Dirt Dog - All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator REVIEW + PICTURES

jeff9366 · Mar 29, 2019

Harry Ferguson, an Anglo-Irishman, invented the tractor Three Point Hitch, which entered the USA when Henry Ford licensed the production rights from Ferguson in 1939. Ferguson invented/adapted implements for his Three Point Hitch. Ferguson was primarily in the implement business in the USA for a number of years. Ford built tractors. Ferguson built the implements. The spring-protected Field Cultivator, which Ferguson termed a "tiller" and is also known as an All Purpose Plow, was one of the four original Three Point Hitch tractor implements. Very minor changes during ensuing eighty years.

The other three original 3-Pt. implements were a Moldboard Plow, a towed Disc Harrow and a row crop cultivator.

MH8675309 · Mar 29, 2019

I have one of these all purpose plows. I think it has 11 shanks and with all the shanks it will stop my 50 horse JD. I use it in the spring when it dries up to go over my "sacrifice" ground - where the horses spend the winter. It rips up the soil then I disc it and finally go over it with a chain harrow. If you dont do this its so rough out there you can hardly walk across it. Pasture comes back better to. Its a bit of extra work but worth the bother. I bought mine about 5 years ago at an auction for $300 and think it was good money spent.

Freep · Apr 8, 2019

This thread has been very helpful to me. I wound up finding an old Ferguson cultivator for a song and purchased that, but in my search I found the following I wanted to share with folks here:

Braber Equipment - Heavy Duty Spring Loaded Tine Cultivator

Note the weight and the reinforcements on the frame (not just a couple of angle irons). These are more expensive, but if you wanted a heavy-duty implement you could do a lot worse than one of these. They are manufactured in BC and one of the only real options I could find new in the Pacific Northwest.

jeff9366 · Sep 17, 2019

Another alternative for those needing "more" is a spring protected (true) Chisel Plow from Buckeye Tractor in Ohio, sized for compact tractors.
Heavier, therefore more money, the usual story.

Buckeye Tractor Online Catalog Page 18-01 Chisel Plows

jeff9366 · Jul 19, 2020

I believe Field Cultivators branded Bush Hog, Fred Cain and Dirt Dog have a single source.

All Purpose Plows - Bush Hog

Fred Cain 5 Shank Field Cultivator Ripper Tillage

Dirt Dog Manufacturing >> Disc Harrows Tillage - All Purpose Plow

jeff9366 · Nov 20, 2021

When ripping with an APP it is important to rip shallow enough that shanks are not extended against protection springs at all times, which is equivalent to negating spring protection.

Rip in more than one pass if necessary but observe that springs are slack most of the time while tines are sunk in the dirt to avoid damaging your APP.

jeff9366 · Dec 26, 2021

I'm dealing with new piece of land, and hoping to farm six acres of it.
It's been two years since it was corn/soybeans, since left to weeds. Just mowed weeds down.

My new tractor is a 47-horsepower TYM with HST transmission. I'm thinking of purchasing a chisel plow to prepare the land for planting.

TYM T474 Dimensions


Wheelbase:	68.9 inches 175 cm
ROPS Length:	131 inches 332 cm
Cab Length:	133 inches 337 cm
ROPS Width:	54.5 inches 138 cm
Cab Width:	59 inches 149 cm
Height (ROPS):	94.4 inches 239 cm
Height (cab):	92.5 inches 234 cm
ROPS Weight:	3230 lbs 1465 kg
Cab Weight:	3605 lbs 1635 kg
Ground clearance:	12.8 inches 32 cm

Tractor weight is the primary determinant of what the tractor can pull. Your tractor is 500 pounds lighter than my Kubota L3560. My tractor's rear tires are inflated with air. If your tractor's rear tires are filled with liquid and your tractor has 4-WD, you will have enough weight/traction to pull any brand of All Purpose Plow with five shanks:

Dirt Dog - All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator REVIEW + PICTURES

Dirt Dog All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator Dirt Dog Model APP 66-5 Total Width 66", Working Width 62", Five Tines, Weight 284 Pounds, Paid $835.00 (2010) Field Cultivator: A Three Point Hitch mounted, secondary tillage implement, used to perform operations such as soil aeration...

www.tractorbynet.com

VENDER + VENDER VIDEO:

https://www.everythingattachments.com/Fred-Cain-5-Shank-Field-Cultivator-Ripper-Tillage-p/fc-field-cultivator-cain-5.htm

Even better would be an implement I can use for chisel plowing and cultivating between row for weeds.

Determine SWEEPS for DIRT DOG 'ALL PURPOSE PLOW' / FIELD CULTIVATOR

SWEEPS for DIRT DOG 'ALL PURPOSE PLOW' / FIELD CULTIVATOR I have a Dirt Dog 66-5 All Purpose Plow, AKA Field Cultivator, on order. This is the same spring protected design as the Fred Cain Field Cultivator, Ford Dearborn Field Cultivator and the original Harry Ferguson "Tiller" (sic), circa...

www.tractorbynet.com

FERGUSON SWEEPS AND SHOVELS

~~~~~

www.tractorbynet.com

Consider DUCKFOOT sweeps.

jeff9366 · Dec 26, 2021

Ford 1910 Dimensions

Ford 1910 Weight
2WD :	2980 lbs 1351 kg
4WD :	3246 lbs 1472 kg

I have a 32-horsepower Ford 1910. I want to use a subsoiler to loosen hard packed soil on my hunting lease.

An ALL PURPOSE PLOW will be more versatile in your food plots.

Tractor weight is another determinant of what your 32-horsepower Ford tractor can pull. Your tractor is 500 pounds lighter than my Kubota L3560. My tractor's rear tires are inflated with air. If your tractor's rear tires are filled with liquid and your tractor has 4-WD, you probably have enough weight/traction to pull an All Purpose Plow with five shanks 6" deep on a first pass through MOIST soil. On succeeding passes you should be able to penetrate 10" - 12" in MOIST soil.

If your Ford is 2-WD you will have to remove one shank.

APPs show up regularly at farm equipment auctions.

(( An APP is one of the easiest implements to mount on the Three Point Hitch.
A subsoiler is awkward to mount and can be finicky about adjustment. If you choose a subsoiler, pin the inboard end of the Top Link in the lowest of the stacked paired holes on the tractor, which will give you max high/low adjustment. ))

Dirt Dog - All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator REVIEW + PICTURES

Dirt Dog All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator Dirt Dog Model APP 66-5 Total Width 66", Working Width 62", Five Tines, Weight 284 Pounds, Paid $835.00 (2010) Field Cultivator: A Three Point Hitch mounted, secondary tillage implement, used to perform operations such as soil aeration...

www.tractorbynet.com

VENDER + VENDER VIDEO:

https://www.everythingattachments.com/Fred-Cain-5-Shank-Field-Cultivator-Ripper-Tillage-p/fc-field-cultivator-cain-5.htm

jeff9366 · Dec 26, 2021

I am following your discussion on the All Purpose Plow. I have a 3,700 pound bare weight/60-horsepower Kubota MX6000. I’m considering the plow for deep soil prep in the fall and spring, then using a walk behind tiller for garden soil prep and summer cultivation.

I am considering a 9 shank Fred Cain APP from EA because they will ship to New Mexico for a small upcharge. I also sent a message to Dirt Dog to see what they can do. Are these 2 units comparable? What are your thoughts?

Without any proof I will speculate that the APPs from Dirt Dog, Fred Cain and Bush Hog originate in a single asian plant. Disassembled, about a zillion APPs could be shipped in one 40' container.

The older Leinbach, Ferguson, Ford Dearborn and older Bush Hog APPs were somewhat beefier than contemporary versions and 'points' could be interchanged with 'shovels' for row crop cultivation. The contemporary Braber APPs, produced in western Canada, likely with a USA distributor in Washington state, weigh a tad more than the current Dirt Dog, Fred Cain and Bush Hog offerings -- Braber 7 tine = 450 pounds, Fred Cain 7 tine/66" = 400 pounds, Fred Cain 7 tine/85" = 415 pounds.

I would check with ETA for an opinion on whether a 4-WD MX can pull a nine (9) shank APP, or if a seven (7) shank APP would be a better match. Your MX is the same bare weight as my L3560. My tires are inflated with air. If your larger rear tires are liquid filled your 60-horsepower tractor will have considerably more tractor grunt than my 35-horsepower, same weight, tractor. Still, I think seven (7) shanks will be all your 4-WD MX can sink and pull.

If you will be working more than twenty acres or so, consider a heavier compact tractor Chisel Plow from Buckeye Tractor in Ohio.

LouNY · Dec 26, 2021

Here is a chisel plow;
Chisel Plow - Landoll

this is a small two bar unit.

JohnnyMX · Jan 7, 2022

I have an MX5200 and am pulling a Fred Cain 9 shank unit I got from EA. It works just fine under most conditions unless I'm trying to plow wet clay. I would go 9 because even if it struggled during a first tillage it will not on the second. The shanks are removable, and technically you can add extras to the frame, but it was cheaper to get the 9 and possibly use 7 vs going the other way. I do plow in 4wd and have loaded tires all around.

jeff9366 · Jan 21, 2023

1. I see tool bars with a single bar and tool bars with multiple horizontal bars. But I am a little confused and have really basic questions. Other than the number of items you could mount on one, is there some benefits to having multiple rows of bars?

The greater length of a multiple tool bar implement, the smoother and leveler the output behind the implement will be after one pass.

2. Also on the chisel plows, I **really** see many differences on what people call a chisel plow?

Tractor and implement nomenclature is not very precise. To me, a chisel plow is a conservation plow with a heavy reset spring protecting each shank. For compact tractors other names for this implement are ALL PURPOSE PLOW and FIELD CULTIVATOR.

I have a JD2355 tractor. 2-WD or 4-WD?

John Deere 2355

1987 - 1992

55 Utility Series

Utility tractor

John Deere 2355 Power
Engine	64 hp 47.7 kW
Drawbar (claimed)	47 hp 35.0 kW
PTO (claimed)	55 hp 41.0 kW
Drawbar (tested)	46.7 hp 34.8 kW
PTO (tested)	55.9 hp 41.7 kW

John Deere 2355 Weight
2WD ROPS Shipping	5965 lbs 2705 kg
2WD cab Shipping	6945 lbs 3150 kg
4WD ROPS Shipping	6637 lbs 3010 kg
4WD cab Shipping	7552 lbs 3425 kg

3. I am considering is a single configurable implement for small jobs mainly on my 8-acre hay field. These would be occasional only jobs such as, making a couple of furrows where I have to re-plant tifton tops (plant by hand). Drag something over hard pan soil (red clay) to cut slits in the soil for moisture to soak in some. Scratch in (disc lightly) overseed / rye for the fall. I by no means want to properly renovate with this piece of equipment which would require too heavy duty of an implement here. Years ago, I had a 5-shank renovator. There are places where the soil was looser, and I could get all 5 shanks in, but that was a miracle. So, I used (3) most often and in the harder soil the moisture had to be perfect.

I recommend a seven-shank (2-WD tractor) or nine-shank or twelve-shank (4-WD tractor) All Purpose Plow as cost effective for your applications. Draw only when the soil moisture is perfect.

Dirt Dog - All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator REVIEW + PICTURES

Dirt Dog All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator Dirt Dog Model APP 66-5 Total Width 66", Working Width 62", Five Tines, Weight 284 Pounds, Paid $835.00 (2010) Field Cultivator: A Three Point Hitch mounted, secondary tillage implement, used to perform operations such as soil aeration...

www.tractorbynet.com

jeff9366 · Jul 18, 2023

Where can I get replacement reversible tips and bolts for a Fred Cain spring protected field cultivator? I need nine replacements with (specialized) bolts and appropriate nuts.

eBay:

Pardon Our Interruption...

Correct plow bolt size: 7/16"-14 X 1-3/4"

(#3 plow bolts - 1/3/4" length)

Pardon Our Interruption...

A plow bolt is a type of fastener that is used for making mechanical connections that require a smooth, or flush, surface at the location where the bolt head protrudes. These were so named because of their early use in the manufacture of plows.

While it has been five years since I last purchased a point replacement I am confident the SKU IF210UB will be an exact point replacement.

More Venders:

cultivator point if210 for sale

Contemporary Fred Cain, Bush Hog and Dirt Dog Field Cultivators are identical except for paint.

jeff9366 · Jul 29, 2024

paulsharvey

July 2024

We are actively purchasing a new property with a 1 acre livestock enclosure, that will get expanded over time, probably into 3-1 acre paddocks. The existing is nothing but sand, with some mixed in scrub oaks, and a few pine trees. So, the way I see it, I will have an opportunity to have no livestock for a period, and try to get some grass going in there. The question really is; for others dealing with sandy soils, and grossly overgrazed pasture;

1) benign neglect; would the existing seed bed, with the existing manure and urine and scattered hay; is just plain rest the best option?

2) take the opportunity to re level, remove stumps and trash trees, and then over seed?

3) just unroll hay, and out it into service?

This question concerns techniques for dealing with sandy soils and grossly overgrazed pasture.

Hooved animals compact soil, even sandy soil, very hard. Leaving the paddocks fallow would require years and years for nature to restore tilth. Rake/aerate your vacant paddocks with an All Purpose Plow mounted on the tractor Three Point Hitch.

Your Kioti CK2610 HST can pull a three tine or four tine APP, depending on soil moisture and root size.

1) benign neglect; would the existing seed bed, with the existing manure and urine and scattered hay; is just plain rest the best option?

Why be lazy when your total surface is three acres? If you are going to do it, DO IT RIGHT.

Inland Florida farmland is typically very low in nitrogen, OK on potash, which is mined in Florida and low in Phosphorus. In addition pH is usually 7+, which is on the high side, so you will never need lime. Go to IFAS for a soil test. I fertilize with 24-0-11. Most pasture grass in Florida is some form of Bahia. The highly productive Bahia cultivars require fertilizer and water. The unimproved varieties do not but are 50% less productive than the best cultivars properly tended.

Compost everything possible and rake finished compost into the soil with APP.

2) take the animal free opportunity to level paddocks, remove stumps and trash trees, PLOW and then over seed?
YES.

3) just unroll hay, and out it into service?

Why be lazy when your total surface is three acres? If you are going to do it, DO IT RIGHT.