1720 Plow Size

[50degS]

Plan on buying a turning plow for my Ford 1720 4wd. Thought I might get some advice on what size plow would be best for this size tractor. Ground to be plowed I would call average, not clay and not soft. Just trying to get an idea of what to start looking for.

Thanks

 

[square1]

Dad's 630 John Deere (~45 HP) would pull 3-16s. The Ford N series (~23 hp) were sold as being able to plow an acre an hour at 3/4 throttle in 2nd gear with 2-14s. It's going to depend on the soil, but it looks like around, maybe a little under 1 HP per 1" of plow is a rough guesstimate for a geared transmission tractor.

 

[bspeedy]

It will depend upon your choice of tires and the land to be plowed. You might get away with 2-12's but a 1-16 would be a safer bet and may save you time and agony in the long run. My NH TC30 - almost the same as 1720 - struggled with a 2-12 plow.

 

[50degS]

Dad's 630 John Deere (~45 HP) would pull 3-16s. The Ford N series (~23 hp) were sold as being able to plow an acre an hour at 3/4 throttle in 2nd gear with 2-14s. It's going to depend on the soil, but it looks like around, maybe a little under 1 HP per 1" of plow is a rough guesstimate for a geared transmission tractor.

Good info, I appreciate it.

 

[50degS]

It will depend upon your choice of tires and the land to be plowed. You might get away with 2-12's but a 1-16 would be a safer bet and may save you time and agony in the long run. My NH TC30 - almost the same as 1720 - struggled with a 2-12 plow.

That's kinda what I was afraid of, that a double might be a little much under certain conditions. I'll probably just look for a single to be on the safe side. Never know what kind of ground you'll encounter if you happen to go plow for a friend or relative.

Thanks

 

[jeff9366]

Ford 1720

1987 - 2000 Twenty Compact Series
Compact Utility tractor

Distributor: Ford
Manufacturer: Shibaura
Factory: Japan
Original price (USD)
$14,000 (2000 )

Ford 1720 Engine:
Shibaura 1.5L 3-cyl diesel

Capacity:
Fuel: 8.5 gal [32.2 L]
Hydraulic system: 7.1 gal [26.9 L]

3-Point Hitch:
Rear Type: I
Control: draft control*
Rear lift (at 24"/610mm): 1742 lbs [790 kg]

Power Take-off (PTO):
Rear PTO: transmission
live*
Rear RPM: 540

Dimensions & Tires:
Wheelbase: 65 inches [165 cm]
Weight: 2491 to 2690 pounds

Ford 1720 Power:
Engine (gross): 27.7 hp [20.7 kW]
Engine (net): 26.5 hp [19.8 kW] O (claimed): 23.5 hp [17.5 kW]

Mechanical:
Chassis: 4x2 2WD
4x4 MFWD 4WD
Steering: power
Brakes: wet disc
Cab: Two-post ROPS.

Hydraulics:
Type: open center
Capacity: 7.1 gal [26.9 L]
Pump flow: 7.8 gpm [29.5 lpm]
Total flow: 10.6 gpm [40.1 lpm]
Steering flow: 2.8 gpm [10.6 lpm]

 

[jeff9366]

With 4-WD you will have no trouble pulling a 2 X 12" moldboard plow IN GOOD CONDITION in any MOIST soil.
Clean, shine moldboard, ground contact points reasonably sharp.

12" plow is the classic "sodbuster" size and remains most popular size for CUTS today.
Bigger (14", 16") plows create really deep furrows which require considerable additional work to smooth out. (A 16" plow requires almost twice the traction to pull, relative to a 12" plow.)
You need to be cautious not to mix infertile subsoil with fertile top soil when plowing, another reason 12" plows are the most popular size.


HST is the optimum transmission for plowing with a CUT.

Have you used a turning plow before? Fairly long learning curve for this "art."

What implement do you have to smooth plow furrows? Disc Harrow?

How much ground will you work?

What do you intend to plant?


If you intend to buy new, I will give ETA's plows a good recommendation based on my personal use.
LINK: Everything Attachments 12 Inch Double Bottom Plow

 

[jeff9366]

Dad's 630 John Deere (~45 HP) would pull 3-16s. The Ford N series (~23 hp) were sold as being able to plow an acre an hour at 3/4 throttle in 2nd gear with 2-14s. It's going to depend on the soil, but it looks like around, maybe a little under 1 HP per 1" of plow is a rough guesstimate for a geared transmission tractor.

The Ford N series were all 2-WD.

Tractor weight is more important than tractor horsepower in ground contact work, plowing above all.

Damp soil is almost more important than tractor weight.

 

[showcattle]

Our NH 2210 is comparable to the 1720. Ours has the R4 tires, and it will plow with an old Ford 2 bottom 12" plow with no problem.

 

[50degS]

With 4-WD you will have no trouble pulling a 2 X 12" moldboard plow IN GOOD CONDITION in any MOIST soil.
Clean, shine moldboard, ground contact points reasonably sharp.

12" plow is the classic "sodbuster" size and remains most popular size for CUTS today.
Bigger (14", 16") plows create really deep furrows which require considerable additional work to smooth out. (A 16" plow requires almost twice the traction to pull, relative to a 12" plow.)
You need to be cautious not to mix infertile subsoil with fertile top soil when plowing, another reason 12" plows are the most popular size.


HST is the optimum transmission for plowing with a CUT. The one I ended up with didn't have HST.

Have you used a turning plow before? Fairly long learning curve for this "art." Been a long time but yes.

What implement do you have to smooth plow furrows? Disc Harrow? Nothing yet but a Troy Bilt horse. Hoping to find a rotary tiller also.

How much ground will you work? Not that much, garden spot about 100' x 70'

What do you intend to plant? Typical, corn, beans, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes


If you intend to buy new, I will give ETA's plows a good recommendation based on my personal use.
LINK: Everything Attachments 12 Inch Double Bottom Plow

Tried to answer most of the questions above....

Thanks for all the info, this is exactly the kind of advice I need for this tractor.