2 bottom plow quandry

Varmintmist · Aug 16, 2005

I have been looking for a 2 bottom smaller plow for a bit, not real seriously though. Well, I have some dirt I have to loosen to move and I was thinking of making a scarfire. Then I thought a plow would do the job and I could use it for the garden and food plots.

I found a couple, some were made of gold so I skipped them and am pretty well down to 2.

First is a nice one. Its a Ford 12 or 14in I really dont care because either will work for me. I think it is a 14 though. The only thing I can see that is wrong with it is the paint is gone. The points show very little wear and the sod cutters are still there and in decent shape. 225.00

Second is where my Scottish blood is cranking down hard on me. For those that dont get it there is a reason that Scrooge McDuck had a Scotch accent, being parsimonious is in the blood, it is almost painful /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It is a Dearborn. It is rough and shows some wear. The left hand pin for the 3 pt is rusted away like it was laid on its left side for 30 years, which at a guess, it was. I figure if I get this one I will end up getting 2 3/4 in pieces of flat steel, boreing a 3/4 in hole in them for new bolt on pins and a 1.5 in hole to fit over the bar where the old pins were and welding it in place. It has some use on it and the guy selling it said I could have it for 50 bucks but if I ever had to replace a plow point I was looking at 45 bucks/per if I could get one around here. Everything except the left 3 pt pin looks OK, of course it looks like a boat load of rust was scrubbed on it.

50 bucks and some fabrication that I think I can make work or 225 for a solid unit that I can get parts for and put to work tommorow.

I need some opinions, right wrong or indifferent.

milkman · Aug 16, 2005

Mahindra 3510, 6ft KKBB, KK carryall, 5 ft Bush Hog Squealer, Husky 359, Husky 136

Just go cough up the two and a quarter and it will go good with the good stuff you already got. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif you can be plowing right away /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Onthesauk · Aug 16, 2005

Buy them both. You've got a working one to use now and for $50 more you've got one to repair. It's hardly a dinner out any more and with a little effort, even if you don't end up using it, bet you can sell it for more then $50!

TNhobbyfarmer · Aug 16, 2005

Go with the Ford. They're the best ever made IMHO.

VT_Kioti · Aug 16, 2005

You can save $175 and have the Dearborn. Then pay for the 3/4" bars. Then spend the time fabing them to fit.
When you get to the bottom line you will have spent the same in cost, time and labor as you would for the Ford so be good to yourself, spend the $225, and start having fun right off.

Al

sassafraspete · Aug 16, 2005

I would go with the newer Ford, as it probably has replacable shares and shins that you can buy at TSC for not too much. You will have a hard time finding any replacement shares or points for the dearborn. How do I know? I bought an old dearborn this spring for $200... and then did my homework later to only find out new points were hard to get. But no more plowing than I will be doing (garden spots) , I decided the dearborn would work ok for me for several more years "as is". I do know that these plows are still way much better than some of the new ones you can buy. That old iron is really good in this case.

sassafraspete

Egon · Aug 17, 2005

Pete:

Can you get the points built up by a welder? Once built up they should last for years unless you are into ploughing many - many acres.

Egon

Indydirtfarmer · Aug 17, 2005

I'm just guessing, but most likely, that "newer Ford plow" is probably a model 101, as they are the most common. That is about as good of a 3-point plow as ANYONE ever produced. They pull easy (compared to other brands, or even other model of plows made/marketed by Ford) The wear parts are still readily available through Ford/New Holland, or many aftermarket sources. And they do an excellent job of turning dirt! (Not all plows do so well in all conditions)

But for the price, I wouldn't walk away from the Dearborn plow either. I'd consider re-working it, then re-selling for a little profit, to defer some of the cost of the Ford plow.

sassafraspete · Aug 17, 2005

Hi Egon, you are right. I was interested in rebuilding to get close to new performance, but after finding out how scarce replacements were, decided I "could live with" the plow. I am not a welder, but will keep that in mind if the need arises. Looks like the area on mine that has taken the most beating is the shin area of the plow...but of course on this plow there are no replacable shins. If I had the choice of the two, I would go with the one that you can rehab with easy to get bolt on parts.

pete

Varmintmist · Aug 17, 2005

This is a great place to spend other peoples money /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I'm stuck on which one, and you guys got me buying 2 /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif AND I am thinking about it /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I could put the Dearborn in the front yard for a ornament. That will make the wife happy, something else to mow around and more weed wacker work /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif