Little Fish Disc Plough: Sizes, Disc Diameter and Setup

The “Little Fish” disc plough is a popular three-point mounted disc plough recognised by the fish-shaped cut-out in its headstock. It is a common sight in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, where farmers need a plough that rides over stones and roots, works in hard dry soil and is simple to maintain. This guide explains how the Little Fish plough works, which size fits your tractor and how to get the best ploughing result.

What Is a Little Fish Disc Plough?

Instead of fixed mouldboard bottoms, a disc plough uses large, concave, rotating discs set at an angle to the direction of travel. Each disc rolls through the soil, cutting and turning a furrow slice. Because the disc turns rather than drags, it rolls over obstacles instead of breaking on them, and it keeps cutting in sticky or hard ground where a mouldboard would struggle.

The SH Little Fish ploughs have a fish-shaped cut-out in the headstock, a standard three-point hitch, 2 to 5 discs of 26, 28 or 30 inches, 550 mm disc spacing and a working depth of 150–330 mm, for tractors from 40 to 120 hp.

Little Fish Plough Sizes

Model	Discs	Working width	Weight (26 / 28 / 30 in)	Tractor power
SH-F2	2	0.6 m	308 / 319 / 325 kg	40–50 hp
SH-F3	3	0.9 m	387 / 404 / 412 kg	50–60 hp
SH-F4	4	1.2 m	515 / 537 / 549 kg	75–90 hp
SH-F5	5	1.5 m	569 / 650 / 664 kg	100–120 hp

All models plough 150–330 mm deep and are offered with 26, 28 or 30 inch discs.

26, 28 or 30 Inch Discs?

• 26 inch: the lightest option, suitable for normal soils and shallower ploughing.
• 28 inch: a good all-round choice for most farms.
• 30 inch: larger discs reach deeper and roll more easily over trash and stones, but add weight – check your tractor’s lift capacity.

For more on disc profiles and replacement, read our plough disc blades guide.

When to Choose a Disc Plough

A disc plough is the better choice on stony or root-filled ground, on hard dry soil before the rains, and in sticky clay where a mouldboard will not scour. A mouldboard plough gives cleaner inversion and buries residue better on clean, moist soil. Our disc plough vs mouldboard plough comparison explains the trade-offs in detail.

Setting Up a Little Fish Plough

1. Hitch and level: attach to the three-point linkage, then level the beam side to side with the lift-arm adjuster.
2. Set the top link so the rear furrow wheel carries some load and the plough runs steady.
3. Adjust the furrow wheel to control depth and to counter side draft – the plough should pull straight without the tractor crabbing.
4. Check the scrapers so each one sits close to its disc and keeps it clean in sticky soil.
5. Plough a test run, check depth and furrow width, and fine-tune before ploughing the whole field.

Maintenance Tips for a Long Service Life

• Grease the disc hubs before each season and check them for play. A worn bearing lets the disc wobble and wear unevenly.
• Check disc edges: a blunt disc will not penetrate hard ground. Replace discs when the edge is worn round or the diameter has dropped noticeably.
• Tighten all bolts on the beam, standards and headstock after the first few hours of work, then weekly.
• Clean and oil the discs after the season to stop rust, and store the plough on blocks so the discs do not sit in mud.
• Keep spare scrapers and hub seals on hand during the busy ploughing season.

Choosing a robust, easy-to-repair implement is part of the FAO’s advice on sustainable agricultural mechanization for smallholder and medium farms.

FAQ

Why is it called a “Little Fish” plough?

Because of the fish-shaped cut-out in the headstock plate.

What size Little Fish plough for a 60 hp tractor?

The 3-disc SH-F3 is matched to 50–60 hp.

How deep does it plough?

150–330 mm, depending on soil, disc size and setup.

Can I change the disc size later?

Choose the disc size when you order. Tell us your soil and tractor and we will recommend 26, 28 or 30 inch.

Get a Quote

Send us your tractor HP, soil type and destination port. Compare all disc and mouldboard models on our ploughs page.