Converting a plow from Cat 2 to Cat 1

[claybreaker 144]

I purchased a big old Ford 2 bottom 18"trip plow with my idea of making a nice one bottom. Didn't realize the plow was catagory 2. Now I am looking for parts to convert to catagory 1. The picture attached shows what I have to replace. Any vendor or website suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

[gwdixon]

Will this one work? Price of the part plus shipping would be ridiculous from California. You could take yours to a machine shop and have the pins turned down to CAT 1.

Anyway, I converted a CAT 1 to a CAT 2 by simply welding a drawbar to the plow. You could do the same with a CAT 1 bar.

But I have a Top & Tilt that makes adjusting easy and on the fly. I think the bar you have in the photo is for old style tractors that are difficult to adjust so the adjustment is made at the bar.

[sixdogs]

Not a lot of choices here and you might be better off selling it and finding another. The bar is stepped to compensate for the rear wheel being in the furrow but the plow adjusted level to the ground. It's possible your tractor lift arms will open the distance to fit the category II spacing. I think they will. If so, you could have a machine shop reduce the diameter of the pins. That might work.

You could also find a junked plow and swap. I'll bet there are more cat I bars in bone yards and cat II would be more desirable for a trade. Those are thin options and the best bet might be to look for another and sell yours.

[Reyer Farms]

You buy cat 1 pins that have cat 2 threaded ends and bushing the top link. If that helps.

[Reyer Farms]

Sorry I see thumbnail now. I can weld you one up if ever aroun Mississippi

[MBTRAC]

Ok, whichever way you go it's not going to easy, though I'd be more inclined to fit Cat II linkage balls on the tractor (if it's possible on your tractor) & use sleeve/bush converters when required to fit Cat I implements (I've done this on several of my tractors so I can easily run both Cat I & Cat II implements on the same tractor

Sparex USA may be able to provide other options/ideas & conversion components-
Sparex Home

[ky billhilly]

This isn't as big a problem as it seems. If you dont think your skills are up to it a machine shop could do this easily. Measure well! Then again! Trim the original drawbar to a length you decide in step one to be less that you max opening of your lift arms plus the new pins and drop plates you will use to replace the bends in the original bar. These plates won't be very large but need to be beefy. drill the plates for the new cat1 pins weld the plate and pin assembly to the drawbar clocked in the correct orientation to maintain the level of the moldboard in the furrow when in use not when setting on the ground. Some manufactures even build new plows this very way to build for simplicity and cost expenditures. You might look on EverythingAttachments.com to get an idea if what I mean.

tim in the hills

[kneedeep]

Have a fab shop make one using the original as a pattern

[claybreaker 144]

I have a shop lined up that would machine the ends down but then I measured it and it need to be shortend 6" and I thought it would be difficult to weld with it being 2" diameter. I talked to a salvage yard and he thought he had one for a cat 1 plow. Everythingattachment is 25 mile away so they are another option.

[gwdixon]

Why does the shaft need to be shortened 6"? The adjustment on the 3PH lower arms should go 3" wider on both sides without a problem.

A shortened shaft would not fit in the original mount on the plow anyway.

Maybe I'm missing something.