Anybody use a turning /moldboard plow?

[jjp8182]

Just for comparison/consideration I pull a single bottom 16" behind my L3560 without a problem .... and that's through a relatively heavy loam/clay (ground is likely less than 2% grade).

Having R4s on my tractor (with full set of wheel weights) I usually have more problems being traction limited than I do with being power limited ...even when operating in medium range on the HST transmission.

As I like to say; when it comes to draft implements all the horsepower in the world doesn't matter if you can't get it to the ground ..... which is where machine weight and soil composition come into play.

 

[LD1]

Just for comparison/consideration I pull a single bottom 16" behind my L3560 without a problem .... and that's through a relatively heavy loam/clay (ground is likely less than 2% grade).

Having R4s on my tractor (with full set of wheel weights) I usually have more problems being traction limited than I do with being power limited ...even when operating in medium range on the HST transmission.

As I like to say; when it comes to draft implements all the horsepower in the world doesn't matter if you can't get it to the ground ..... which is where machine weight and soil composition come into play.

But if you CAN get it to the ground....power is speed.

Alot of plows just dont turn well below 3mph.

So same can be said in reverse....all the traction doesnt matter if you cannot pull it fast enough to actually turn the sod

 

[jjp8182]

But if you CAN get it to the ground....power is speed.

Alot of plows just dont turn well below 3mph.

So same can be said in reverse....all the traction doesnt matter if you cannot pull it fast enough to actually turn the sod

Very true there is a sweet spot for most implements when it comes to speed -- so the really the trick is finding the balance of weight/traction & power to do the work required in the soil conditions that are present.

Unfortunately it'd seem many new models of compact tractors have gone down the road of having more power than they can get to the ground.

Which makes the the "if" part of "But if you CAN get it to the ground....power is speed." a point that needs to be considered as neither engine horsepower nor weight/traction alone solves the problem - which is where the old (and now seemingly unused) concept of measuring drawbar horsepower comes into play for draft implements.

It's really an interesting problem from an engineering, and practical perspective ...especially when the composition, moisture level and cohesiveness/strength of the soil can make such a significant difference in how the soil itself reacts to the transmission of power from the wheels/tracks, and creates the draft loading on the implement.

 

[jeff9366]

It's really an interesting problem from an engineering, and practical perspective.

Most over 25.49-horsepower tractors involuntarily increased by two or three horsepower with engine changes made to meet Tier IV emission standards.

That said, the steady increases in same tractor model horsepower are driven by marketing. It takes a skilled tractor salesperson to get impatient compact tractor shoppers to consider tractor attributes beyond HORSEPOWER and PRICE/FINANCING.

 

[LouNY]

Here is some good information on setting up a plow;
https://open-furrow-agrosphere.net/Documents/DHC/The Moldboard Plow.pdf

 

[milkman]

Here's a small version of farming. Plowing is really satisfying, including the smell of fresh-turned soil.

Kubota BX22 Plowing the garden - YouTube

Here's another at Ball Hollow Plow Day, start about 7:00.

YouTube

 

[BrokenTrack]

I always liked mowing and plowing.

Plowing beats out mowing, only because it is one of few tasks on the farm where it does a better job the faster you can go.

We plowed one farm as a kid (not my own) that was sod and sand. We could plow it so fast because there was no rocks, that the soil would roll out of the furrow, flip completely over, and land right side up. Now that was moving!

 

[papa joe]

I pull a set of old Ford plows, 2 14", with a L3901 gear drive and R4's. Last fall I plowed my 4 acre truck patch. This spring I will hip on 46" rows, then plant in sweet corn, purple hull peas, water melons, and cantaloupes. The 3901 pulls these plows very well. I have over 20 attachments for my tractor, but my "turning plows", as they are called in these parts, are my favorite to use.

 

[BrokenTrack]

I got to plow 100 acres up a few years ago. It was on a leased farm that had a pretty good grade, maybe 15% grade or so, and I ended up plowing straight up and down it. I had a Ford 8830 tractor using a 7 bottom, 16 inch, spring trip, rollover plow.

Years ago we used to hay that field and be scared to death that halfway up it we would spin out on a cow turd, and the 120 HP Massey Ferguson, baler, and trailer would go backwards down the hill. Now a few years later I am plowing that same hill, with a 7 bottom plow going uphill, and in the rain. It really showed how improved farming had gotten.

It was a challenging field too because there was a lot of ledge. I would have to pick my three point hitch up at the last second to cut the sod right up to the rock, then hallway through lower it to follow the contour of the rock while using the tailwheel to lift the back half of the plow, then settle it back down again. But by cutting the sod completely, when you disc, you can crowd that ledgerock and cover much of it with soil if you do it right.

For what it is worth, the USDA says best management practices is to just cut the sod and no deeper, but I go as deep as I can. On 90% of that field, the resets were rattling because the plow-points were riding on rock.

 

[CoyPatton]

One big concern for moldboard plowing is the depth of top soil. If you are in an area that only has 6” of top soil, you may well be turning up the next level of soil that is less useful for crops. If you purpose is to work your soil to increase your top soil depth and plan to add the needed supplements spending several years in this process plow as deeply as you can.
If you are wanting to plan this season, use a combination of disc and chisel and a drag. 40+ years ago we called these “do alls” because they in ground that had been farmed the past season could be prepared to bedding in one pass. With 60+ years of not being farmed, you probably want to disc in several passes to cut the sod and roots then run a chisel plow to break every apart.
As you seem to have already done the plowing you may be able to skip the discing if you are not a heavy clay based soil.
Good luck on your planting and harvest!