4 shear pins in 1/3 acre. Only 2/3 to go!

[charlesw]

So how many more shear pins (bolts) should I get?

Anyway, wow. It's been fun! My first time plowing is quite an experience. I hope I can finish that tomorrow after work. I suppose I can - if I get enough spare bolts!

The first bolt snapped on the root of a tree. Might have been an 8" diameter tree. Big deal. I replaced the bolt then promptly plowed the root out. The 2nd and 3rd bolts sheared on, well, I don't know. I followed the first example and just started out nice and slow and sheared the 3rd. Oh well!

Given that I have another 25 acres that I will surely work some day, I may need to change methods. Perhaps... Perhaps if I run a middle buster over the lot of it then plow...

I forgot to mention that none of this has been worked in 20+ years. Last year I did mow down most bushes with a brush hog. Of course, that means that there are big root masses everywhere.

Regardless of the best method, I guess that the first time doing any spot will be as bad as it get. Still, I wish it weren't so bad!

cheers!
c

 

[thcri]

I am sure the guy at the hardware store is going to like you?

 

[Z-Michigan]

Can you give us some details on your land and the equipment? Sounds like an area that the spring-trip type plows were made for.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

No matter if you end up replacing 1000 more, it's far better than slamming your chest into the steering wheel @ 4-1/2mph, let me tell ya! I started off plowing with solid beam plows. I was in my teens and it hurt. Old bones don't deal with that as well.

Spring re-set trip beams are all that AND a bag of chips.

 

[charlesw]

Can you give us some details on your land and the equipment? Sounds like an area that the spring-trip type plows were made for.

Well... We're at the top of the hill. So it's kind of rocky. Used to be a potato farm... But that was years ago. The land hasn't been used in over 20 years. Hmm. Given the size of the stump that broke the first shear bolt I guess the land hasn't been used in 30 years! Anyway, 40 hill-top acres. Around 15 of those are forest. Around 10 are sort of open fields. The rest is overgrown fields.

I'm plowing in the sort of open stuff. I've got a few bu of barley I really need to get planted! But... Up here you can't typically work the ground until around April 15. Of course, this year on April 15 we had 19" of snow on the ground... I've just been waiting for things to dry out enough to plant. Of course, I've also given up on that and have decided to plant on the slope instead of in the nice loam at the bottom...

And it's all a learning experience. Sure, my neighbor (an actual farmer - as opposed to those of us who only play at being farmers) told me that I should get rid of root masses before plowing. "Just grab 'em with a chain and pull 'em out." Well, that would be fine if I knew where they were! Well, it might not be fine even then... There are a lot of them. A lot a lot.

And it's not just the bushes I brush hogged. The previous owner wanted a better view so he cut trees down to the root. Only he didn't remove the roots. Well, guess who is removing the roots - one bolt at a time!

And... Say... Do you think that I can still call my grains organic? I mean, what with all of the foreign objects (shear bolts) I'm putting in the ground and all...

 

[Oleozz]

Like you I'm plowing ground that hasn't been turned over for at least 20 yrs and it ain't no picnic. The sod is a matted, rooty mess but after the first year things do get better. I am using a Howse plow and it doesn't pull worth a darn but my tractor does have draft control and that helps some.
Good luck with your plowing.

 

[andrewj]

Like you I'm plowing ground that hasn't been turned over for at least 20 yrs and it ain't no picnic. The sod is a matted, rooty mess but after the first year things do get better. I am using a Howse plow and it doesn't pull worth a darn but my tractor does have draft control and that helps some.
Good luck with your plowing.

same boat. I have a Ford 101 with 3 16 inch bottoms, and land that hasn't seen a plow in 50 yrs acording to old neighbors. So buy stock in shearbolts...haha.

 

[Frostyford]

Oh, I hear you there. I'm doing some clearing as well. Got most of the black berries in my way mowed down, but then when in with my box blade with the sacrificers and choped up the virgen ground a bit, the tried to till it in (don't have a disk, or middle buster. Slam. Three bolts in less than 100yards of movement. Gave up, and ran the BB again to smooth it out and dropped some seed down. Let's hope it grows.

Frostyford (Scott)

 

[Z-Michigan]

Do you have any option to have a neighbor come through and open your ground with a multishank ripper or chisel plow? That would probably find and remove a number of roots and stumps without you putting so much iron in the soil.

I have recently plowed up a field that was fallow for at least 7-8 years, maybe more. I used a Landpride scarifier with my JD5105 in 4wd. I had to stop every other row to kick dirt clods out from the shanks. However, nothing stopped me and I pulled out a lot of roots, even some buried branches. In one case I even pulled out a tree stump without meaning to! This would be a pricey tool to buy for just one use, and I think it takes a fairly big tractor to pull it well, but if a neighbor has a ripper (which is bigger than my scarifier) that would probably do the same job without wear on your equipment. I would expect to pay a custom rate but hopefully less than $100/acre and that might be worth your money to avoid the wear on your own tractor and plow.

 

[charlesw]

and that might be worth your money to avoid the wear on your own tractor and plow.

It doesn't feel like there's any wear on the tractor... I've got a NH 3930 and I'm only pulling a 2-bottom (with 14" blades). The only time I even really slow down is when I hit the wetter stuff down towards the bottom of the slope. As in, I hit big stumps or rocks and the shear bolts shear instantly - no jolt or anything.

Now, if I had lost 3 bolts in my first 100 yards, well, yeah. I'd have done something differently! It's a good idea to ask the neighbors. I mean, we just got our first TSC and I probably would have gone down and gotten a middle buster. Nothing like plowing your fields so that you can plow your fields!

c