3pt plow and disc for my JD4720?

[Pennsyltucky Hillbilly]

My tractor is a JD4720 58hp/50pto hp model. I've been searching craigslist, etc for used implements. Any thoughts/advise on a 3pt plow? Can I pull a 3 bottom in somewhat rocky soil or should I be looking for a 2 bottom plow? 12", 14", 16"? Any advise on models I should watch for? Any I should avoid? What about a 3pt disc? What disc size/width, etc would be appropriate for my tractor. Any particular models recommended? I am not a farmer. The implements would be used for gardening and wildlife food plots. Thanks!

 

[bja105]

You have the horsepower for a 3 bottom, I don't know if you have the weight and traction.

I have a three bottom 14 inch, it was four bottoms, I didn't have the traction to pull all four. In too dry soil, I had problems with the three. I am working with a Ford 4610, which weighs 1000 lbs more than your tractor before ballasting. I have 1400 lbs of calcium in the tires and a loader frame, too.

I am working in clay soil with some sandstone.

 

[jeff9366]

What tires do you have on your JD4720? Do you have Four Wheel Drive?

How many acres do you expect to garden?

How many acres in food plots?

You may be better off with a PTO powered rotary tiller and a HEAVY Disc Harrow, rather than a plow and Disc Harrow.

How deep do you want to turn the earth? You need to keep top soil in the root zone. Moldboard (Turning) Plows turn sod over a narrow, inflexible range.

12" plow will turn 5" - 7"

14" plow will turn 6" - 8"

16" plow will turn 7" - 9"

A three bottom 12" plow, properly adjusted, will plow three touching furrows totaling 36" wide and 5" to 7" deep.

A three bottom 16" plow, properly adjusted, will plow three touching furrows totaling 48" wide, and 7" to 9" deep, but requires a great deal more power and traction to pull.

Plowing on a slope is an advanced skill.

If you look at used plows keep in mind it is difficult to replace worn parts these days. Buy a used plow in good shape.

Once plowed, a Disc Harrow with 20" diameter pans or 22" diameter pans, should keep your gardens and food plots in good tilth with use of plow only once every three or four years. You do not want to plow more often than necessary.

In some parts of the country a HEAVY Disc Harrow (20" - 24" diameter pans) can be used to scratch in food plots without plowing first. A Disc Harrow will not bust sod, however. For that you need a plow or sub-soiler.


DISC HARROW SELECTION LINK:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/308251-disc-harrow-selection-18-45-a.html?highlight=

 

[Turkeyman]

I have a 2005 4720 with R4 tires and I can pull a Deerborn 3 -14" bottom plow in semi clay soil at at 3-4 mph, which is too slow for me. It turns the soil but on the next trip the R4's start to slip when you put them in the previous furrow.
I also pull a 7'6" Hardee 3 pt disk, 1200 lb disk. At one point I even added about 1100 lbs of concrete to make the disk stay in the ground. The tractor has the power but the R4's lack traction in slick/wet soil.

I at times pull a 84 med duty tiller too.

 

[Pennsyltucky Hillbilly]

Thanks all!

Some additional info...

My tractor has R1 ag tires and is 4WD.

Tractordata lists it as 3860 lbs plus I have a loader and some rear wheel weights.

Our garden currently is roughly 50ft x 50ft but we are looking to expand it. I don't think it will likely ever be over half an acre though.

Food plots could go 1-2 acres initially but depending on how much work they are and how much time and $ I have, could go up to 4-5 acres at the max.

How important are the coulters? I see a lot of used plows without them...

 

[jeff9366]

Food plots could go 1-2 acres initially but depending on how much work they are and how much time and $ I have, could go up to 4-5 acres at the max.

Are your potential food plots on level ground? Plowing on hillsides is an advanced skill. Will you have one food plot or a series of small food plots totaling 4-5 acres?

If your food plots will be on sloped ground I would go with a rotary tiller and HEAVY Disc Harrow.

The tiller will be better for a garden and you can probably get by with a HEAVY Disc Harrow for food plots. A Disc Harrow is relatively easy to use on sloped ground. Food plot seeds are strong germinators and the seed is relatively cheap.

If the disc does not cut it, you can still use the rotary tiller.

Here is a link to further plow information:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...oard-plow-wisdom-farmwithjunk.html?highlight=



Re: Importance of coulters?

Personally, I wouldn't own a plow WITHOUT coulters. Never would, never will be without. They don't do much (if anything) to make plows pull easier.....They make 'em pull with less aggrevation though....When plowing in crop residue (ie stalks) or weeds, they cut a slit where the plow can work through rather than dragging all that residue into a heap under the plow beam. Having coulters set properly makes the difference between working correctly and not seeing any advantage. I also INSIST on coverboards (AKA "trash boards") Until recent years, I wasn't aware anyone plowed WITHOUT coulters. Where I came from, plowing without coulters would make the neighbors start talking aboutcha! (In a not so nice way!!)

Competitors in "Match Ploughing" tournaments set coulters almost as deep as the plow is operating to give furrow walls a clean, crisp, straight look. That's not as critical when you're just plowing the "back 40" for a corn crop.

 

[Pennsyltucky Hillbilly]

Food plots would be on mostly level or gently sloping ground. Right now I have 3 spots picked out where I would consider putting in a food plot. The largest is about 2 acres, but I would not start with that one. Not sure what I'd plant yet.

I have a cub cadet tiller currently, RT65 I think, with a honda engine. It is a "self propelled" tiller, not PTO driven. I recently tilled with it for the 3rd season for our garden. I still have frequent rock stoppages. I'm tilling soil which has already been tilled twice before... I swear the rocks must grow over the winter or something. Would the PTO driven tiller work better? I don't know. It would be a lot more expensive than a plow though. I have discussed with neighboring landowners who have put in food plots and they laughed at the idea of using a PTO tiller. Too many rocks they say...

 

[mikehaugen]

A little off subject, but I see this guy by me use what looks like a 6' tiller on about 50 acres every year. I would think he would find something more efficient, can't imagine how much fuel he uses.

 

[jeff9366]

I have discussed with neighboring landowners who have put in food plots and they laughed at the idea of using a PTO tiller. Too many rocks they say...

On that comment I would plow.

However, consider a Disc Plow as well as a Moldboard Plow. Disc Plows tend to roll over stones and roots that will stop/trip/shear-bolt a Moldboard Plow. Disc Plows tend to leave the plowed ground slightly rougher than a Moldboard Plow and the furrows may not be quite as straight, as the Disc Plow shimmies around obstructions in a minor way. Disc Plows are available new and used.

Disc Plows are not great at turning sod.

Agriculture TDP Disc Plows - Monroe Tufline

Disc Plow in Heavy Equipment Attachments | eBay

Based on personal experience, I find Sweet Tractors reliable for refurbished equipment.

https://www.google.com/#q=Disc+Plow+vs+moldboard

 

[HEC]

I have a 14" 3 bottom plow used on my M5700 (57 HP ) with r4 tires and have no problem at all . If conditions are a little wet or slippery I put it in 4wd and have no problem . I have some rock and clay , mine does trip if I kit a big rock . I do have mostly flat ground so that helps too. I too have coulters and always leave them on . You will need something to level the ground and chop things up a bit , I use a disc for that .