Gauge wheel needed for two bottom plow?

[wprainey]

I have a Mahindra 5010 and I am looking for a two bottom plow. Many of the ones that I have looked at don't have coulters and gauge wheels. I know that the coulters will make it alot easier to drive straight while plowing. What about the gauge wheel? Do I really need it with the tractor that I have?

 

[deerseeker001]

Welcome from Wisconsin

 

[MIKE R]

Welcome to the forum.

The gauge wheel is not needed on the smaller plows. I have yet to see a new 1 or 2 bottom with a wheel. All the older plows had the furrow wheel on them though.

Edit: I was talking about a furrow wheel not a gauge wheel. My mistake.

 

[RG1]

The gauge wheel is designed to be used on tractors with an up or down lift like the BX or 2305 JD. They are not needed on tractors with a position lift.

The coulters are designed to cut the sod on the top to keep it from ripping and/or bunching/balling up around the plow frame, not for plowing straight. That's up to you.

Most guys that have never pulled a plow before tend to watch the thing working instead of where they are going. Avoid doing that, especially for the first few passes. Pick a distant object in line with the direction you are heading and keep your eye on it no matter what for the first few passes so that you get started plowing nice and straight. It makes subsequent rows much easier to do and also makes the plow roll the layer over neatly like it should.

 

[super55]

If your looking into a double bottom plow I would suggest going to craigslist and searching there. IMO todays built plows are just not as efficient as the old dearborn or oliver plows of the 50's and 60's. Coulters, gauge wheels and trip levers are all nice but not necessary for plowing up dirt but make things move along much smoother.

My single bottom doesn't have a gauge wheel and it is quite a challenge. It wants to keep it from digging too dip especially if the previous furrow cut really deep. Plowing a field is an art to say the least. If you get the furrows too deep or spaced too far apart it becomes a real pain in the butt to get the field to level back out again.

For the price of a new plow you can get a used one with coulters and gauge wheels that is a lot more forgiving. For me what I would buy is a no brainer.

 

[sweettractors]

I have a Mahindra 5010 and I am looking for a two bottom plow. Many of the ones that I have looked at don't have coulters and gauge wheels. I know that the coulters will make it alot easier to drive straight while plowing. What about the gauge wheel? Do I really need it with the tractor that I have?

Take a look at our used plows at SWEETFARMS.COM . Ken Sweet

 

[wprainey]

Super55,
I thought about getting an older plow like you are talking about. I have concerns about being able to buy replacement parts. Are the plows, moldboards, etc. universal where it would be easy for me to replace them if something broke?

 

[wprainey]

Super55,
I thought about getting an older plow like you are talking about. I have concerns about being able to buy replacement parts. Are the plows, moldboards, etc. universal where it would be easy for me to replace them if something broke?

 

[sweettractors]

The wear parts on the older 3 piece setup plows are easy to find, however, they are not universal. Ken Sweet

 

[super55]

The three main parts the moldboard, share and landslide as ken stated are not too difficult to find. The only part that will most likely wear out on you is the share (bottom part that does the cutting) and even with that you would have to do a lot and I mean a lot of plowing to wear it down or be working in some incredibly rocky soil and possibly chip it.

Truth of the matter is that plows are about the simplest farm implement out there. No moving parts to go wrong. Also with that being said IMO the best plows out there are the ones from yesteryear. There isn't a huge market for them now days with tillers going for the same price.

If you are pulling it with your Mahindra I might even look into a used triple bottom 3pt plow. Your tractor could probably handle it fine. If it didn't you could always pull the last plow off and use it as a double bottom plow.

A lot of these old plows were designed to work with much less HP that what your Mahindra is putting out. A triple 14" 3pt might be your ticket.

How many acres are you planning on using it ?