Where to buy 3 or 4 bottom plow new?

[Oleozz]

If you lived anywhere close to Pa I would recommend you subscribe to a weekly magazine called the Lancaster Farming magazine. They have scores of three and four bottom plows listed every week in their Mailbox Market section.
Most farmers in this area are going no-till and are encouraged to do so by the local farm conservation agency.
I am pulling a two bottom plow with a 45 hp tractor and it gets a work out. I am turning over ground that hasn't been plowed for 20 plus years, it is thick heavy sod that is matted and intertwined with weeds. It is good flinty soil that is great for growing corn, once you get it worked up.

 

[dsb5610]

You can still buy a new plow from Deere. I would imagine they don't come cheap.

In addition to what FWJ said about soil type, if you are looking to plow ground that have not been worked in a number of years, the first time through may be a struggle. Subsequent years will be much better.

dsb

 

[skipmarcy]

A 5105 should be able to EASILY handle 3X14"'s in "typical" S Carolina soils. assuming yours is "typical". Get into hard baked clay soil and 2X14"'s might make it snort.

Remember, a plow should be used at 1/2 as deep as the bottoms width. (i.e a 16" plow should work 8" deep.) 12" or 14" don't roll dirt over completely if you try to plow 8" or 9" down. That gives a 12" or 14" plow a distinct advantage when we talk HP required, but limits depth you're able to plow.

Massey FErguson. Ford, and Oliver (White) made excellent 3-point plows back in the day. The Ford 101, and Massey #66 or #43 plows are about as good as a mounted plow can get. Replacement parts are still available, albiet hard to find and expensive, but they are rebuildable. Doubtful you'll find anything new that would come close to comparing dollar for dollar with a completely rebuilt Ford 101 or Massey #66. Those plows are frequently sold in the $200 to $400 price range for a 2 or 3 bottom version. New shares, shins, landslides, moldboards, coverboards (if equipped), and coulter hubs will set you back on average, around $250 per bottom. That'll get you in business with a "new" old plow (with all new wear parts) in the $800 to $1200 range, depending on price paid initially for the plow and number of bottoms. For the record, you WON'T buy a new Knverneland plow in that price range.

You're a little ways from where I live(western middle Tenn.) but I know where there is a MF 3 bottom plow in my vicinity that could be had in the $250 (+/-) range. I ran across it a couple weeks ago while looking for a 2 bottom for myself. Someone has cut the Cat. 2 pins off and welded Cat. 1 pins on it. I would have bought it but as luck would have it a good friend gave me a MF 4 bottom plow that I broke down to a 2 bottom and it works fantastic, plus I've got the spare parts too !! Don't know much about plows but this one is surely well built and breaks new ground just dandy. I had priced new 2 bottoms, TSC wanted right at $700 and it didn't have half the meat this old MF has.

 

[andrewj]

it upsets my sense of stibility in the universe to hear that someone cut a MF 4 bottom plow in half! or that someone took a good 10 foot cultipacker and made three 3 foot ones to sell to deer hunters! Sorry, had to vent...! (haha)

thanks for the replies thus far...I checked out the JD ones, and dear Lord, tens of thousands of dollars!

 

[Farmwithjunk]

it upsets my sense of stibility in the universe to hear that someone cut a MF 4 bottom plow in half! or that someone took a good 10 foot cultipacker and made three 3 foot ones to sell to deer hunters! Sorry, had to vent...! (haha)

thanks for the replies thus far...I checked out the JD ones, and dear Lord, tens of thousands of dollars!

Just wait 'till you get ahold of the price sheet from Kverneland The Deere plows starts looking like a cheap-o.

 

[rebuilder]

it upsets my sense of stibility in the universe to hear that someone cut a MF 4 bottom plow in half!

I hear ya on that. The upside is that at least with my Ford 101, I can "cut" it down by removing a few bolts and sew 'er back up again with no loss of life.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

it upsets my sense of stibility in the universe to hear that someone cut a MF 4 bottom plow in half! or that someone took a good 10 foot cultipacker and made three 3 foot ones to sell to deer hunters! Sorry, had to vent...! (haha)

thanks for the replies thus far...I checked out the JD ones, and dear Lord, tens of thousands of dollars!

A lot of the smaller older plows were able to break down. To add a bottom the frame work just bolted on to what was already there. To remove a bottome you just removed a few bolts. The plow is fine still and can be remade into the larger version by adding the section back on. I have a MF 880 semi mount that was a 5-16 but I took off the rear section as I was lucky to find a basic 4 frame with one bottom add on. I also have another 4-14 MF plow that is older and is a 3pt mount that I can just remove a few bolts and make into a 2 or 3 bottom (I think it breaks down to a 2 but I don't remember). I know for sure the 3-14 International can be broke down to a two bottom as that is how I bought it and the guy had the third bottom off so I put it back together. These older plows can be a lot of fun if you look at them. They can be set up for just about any tractor by just adding or subtracting a few bolts.I just checked, the other MF plow I have is the model 82 and is a basic 3 with a bolt on 4th. You can see it in this thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/ag-tractors-machinery/66163-massey-ferguson-82-plow-price.html

 

[Gizmo36]

you can get a 4 disc Tiller made by Athens for 250$ . you may have to drive (45 min) to get it. And that is as good as you will find.

 

[skipmarcy]

it upsets my sense of stibility in the universe to hear that someone cut a MF 4 bottom plow in half! or that someone took a good 10 foot cultipacker and made three 3 foot ones to sell to deer hunters! Sorry, had to vent...! (haha)

thanks for the replies thus far...I checked out the JD ones, and dear Lord, tens of thousands of dollars!

I didn't cut a thing - I oiled and worked at removing bolts for 2 days and took it apart. Could be back together again in less than an hour. I did have to weld 2 short, heavy pieces of angle iron on front for my Cat.1 pins but a couple minutes with a torch and they could be gone. A few new bolts and you've got your big plow ready to go.

 

[grizer]

I found a John deere with three sixteens with trip shanks, replaced shears and slides for a total of 700. 00 investment. No coulters, but works well without them. previous owner had replaced slides with ones that were too short. I was told by John deere dealer that it is a model 810 from the fifties.
Sweet equipment sales has one like it now.