Educate me on plows please

[prof fate]

I did some googling and can't find crap.

I have a 35hp tractor and want to plow (a garden/field of corn, etc). I figure a double bottom, maybe a triple would be feasible.

What I have found is plows come in different 'degrees' - 10", 12", 14", etc - it's the angle of attack from what I"ve found, and the more angle the harder to pull.

So why the different angles? What's the actual difference in the field?

Are there different 'height' plows as well for different depths?

And some have a disk on them to cut the "sod" and some do not...benefit of it, when is needed?

 

[HEC]

I have an old 3 bottom plow I haul with my 57hp Kubota with r4tires and have no problems doing so . I'm guessing you have r4 tires also so a 2 bottom should work fine for you , a 3 bottom I'm not sure with r4 tires . You can get along without the disc your referring too but will do a better job in most situations with one . How deep you want to plow will depend on soil conditions ( your top soil depth ) etc. . I'm not sure about the angles , maybe someone else can answer that ? for you . The pointed end or the points of a plow are important also if you are looking at used . I was able to find new ones for my old plow . I have what is called a self tripping plow so if i hit a rock it will trip so as not to damage to the plow . Good Luck
I'm sure others will have some input also .

 

[bcp]

Plow size is the width of the flat bottom trench the plow cuts in the ground, not degrees or angle.

Here is a top view of a 14 inch plow, showing how to measure.

Bruce

 

[BoylermanCT]

Have you considered a rototiller? I have a King Kutter II 60" tiller and it takes 10 minutes to till my 20x40 garden. I have also used it to covert woodland into lawn and re-grade lawn around a swimming pool. I would have no problem using it to till a couple of acres. Mine has been bullet proof and I highly recommend it. I also use it as ballast for front end loader work and for plowing in the winter!

 

[jeff9366]

Start by reading every one of FARMWITHJUNK's plowing posts. I learned to use a Moldboard Plow following FWJ's threads in the T-B-N ARCHIVE, before I consolidated same. Your reading comprehension skill will be tested.

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


A Moldboard/Turning Plow is the classic. In Pennsylvania, with its sometimes stoney soil and slopes, Disc Plows, which tend to roll over buried rocks larger than 5" or so, and roll over some tree roots, for better or worse, seem to be used by 50% of sodbusters. Disc Plows have a much, much shorter learning curve than Moldboard Plows and turn some "soil" which would discourage Moldboard Plow users.

Disc Plows do not yield really pretty furrows. Severing tree roots is often desirable when "opening" land.

tractor Moldboard Plow vs Disc Plow - Google Search




Kioti CK3510

2015 - CK10 Series
Compact Utility tractor
Series next: Kioti CK4010
Series back: Kioti CK2610

Manufacturer: Kioti (a part of Daedong)

Kioti CK3510 Engine:
Daedong 1.8L 3-cyl diesel
Kioti CK3510 Power:
Engine (gross): 34.9 hp [26.0 kW]
Gear PTO (claimed): 30.8 hp [23.0 kW]
Hydro PTO (claimed): 29.7 hp [22.1 kW]

Capacity:
Fuel: 9 gal [34.1 L]

3-Point Hitch:
Rear Type: I
Control: position control
Rear lift (at 24"/610mm): 1631 lbs [739 kg]

Power Take-off (PTO):
Rear PTO: live
Clutch: dry disc
Rear RPM: 540 (1.375)
Mid PTO: optional
Mid RPM: 2000

Weight: 2679 to 3307 pounds

Gear ROPS Weight: 2679 lbs [1215 kg]
Hydro ROPS Weight: 2734 lbs [1240 kg]
Hydro Cab Weight: 3307 lbs [1500 kg]

Wheelbase: 65.7 inches [166 cm]
Length: 120.9 inches [307 cm]
Width: 55.1 inches [139 cm]
Ground clearance: 13.4 inches [34 cm]
Front tread: 44.6 inches [113 cm]
Rear tread: 51.3 inches [130 cm]

Kioti CK3510 Tires:
Standard tires (ag): Front: 7-16. Rear: 11.2-24
Lawn/turf front: 28x8.5-15
Lawn/turf rear: 41x14-20
Industrial front: 27x8.5-15
Industrial rear: 15-19.5

Mechanical:
Chassis: 4x4 MFWD 4WD
Differential lock: mechanical rear
Steering: power
Brakes: wet disc

Hydraulics:
Type: open center
Valves: 2*Optional
Total flow: 11.7 gpm [44.3 lpm]

Page information:
Last update: December 4, 2017
Copyright: Copyright 2017 TractorData LLC
Contact: Peter@TractorData.com

 

[prof fate]

I've used small tillers and they do their job - haven't used one on a tractor. Based on my experience if you're breaking new ground a tiller isn't great. Also, I don't see 'big farmers' using them - so I assume a plow/disk/harrow/drag is more effecient - be that faster per acre or deeper or ?

the lady I got my disks off of moved to a County Line tiller that can be changed to reg or rev rotation...but it was $1700 for a 4' one (from the looks of it).

Have you considered a rototiller? I have a King Kutter II 60" tiller and it takes 10 minutes to till my 20x40 garden. I have also used it to covert woodland into lawn and re-grade lawn around a swimming pool. I would have no problem using it to till a couple of acres. Mine has been bullet proof and I highly recommend it. I also use it as ballast for front end loader work and for plowing in the winter!

 

[prof fate]

the disk i have only digs 3 or 4 inches..multiple passes and adjustments and I can add weight to go deeper...but not very efficient, at least on sod like dirt (been using the disk to fill in ditches in the pasture)

When I turned over my garden this year I expanded it and used my box blade ripper teeth to break up the sod before hitting it wtih a walk behind rev rotation tiller. Worked pretty well, but we're talking a few hundred sf not acres.

Maybe I'll google more on disk "plow" and practice some more and see how that works.

Tillers only only go 7" deep or so, so if I can go that deep it's fine I suppose.

Just never heard of using a disk AS a plow.

 

[jeff9366]

Just never heard of using a disk AS a plow.

A Disc Plow is NOT a Disc Harrow.
TDP2 Series 2 & 3 Blade Disc Plows | Tufline
Disc Plow | Turf Pride USA

When plowing with anything, or roto-tilling, you must be cautious not to mix less fertile or infertile subsoil with quality Top Soil. Almost all vegetable nutrition is taken up in the upper 7" of soil.

Most brands of roto-tillers are available in 84" width. A few pro grade roto-tillers in 96" width; perhaps wider.

 

[jeff9366]

I've used small tillers and they do their job - haven't used one on a tractor. Based on my experience if you're breaking new ground a tiller isn't great. Also, I don't see 'big farmers' using them - so I assume a plow/disk/harrow/drag is more effecient - be that faster per acre or deeper or ?

Ground contact work is all about tool weight. A 440 pound tractor roto-tiller will be ten times better at churning soil relative to a 40 pound, gas-powered garden tiller.

In temperate areas in the USA plows are only used to open new ground, and once every ten years or so for nutrition renovation. Instead, herbicides are routinely used to kill everything two weeks prior to seeding new crop, with Roundup the premium brand. Disc Harrows with pans 22" to 24" in diameter, weighing 1,500 pounds or more, are often used for interim soil preparation in the Spring.

In cold/clay areas annual Fall plowing continues. Winter freeze/thaw cycles break up clay.

The Three Point Hitch tractor was developed specifically to draw moldboard plows.

Read the FARMWITHJUNK threads. Reading FWJ's threads is a lot easier than frustrating yourself with a plow in a muddy Fall field.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Here is a disc plow



And this is a moldboard plow