3 PT MoldBoard Plows, New or Used?

[sweettractors]

Yet you sell them:

To the OP - have you tried your dealer? I just went thru about 3 months of searching CL for a 1 bottom 14 and couldn't find anything worth buying and driving for between Virginia and Mississippi within 50 miles of the I81 route.

For $250 there were a few but they looked like their bolts would soon rust thru. ETA has some nice ones with decent prices and I almost bought their $600 one.

But I called up my local Fredricksburg, Va. Kubota dealership and they had a Howse 16" for $459 and they even threw in a new Kubota hat

Mr. Newburg, If you know your plow history, none of your old reliable Ford, MF, IH, Oliver, Ferguson, JD or Dearborn made a low profile plow. Compacts and sub compact tractors have just been out a relatively short period of time in the scheme of things and new is all you can get. Ken Sweet

 

[wolftree]

allen in texas,

I can completely understand. There is something special about a Ford 3pt moldboard plow. It just looks right. There was a lot of engineering that went into them. Old Henry Ford worked to keep all excess off of his machines, whether cars or tractors. He made them simple and functional.

I will be using a 25-35 HP, 4 wheel drive, gear transmission, color not determined as yet. I was all set to pounce on a Ford 101, 1x16 with coulter and gauge wheel but was ambushed financially. But, That belongs in a different kind of Forum.

I will be seeking either a Ford 101 1x12-16 or 2x12. Of the new plows, I do like the ETA the best as well as some of their other equipment as well.

I am selling a piece of machinery soon (non-ag) that will allow me to jump when I find the plow I want.

 

[newbury]

Mr. Newburg, If you know your plow history, none of your old reliable Ford, MF, IH, Oliver, Ferguson, JD or Dearborn made a low profile plow. Compacts and sub compact tractors have just been out a relatively short period of time in the scheme of things and new is all you can get. Ken Sweet

Then Mr. Sweeg don't make blanket statements.

 

[sweettractors]

Which new plow manufacturers have the auto trip mechanisms like the older plows? If you tripped a beam, you just back the tractor up about 3-4 ft and the plow beam locks back into its home position and you are plowing again. You don't even leave your tractor seat. New Shearpin plows are only good for sandy ground. You got rock or roots and you will be off the tractor every 10 minute putting in shearpins. Ken Sweet

 

[allen in texas]

Wolftree,
Are you talking 25-35 PTO power or engine power. PTO HP translates roughly to drawbar HP and that is what you need to consider in selecting a plow. An old time rule of thumb, one horsepower is required for each inch of plow bottom. It doesn't take a lot of tractor to pull a single 16.
Many variables figure in on this, tractor weight, soil type, etc but a 25 to 35 PTO HP tractor will typically handle a 2x14 or a 2x16 plow. (28 HP based on the rule of thumb).
A lot of the subcompact tractors have this much power but most of them don't have the physical size or weight to handle some plows. Are you set on a really small plow because you are thinking sub compact tractor?

 

[allen in texas]

There's a couple of great plows listed here - or rather a couple that are up my alley. I run an old Ford plow (3) 16's, but with Oliver bottoms. Figured this out with Shoup when I needed new steel for it, after lots of disappointment with New Holland dealers. I wish it provided better coverage when plowing sod, despite adjustments, it still doesn't quite do the job I'd like. Has trash plates installed, usually turning over alfalfa/sod ground for corn, grazed short since I usually calve heifers on that ground. It does well enough though, 95% or better, but you know how that it is.

ARe there some good 2-way plows being made now? Who makes a good one with 3 bottoms?

LOL!
How much money do you have.
Kverneland
Ploughs / Kverneland Soil Equipment / Kverneland brand Corporate site / Home - Kverneland Brand
Kuhn
Master 103 NSH - 3 bodies - Mounted Roll-Over Plows - KUHN North America.com
Overum
Overum Reversible Plows

I wanted the Kuhn until I found out the simplest and lightest 3 bottom was $9500.
I found an old oliver 6241, rebuilt it and made if fit my tractor for about $750

These are all available in the states.

There are some made in China that at first glance seem to be a decent plow but I've never seen a place to get one here.
http://sdycdadi.en.made-in-china.com/product/kvtnReXcHmhM/China-Hydraulic-Flip-Plough.html

 

[Reyer Farms]

Ken, I'm have been looking at adding extensions on mine, when I turn cover crops I get a little green showing from left hand side. Thanks for sharing.

I was looking a the Kuhn plows and instead of a coulter it has a smaller plow. What is the principle and advantage of this design?

 

[sweettractors]

Ken, I'm have been looking at adding extensions on mine, when I turn cover crops I get a little green showing from left hand side. Thanks for sharing.

I was looking a the Kuhn plows and instead of a coulter it has a smaller plow. What is the principle and advantage of this design?

The smaller moldboard is made for High Speed plowing in easy turning soil. Ken Sweet

 

[wolftree]

allen in texas,

PTO / Drawbar HP is what I will be watching. The physical size of the 1 bottom or 2 bottom plow is what I will be looking at, both for use and storage. I will be plowing ten or more local gardens, not all are easy access. I can see where I will be backing up after a pass to start the next furrow on a few places, rather than trying to turn around.

I had to sell my IH 444 (38 PTO HP), John Deere "G" and Farmall "A" tractors and IH 2x16 plow and other equipment awhile back for financial reasons. I sold the plow too cheap locally thinking it would stay on the hill here. He did not know how to adjust it to his tractor and basically sold it for scrap price ($50), rather than ask me how to adjust it. A thousand dollar plow he sold for scrap, yep, I am P.O.ed


Finding a tractor with live PTO is proving to be a governing factor on the tractor size. So 30 HP PTO seems to be the dividing line for many tractors. There were a few older with LIVE PTO as an option. Very few had Live as standard.

 

[nspec]

I was looking a the Kuhn plows and instead of a coulter it has a smaller plow. What is the principle and advantage of this design?

It's called a jointer. You can have jointers along with coulters. They help turn the trash over at the very top of the cut before it climbs up the moldboard and has a chance to remain unturned. It helps to really start turning things over and then the moldboard can really turn it completely and bury all of the trash. Here's a pic of my Ferguson single bottom with a jointer attached to the coulter. I can turn really thick winter rye and you can see very little trash when I'm done.

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