The IH #8 Little Genius is here

[flusher]

This venerable plow arrived today from the wilds of central Illinois. It's an IH (McCormick-Deering?) #8 Little Genius 2-14 trailer plow from the 1940s. Weighs about 800 lb. Rolled off the trailer with ease.

It's one of the best looking #8's I've seen around. All the parts seem to be there. The springs are in good shape.

I checked local salvage yards and looked at plows that showed up in the classifieds. Mostly overpriced junk, usually with missing parts and badly worn plows.

Not too bad for $350. But shipping cost twice that. Oh well, something like this happens once in a lifetime.

First order of business: check out the clutch mechanism.
Then a thorough refurbishment.

 

[RobS]

Sounds like a good find flusher. Can you explain though, what is a clutch doing on a plow? Also, in the last picture the wheel on the right (plow left) looks to have something other than a simple bearing. Is that the clutch? What does it do?

 

[flusher]

Sounds like a good find flusher. Can you explain though, what is a clutch doing on a plow? Also, in the last picture the wheel on the right (plow left) looks to have something other than a simple bearing. Is that the clutch? What does it do?

Yep that's the clutch mechanism. It raises and lowers the plow.

Assume the plow is raised for transport. When you want to drop the plow and start it digging, you pull a rope attached to the clutch arm and move the tractor forward. The plow wheel makes a half-turn and lowers the plow. Pull the rope again and move the tractor forward and the plow is raised within a half-turn of the plow wheel.

Here's a drawing of the clutch mechanism from a manual I have for that plow (dated 8-25-44)

Hmmm. Maybe that's why IH/MD calls it the Little Genius.

You can go to YouTube and see folks plowing with this type of rig. Looks like great fun!

Raising and lowering the plow with this mechanical clutch is no more difficult for the operator than moving the joystick on a hydraulic control valve to do the same thing if the plow were fitted with a hydraulic cylinder. I think that is possible, but purists like myself would not dare make that modification to this old warhorse.

 

[RobS]

Well isn't that just the slickest thing? Thanks for taking the time to explain it flusher. Looking forward to your refurb, with plenty of pictures I hope!

 

[flusher]

Well isn't that just the slickest thing? Thanks for taking the time to explain it flusher. Looking forward to your refurb, with plenty of pictures I hope!

I'll be working on it later this Spring.

Right now I have a 1940s-vintage 7-ft Ferguson tandem drag disc in the shop that's being refurbished. Needs some straightening and welding on the disc hitch and an adapter fabricated to connect it to the tractor such that the release mechanism works properly. Hope to finish this in March.

Meanwhile the 1964 MF-135 diesel has erratic oil pressure and is taking up the other bay in the shop. Oil pump, maybe. Need to fix that problem so I can try out these old implements.

This old iron is fun, but it's work, work, work.

And I always document these restorations with the digicam.

 

[California]

You have the neatest toys!

 

[BATTY54]

Just got around to reading this post. I have a single bottom either 16" or 18" if they made such an animal that size. It works well but was wondering if there are any setup or lever setting in the manual you have? I have been using it for a few years now and broke one of the springs in the front. I set it up where I thought was correct but have a problem with it not dropping all the time. Or at least drops and bounces/lifts up again. Great pic of the clutch I may try to clean that up this spring and see if it helps.
Thanks
Carl