Cruddy plow job and now what??

[Robert_in_NY]

An 80hp tractor had trouble with a 2 bottom plow? Are you sure it was only a 2 bottom plow or did you hit the wrong number key. I turn over a new field every now and then and I use my TN 65 with a 3-16 plow and I have not had any problems with power. This spring I turned over 4 acres of an old orchard that had been overgrown with rose bushes. A lot of roots from the rose bushes and trees but I never had a problem with power even going up hill. Put a 2 bottom plow behind the TN and you won't even notice its there. If I did notice any problems with a 2 bottom then I would be heading to the shop in a hurry.

 

[DiskDoctr]

Laminarman,

I reread some of your descriptions trying to get a picture of what you have.

It sounds like you have compacted soil, probably a fair number of rocks, and when you were plowing the plow would grab alot, or bounce? If so, it may have bounced completely out of the soil or went shallow.

Either that, or you didn't get good penetration deep enough into the soil and it didn't turn over well. It should be upside down. If it flops back into the furrow, you're not deep enough.

If any of the above, the chain drag probably won't do much good, and the discs will only work on the plowed "chunks" of soil.

Reasons I know for the above: hard soil, rocks (yeah, we've established those), and plows not digging deep enough due to 1) bad points or moleboards, 2) not putting 3ph down far enough, 3) toplink arm improperly adjusted and 4) draft setting problems. Many plows have adjustments on them, too, but in over 25 years, I've never changed them or know of anyone doing so.

For toplink arm adjustment settings, lift 3 point hitch aboout 2-3" off the ground, then adjust the toplink arm so that the base of the plows are LEVEL with the ground. Then I like to shorten it about a turn or two. (Yes, you may have to lower the 3ph to take the weight off to turn it /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif ) As told to me when I started years ago, the plows are made to dig and will, as long as you give them a bite.

Draft is often overlooked. If your draft isn't set properly, your plow will either constantly dig in and try to go too deep (have to keep lifting 3ph, then lower, then raise when digging in...) or fail to dig deep enough, leaving shallow furrows and unturned soil.

Draft allows your plow to adjust for resistance, allowing them to adjust for hard spots and digging angles. If too soft, the plow can go point down and dig in too much. If too strong, the point will constantly rise our of the soil or ride shallow. Someone else can probably offer more info about this, but what I know is if it ain't set right, it ain't gonna work right /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

If you aren't getting soil up the moleboard and digging approx 1/2 depth of base to top of moleboard, you are too shallow and won't turn the soil.

If any of these sound like what you are experiencing, try the suggestions and get a good furrow. You can adjust it in softer soil, should work about the same, or at least get you a good starting point. May have to play a little to get it right for harder soil, but it will get you started.

Gotta turn the soil, or till it.

It's pretty hard to replow, which is why I have made second passes at a different angle. Sometimes soil plows better in one direction than the other- try going another direction (opposite, or oblique angle)

Lastly, a ripper attachment may help for very hard soils. A subsoiler is similar with a little more lift than the simple tooth of a ripper.

If you can't turn your plowed soil with a shovel, chances are you have to replow or till, the discs won't do too much. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Can you post a picture of the soil so we can see the condition and how it has or hasn't been turned?

Sorry such a long post, but really want to see you get things back on track.

-JC

 

[Laminarman]

Dixiedrifter

Thanks!! Not only is your reply entertaining, it's probably the most truthful one I've seen in a while. We all do things differently, but it gets disheartening to see these guys in their tractor plow huge fields then disc them a week later like it's nothing, then lay out beautiful rows of corn. Yeah....so, they have 80 HP Zetors with huge discs and plows.....so what.

It's tough, and I thought I was overkilling with 40HP and Cat 1 stuff. Plowing many acres of this over the next few years sounds like tough, tough work. I thought about paying an old farmer across the road with his 50 year old Ford and triple bottom plow...but that's way too easy.

 

[Poppa]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( You can only plow correctly in one direction, I think....
You don't drive over what you just plowed, keep your tires on the other side.

Disc it up, or till it ... I used my tiller. I had started plowing and did a lousey job...wrong directions, but after getting my bearings it was amazing what a B7500 and a single bottom plow can do. )</font>

Bo Man, I'm not sure if I read this right, you did plow right? I ask cause I notice you did it with a B7500. Did that have the draft control the others are talking about and if not how did you work around it? I am guessing you just had to do more watching and your own draft controlling. Also, since you appeared to have plowed and tilled, if you were going to do it again which would you do if you were looking at an overall area of a couple/four acres.

Mike

 

[Laminarman]

JC/DiskDoctr

Thanks for long and very helpful post! I do sense some of my trouble is with adjusting the top link. I'm having a hydraulic top link installed next week and that should make it easier to control digging depth. I've tried what I thought was every combination of lifting and adjusting to no avail. Now, that being said, you are correct about being better in one direction than another. The field I'm plowing is on the crown of a hill, and when I'm plowing with the right board downhill, the soil turns nicely on both boards (well, most of the time). I have a TON of small shale pieces and hard pan soil. I have tried deep and shallow. I think this latest outing was also due to very wet soil, so I won't make that mistake again. I'll also kill the grass and mow it shorter. I do not have draft control on my TC40DA, and won't add it soon due to cost ($600).

Thanks for your help, I really appeciate it.

 

[challengertn]

Once again all I can tell you is what I would do. Since you plowed part of it wet it may have to freeze out the clods this winter before it gets right. For now I would catch the ground after a rain when it begins to dry and work it. You don't won't to wait til it dries completely and gets hard but you do want to wait til it is dry enough for the disc to shed. Once you start then work it till it is dry. Disc in the direction of the furrows til you level it some so it won't be such a bad ride. It would be great if you had a neighbor that had a larger tractor and disc. He could make one pass with the heavier equipment and make a world of difference. A sub-soiler would do you a lot of good but it takes a lot of horsepower to do the job right. What are you planning on doing with the ground?

 

[Laminarman]

Challengertn

I'm planting food plots for deer and other wildlife, and having fun. Like many things we seem to do, we do it to do it and like to do it right. My feeling is to put it in perspective and that it's for feeding deer. So I've spread sorghum and will let grow what grows, and turn the soil again next year. Mean time I'll try my luck on another piece I've yet to mow and plow. I have about 4 one acre plots I'm trying to plant. If I get one good one done this year I'll be happy. Thanks.