Difference between a Middlebuster and plow

[MarkStewart]

What's the difference between these impliments? What are the specific uses of each? Can one do the work of the other? They seem to look similar, I was wondering wich one I should get. I wanted to dig up some ground to make a small food plot for deer etc.
Thanks

 

[Hoeman00]

A real plow (1 or 2 bottom) will turn the soil over.
They come in 12,14,16" or larger for farm tractors.
So 2 14" plows will turn about 28" of soil.
A middle buster just cut a V shaped trench.
If u can find a chisel plow (small one) it has multiple shanks
(similar to boxblade rippers) and breaks up soil and depending on shoes will turn some soil.
If the ground isn't real hard a field cultivator (like a chisel plow but lighter duty) will break the soil up.
If u have a boxblade put the rippers all the way down and shorten toplink (don't put blade on ground), this will tear up soil too.
A chisel plow or field cultivator will leave residue on top to help mulch and reduce erosion.
Then take a disc or tiller over it for finishing before seeding.
U could drag it if u want to level the area.

 

[OkieG]

Mark,
I was wondering when this question would come up. Like Hoeman says, a MB just cuts a V shaped trench, whereas a plow (sort of like the left or right half of a MB) actually turns the ground over. You probably won't see farmers using a row of giant middle busters to prepare their fields for planting, but for your use (and mine), a MB might do just fine.

A plow turns the earth one direction and can put some side pressure on the back of your tractor. That could make it hard to drive straight, though I don't know if that would be a problem or not.

I think Hoeman's explanations are excellent. As he indicates, there is more than one way to go. A middle buster may not be designed specifically for garden prep, but that is what I use it for and I am satisfied with what it does in that capacity.

OkieG

 

[ns_in_tex]

My thinking is that the middlebuster is what the farmers used a lot in the horse & buggy days (before multi cropping), to lay the land by in the fall for the next season. By using a middle buster, you only had to turn 1/2 or less of the land & yet covered all the growth. It also set the field up in rows of hills & valleys,which helped contain moisture. In the spring, you could plow out the rows of hills & plant the seed behind, in what was now nearly level ground & all unwanted vegetation was covered again at the time of planting.

Also we used these to plow our potatoes & peanuts out of the ground when harvesting, or dig shallow ditches.