability to sell one machine in a district and we’ll pick up another dozen sales because people are that impressed with the product,” he says.

With input costs continuing to be a challenge, and Big Dog’s benefits only becoming more apparent – the company’s bark appears set to only become louder.

To see the full Big Dog range, visit www.bigdogdisc.com.au

1973 DAVID BROWN 885

$5,500

Heywood, VIC

MAHINDRA EMAX + LOADER + CANOPY + GRILL GUARD + 4 IN 1 BUCKET + BACKHOE 25 S

$35,990

Wendouree, VIC

AGMAX RP004 SINGLE TINE RIPPER - SMALL

$650

Thomastown, VIC

MICHELIN 480/70R28

$2,000

Tooradin, VIC

VERSATILE 320

$247,500

Teviotville, QLD

MAHINDRA 2025 (JIVO)

$15,990

Wendouree, VIC

KUBOTA L2002DT TRACTOR WITH 4 IN 1 FEL

$20,950

Thomastown, VIC

APOLLO 120HP TRACTOR

$68,800

Emu Plains, NSW

TRIDENT 55HP 4WD TRACTOR COMBO DEAL AUSTRALIA WIDE DELIVERY & SUPPORT BEST COMPACT AND UTILITY TRACTORS AUSTRALIA WIDE DELIVERY & SUPPORT

$36,990

Dudley Park, SA

APOLLO 30HP TRACTOR + 4 IN 1 LOADER + BACKHOE

$38,200

Geebung, QLD

CASE 25B FARMALL

$20,800

Gatton, QLD

SOLIS 26HST

$29,150

Toowoomba, QLD