Overview & Specs

Degelman Strawmaster X: Disc Harrow Specs & Reviews

The Degelman Strawmaster X is the model that fills the gap between a heavy harrow and a high-speed disc. It pairs a single front row of 20-inch discs with the same 30-inch carbide tine sections used on the Strawmaster Pro, and the discs are adjustable on the go — Degelman calls it disc-on-command. The result is a tool that sizes and incorporates residue more aggressively than any drag harrow, blackens soil to warm a spring seedbed, yet stays far less aggressive than a full vertical-tillage or high-speed disc pass. In a dry year the discs lift out and it runs as a straight four-bar harrow.

Built on the Strawmaster + frame in two widths — 50 and 70 feet — the X is aimed at operations that want more than a harrow but don’t want to commit to the soil disturbance and horsepower demand of a high-speed disc.

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Discs on Command: The Core Idea

The discs run at an adjustable angle from 0 to 15 degrees, set hydraulically from the cab. That single adjustment is what makes the X versatile across conditions and seasons rather than a one-trick implement. One row of 20-inch discs at 10-inch spacing runs ahead of four-bar tine sections, and Degelman found this layout resists plugging in wet conditions and lets material flow through freely instead of bunching.

A key prairie advantage: the X can size residue while still leaving some standing stubble to catch and hold snow over winter — overwinter moisture capture that a full disc pass eliminates.

Key Specifications

The X comes in two widths sharing disc and tine architecture. The SMX70 is the high-acre machine, the SMX50 the lighter-horsepower option.

Spec	SMX50	SMX70
Working Width	50 ft	70 ft
Weight	27,300 lbs	35,640 lbs
Horsepower (min)	400 hp	500 hp
Horsepower (ideal)	450 hp	550 hp
Transport Length	42 ft 3 in	55 ft
Transport Width	13 ft 4 in	12 ft 6 in
Transport Height	13 ft 10 in	13 ft 6 in
Harrow Sections	5	7
Hitch Weight	-650 lbs	-790 lbs

Specifications Common to All Models

Spec	Detail
Rows of Tines	4 (30 in tines, Pro-spec)
Disc Size	20 in
Disc Spacing	10 in
Disc Angle	0° – 15° variable
Wing Beam	10 in x 10 in x 1/4 in
Trailer Frame	6 in x 10 in x 3/8 in & 4 in x 10 in x 1/2 in
Cross Joints	2-1/2 in vertical, 3 in horizontal
Tires	560/60R22.5 / 500/60R22.5
Setting Indicators	Cart height, beam torsion, tine angle

Reading the Disc-Angle Settings

The disc angle is the single most useful adjustment on the machine, and matching it to conditions is what separates a good field finish from a poor one.

Disc Angle	Effect
0° – 4°	Opens ground and cuts trash with minimal soil disruption — closest to a true vertical-tillage pass
5° – 7°	Mixes some soil with residue and loosens the profile while leaving stubble standing to catch snow — the everyday prairie setting
8° – 10°	Aggressive setting for working wet low spots full of high trash and drying them out

Three setting indicators — for cart height, beam torsion and tine angle — let the operator see exactly how the machine is configured, which matters when chasing a repeatable finish across variable fields.

Disc Options

The X can be specced with four different disc blades, and the choice meaningfully changes how the machine behaves.

Disc Option	Best For	Angle Range
Wave Samurai	Cutting heavy trash and mixing soil; turns in heavy residue	4° – 10°+
5 Wave Notched	Maximum coverage and shallow mixing; notches aid penetration	0° – 10°
Curved Wave VT	Opening ground with minimal soil disruption (vertical-tillage style)	0° – 4°
Flattened Double V	Cutting and sizing trash and incorporating; smoother furrow	2° – 10°+

Matching disc choice to residue load and tillage philosophy is worth a conversation with your dealer before ordering.

Horsepower and Transport

The X demands real horsepower — 400 hp minimum on the SMX50, 500 hp on the SMX70 — because it’s pulling discs through soil, not just dragging tines. Transport is well sorted: the inboard transport and wing-wheel assembly on flotation tires folds hydraulically, and the unique end-wheel design tracks behind the tractor better than traditional harrows, making narrow field approaches and grid-road travel easier and safer.

Best Applications

The Strawmaster X fits operations with heavy, variable crop residue that tines alone can’t size, where the goal is to cut and incorporate trash and blacken soil while keeping some stubble for snow capture. It’s a strong choice for farms that want one tool to cover both wet years (discs down, aggressive) and dry years (discs up, four-bar harrow), and that have the high-horsepower tractor to pull it.

It’s not the right fit for light residue programs that only need spreading, or operations under roughly 400 horsepower — those are better served by the Strawmaster Pro or the 7000 Series.

How It Compares to Other Strawmaster Models

The X is the most tillage-capable harrow in the family without crossing into high-speed-disc territory. Against the Strawmaster Pro, the X adds genuine cutting and more blackening through its disc row, where the Pro relies on tine down-pressure alone. Against the classic Strawmaster 7000 Series, it’s a substantially more aggressive and higher-horsepower machine. If residue is heavy enough that tines alone won’t size it but a step up to a Pro-Till high-speed disc is more than needed, the X is the targeted answer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is disc-on-command on the Strawmaster X?

It’s the hydraulic disc-angle adjustment that lets the operator set the discs anywhere from 0 to 15 degrees from the cab, or lift them out entirely to run the machine as a four-bar harrow.

How much horsepower does the Strawmaster X need?

400 hp minimum on the 50-foot SMX50 and 500 hp on the 70-foot SMX70, with ideal horsepower of 450 and 550 respectively.

What sizes does the Strawmaster X come in?

Two working widths: 50 feet (SMX50) and 70 feet (SMX70).

Is the Strawmaster X a disc or a harrow?

Both. It runs one row of 20-inch discs ahead of four bars of 30-inch tines, giving more cutting than a harrow but less aggression than a dedicated high-speed disc.

Can the discs be turned off?

Yes. In drier years the discs lift out of the way and the X works as a traditional four-bar harrow.

Which disc option should I choose?

It depends on residue load and how much soil disruption you want: Wave Samurai for the most aggressive cutting, Curved Wave VT for minimal-disturbance vertical-tillage-style work, with the 5 Wave Notched and Flattened Double V in between.

Does the Strawmaster X leave stubble for snow capture?

Yes. At moderate disc angles it sizes residue while leaving some standing stubble to catch and hold snow over winter — a prairie moisture advantage over a full disc pass.

How does the X differ from the Strawmaster Pro?

The Pro is tine-only and relies on down-pressure to move soil; the X adds a disc row for actual cutting and more blackening, making it the more tillage-capable of the two.

What disc spacing and size does the X use?

A single row of 20-inch discs on 10-inch spacing.

Is the Strawmaster X hard to transport?

No. It folds hydraulically to a transport width of 12 ft 6 in (70-foot) or 13 ft 4 in (50-foot), and the end-wheel design follows the tractor closely into narrow approaches.