Plowing

[chardage]

Thinking about buying an older tractor for plowing. will use a 2 bottom. use for crops and smoothing/ restoring about 15 acres of improved pasture. i hear the International Farmall 140 is good for this. Other suggestions?

 

[texas42]

A 140 would likely not do well with 2 bottoms, in fact probably not pull it at all
You would need to go up to at lea a 230 if not a 300 to pull 2 bottoms at a reasonable pace

 

[oosik]

Bottom, moldboard plowing is one of the toughest "pulls" for a tractor. I have a 16 inch - single bottom - moldboard plow. I plow 6" to 8" deep and at times this is a real chore for my M6040.

That's some 64 engine HP on a single bottom plow.

 

[jyoutz]

I suggest getting a Fred Cain multi-shank plow instead of a moldboard plow for smaller tractors. They work great and are easier to pull and use than a moldboard plow.

Fred Cain 9 Shank 3 Point Field Cultivator

This Field Cultivator is a good attachment to break new ground or to tear up the hard pan in the field. Free Shipping

www.everythingattachments.com

 

[jaxs]

A 140 isn't enough horsepower to do meaningful work. I'd get at least 30 horse and feel better with 40. Regardless of horsepower it can do more work with disc type turning plow compared to moldboard. Two things make a lot of difference when choosing a tractor. Whether you plan to use a rotary mower and if you need the mower on 3 point apposed to drag. If you can live without 3 point AND you know how to judge condition of tractors Farmall H,Super H,M and Super M are workhorses that sell for less than half what their 3 point counterparts do. My first choice of vintage tractors for small acreage are 4 cylinder 2000 and 4000 Ford. Unless you have mechanical experience with diesels and plan doing your own repair,stay away from diesel that isn't in top condition.

 

[milkman636]

A 140 isn't enough horsepower to do meaningful work. I'd get at least 30 horse and feel better with 40. Regardless of horsepower it can do more work with disc type turning plow compared to moldboard. Two things make a lot of difference when choosing a tractor. Whether you plan to use a rotary mower and if you need the mower on 3 point apposed to drag. If you can live without 3 point AND you know how to judge condition of tractors Farmall H,Super H,M and Super M are workhorses that sell for less than half what their 3 point counterparts do. My first choice of vintage tractors for small acreage are 4 cylinder 2000 and 4000 Ford. Unless you have mechanical experience with diesels and plan doing your own repair,stay away from diesel that isn't in top condition.

I used to plow gardens with a Ford 2000 tractor and a Ford 2x14 plow. It would have probably struggled some with 16" bottoms. A Ford 3000 or 4000 would be a great match for almost any two bottom plow. Ford also made some of the best two bottom plows.

Another important consideration should be getting a plow with coulters and good points on it. Getting the plow adjusted properly so the pull is straight and level will be an important factor in how well the tractor pulls it too.

 

[workinonit]

A 140 will pull a 2 bottom plow just fine. Maybe not on unbroken pasture but turning farm ground they are fine. I've spent half my life on one. That said, I wouldn't buy a 140 nowadays for that task. Too many tractors that do that so much better. I have 3 140s and just use them for planting and cultivating the garden.

 

[Like Tractors]

A little recreational plowing with my M5_091 and an Oliver 546 4-16" plow. It walks the dog through good Iowa soil, where there is compaction it will make her snort a little.

 

[wolc123]

If you want to get an old tractor for plowing, I would recommend a Ford 8n. I use a use a 1951 on a 2x12 plow and it does a wonderful job with that.

I am the second owner and it has just under 2000 hours on it now (it had 1200 on it when I bought it). It still has the original tires and paint and has always been stored inside.

It always plowed good, with loaded rear R1 tires, but one of the original rims (furrow side) rusted thru (3) years ago. I was worried that it wouldn’t plow as good with just one loaded rear.

Much to my surprise, it actually plows better now, doing more acres per hour and using less fuel. Traction is better on the furrow side, so not having the extra weight on that side, evens up the pull force on the plow.


While it plows better now, the same can’t be said about pulling my two row cultivator. Now it pulls to one side with that, so I moved that job to my newer tractor, that has both loaded rears.

 

[52wej]

One thing not mentioned is whether you have draft control on the tractor. That makes a real difference in how the tractor performs when plowing. Also what type of soil do you have? Sandy versus a hard clay? Many factors to consider when evaluating plowing performance.

I know from experience the ford plows are very good units when set up correctly. I spent hundreds of hours as a youngster plowing our fields in late fall and early winter here in Central VA with a Ford 3000 and a two bottom roll over plow. For our terraces and contour strips on the hills it couldn't be beat. The land plows harder in the fall than the spring, but for soils with a lot of clay, the freezing and thawing of winter breaks the clay down so the land works up much smoother when it is time to plant in the spring. W. Jones