L3700 Bottom Plow

[oneillmj]

I just learned I should use a bottom plow to turn over four acres of clay soil, prior to discing it for replanting in grass. Pardon my ignorance, but would an L3700 be up to this kind of plowing, and if so what type of bottom plow should I get? I think there are singles or doubles maybe.

Mike

 

[LD1]

I just learned I should use a bottom plow to turn over four acres of clay soil, prior to discing it for replanting in grass. Pardon my ignorance, but would an L3700 be up to this kind of plowing, and if so what type of bottom plow should I get? I think there are singles or doubles maybe.

Mike

If it is just going to be a yard, I wouldnt go through the effort to plow. Just bust up the soil with a disc and seed it.

But if you insist on plowing, the 3700 should be able to handle a 2-bottom 3ph plow provided they are only 10's or 12's. If you go bigger, I'd drop to a one bottom. But if the soil is VERY hard packed, even those suggestions may be a workout for your tractor.

 

[sweettractors]

I just learned I should use a bottom plow to turn over four acres of clay soil, prior to discing it for replanting in grass. Pardon my ignorance, but would an L3700 be up to this kind of plowing, and if so what type of bottom plow should I get? I think there are singles or doubles maybe.

Mike

Something like this should do the job. Ken Sweet

 

[oneillmj]

LD1, if you think I could get away with only discing the clay ground I'd certainly like to not have to purchase a plow. What should I be looking for in a disc to obtain that a L3700 could pull. Mind you I know nothing about them, but am trying to learn. These acres will be bush-hogged and cleared of any small trees before discing. They've gone back to nature these past ten years. Lots of weeds and bramblebushes. Thanks for any advice. Thanks Ken for the pics.

Mike

 

[TripleR]

Good luck trying to get it worked up with a disk alone. Not that it can't be done, but it is going to take a really heavy disk and lots of trips. We tried it and wound up buying a used 3 bottom for a couple hundred bucks that you can use and then sell for what you paid.

 

[jfay]

You won't be happy disking as the trees, brambles, etc. will come back up. If you want to get rid of them, you need to plow and turn the roots up. Your tractor can easily handle a two bottom plow with 14" moldboards.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

You won't be happy disking as the trees, brambles, etc. will come back up. If you want to get rid of them, you need to plow and turn the roots up. Your tractor can easily handle a two bottom plow with 14" moldboards.

What he said. The plow manufacturer doesn't matter. Any 2 bottom plow will work, even one of the old pull type that you would hook to the drawbar. A 3-point plow will let you make shorter turns, which is important on only 4 acres.

After you plow, you will need to disc and harrow to make a seed bed. The plow leaves a very rough surface. It only turns the dirt over, it doesn't break up the clods. You will get the best results with moderate moisture in the soil, just enough to moisten the clods without making the ground muddy.

 

[oneillmj]

Thanks Larry, jfay, and TripleR. After I plow and turn the roots up, in order to let the upturned roots die off first, should I wait a while before discing and harrowing? I will get a three point, two bottom plow with 14 inch moldboards as suggested.

 

[TripleR]

Thanks Larry, jfay, and TripleR. After I plow and turn the roots up, in order to let the upturned roots die off first, should I wait a while before discing and harrowing? I will get a three point, two bottom plow with 14 inch moldboards as suggested.

No matter whether you let the roots die or not, you will need to use some sort of herbicide to control the weeds, brambles and such. I would check with someone locally to determine if a pre-emergent will work well for you in conjunction with something like Cross bow or other broad-leaf control.

Larry sounds like he has good advice. I like to wait a little before disking, but soil type will dictate what works best. As mentioned, too much moisture will make it hard to work and too little may allow the clods to harden. I use a disk and a spike tooth harrow, but have used spring tooth or soil conditioner.

In my area, no one buys new plows as they are just too easy to find used for a couple hundred bucks or less.

 

[Tibbits]

I have a similar situation - about 8 acres with only bush hogging 3 times a year over the last 12 years. No brush, but nothing but weeds. I want to establish the fields as pasture for horses using orchard grass.

I'm way over budget with implements this year. BUT, reading this thread gave me the idea to use a very old 2 bottom plow that was left on the property. is there a way to use only a plow to get the grass going? I also have a box blade that might work to improve the surface for planting. I'd love to get the seed in this year but the budget is tight. I have an L3430 with loaded R4s that I think will pull the plow.

if this doesn't work, would it make sense to plow now and plant this spring after the clods break down over winter?

 

[LD1]

I have a similar situation - about 8 acres with only bush hogging 3 times a year over the last 12 years. No brush, but nothing but weeds. I want to establish the fields as pasture for horses using orchard grass.

I'm way over budget with implements this year. BUT, reading this thread gave me the idea to use a very old 2 bottom plow that was left on the property. is there a way to use only a plow to get the grass going? I also have a box blade that might work to improve the surface for planting. I'd love to get the seed in this year but the budget is tight. I have an L3430 with loaded R4s that I think will pull the plow.

if this doesn't work, would it make sense to plow now and plant this spring after the clods break down over winter?

Not sure if it can be done without running a disc over it.

But just thinking out lould for you here.....assuming your BB has ripper teeth, Maybe try lowering them all the way and shortning you top link as much as you can, as to only engage the rippers in the ground and NOT the blade. Maybe this will work like a chisel plow to some effect, and brake up the clods after turning??????????

 

[Tibbits]

I may try that LD1. I've seen box blades set up so that only the teeth touch the ground. I should be able to set it up that way and maybe get enough depth. this all assumes the plow is in working order and I can set it up close to how it should be. need some rain first, hard ground right now.

 

[MHarryE]

A problem you might run into with 2-14s in ground that hasn't been worked in a long time is trash plugging things up. I have a L3710 and use either my 2-14s or my 1-16 plow. My soil is a really tough pulling clay and traction can be a problem pulling the 2-14s (I have R-4 tires). Not sure what affect it has on my front bearings but in the toughest going I run with a full bucket of gravel on my FEL to prevent spinning out. The 1-16 (an old Ferguson plow I bought at an auction) gives trash clearance needed in some stuff that hasn't been worked in ages.

 

[allen in texas]

I pull a 2/14 with my L3240. no problems and this ground was hard.

 

[leonz]

I just learned I should use a bottom plow to turn over four acres of clay soil, prior to discing it for replanting in grass. Pardon my ignorance, but would an L3700 be up to this kind of plowing, and if so what type of bottom plow should I get? I think there are singles or doubles maybe.

Mike

I would rather see if you can rent a PTO powered overseeder from a game plot owner or a rod and gun club and then you can direct plant your grass seed in the slits created by the slitter coulters after that you can spread Gypsum with the spinner spreader and it will fall in the slits and help to dissolve the clay.

If you a landpride dealer in your area you could see if they have one to rent possibly.

 

[sweettractors]

I pull a 2/14 with my L3240. no problems and this ground was hard.

Love that plow. You sure plow a straight furrow. Ken Sweet

 

[LD1]

I pull a 2/14 with my L3240. no problems and this ground was hard.

Your tractor is about 700lbs heavier than the 3700 he is talking about as well. And it he is talking hard packed clay like I am thinking, it will be quite a workout for the tractor. And if the only goal is to turn the soil to kill what is existing, 10's or 12's will be fine IMO

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I have a similar situation - about 8 acres with only bush hogging 3 times a year over the last 12 years. No brush, but nothing but weeds. I want to establish the fields as pasture for horses using orchard grass.

I'm way over budget with implements this year. BUT, reading this thread gave me the idea to use a very old 2 bottom plow that was left on the property. is there a way to use only a plow to get the grass going? I also have a box blade that might work to improve the surface for planting. I'd love to get the seed in this year but the budget is tight. I have an L3430 with loaded R4s that I think will pull the plow.

if this doesn't work, would it make sense to plow now and plant this spring after the clods break down over winter?

You can use what we used to call a drag or a go-devil. Have you ever seen a stone boat? You can also chain some logs together to break up the clods, sort of in a harrow configuration with the logs a foot or so apart. They need to be at least 8", 12" is better, and fairly straight. You don't pull them long ways, you pull them cross ways.

It shouldn't be hard to find a cheap harrow. Just about every farm has a couple in the weeds. Maybe you could borrow a disc. I use an old John Deere pull type cover-crop disc because it does a better job of cultivating than any 3-point disc I have ever used.

See if you can find directions for that plow. It used to have a trip rope that raised the shares when it was time to turn a corner. After the turn, another pull on the rope dropped the shares back into the ground. It also had coulters that cut the sod in front of the shares that may be missing. It will still work without the coulters, but not as efficiently or cleanly.

If you haven't plowed before, you open up a couple parallel lands by plowing long ways through the field and back, casting the dirt to cover in the center. Leave more than 1/2 of the width of the field between the lands. Plow out each land until you reach the fence line, and leave a dead furrow along the fence line. Then plow out the space between the two lands (remember, MORE than half the width of the field between them), leaving a dead furrow in the center of the field. Then plow out the headlands where you turned around for each furrow. If you have drainage problems, a dead furrow will make a serviceable ditch to drain winter wet spots. The next year you start with one wheel in the dead furrow and reverse your lands and furrows to put the dirt back where you got it.

A disc won't move dirt sideways like a plow will. You can do contour farming with a plow and it will hold up as you work up your seed bed.

 

[Agrantina]

Ok- real dumb question... How do I measure to see if a plow is a 10, 12, 14 or 16 moldboards? :confused2: I have a chance to buy a plow to pull behind my L3240 so a 2/14 would do good?

AndyG

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Ok- real dumb question... How do I measure to see if a plow is a 10, 12, 14 or 16 moldboards? :confused2: I have a chance to buy a plow to pull behind my L3240 so a 2/14 would do good?

AndyG

The moldboard has nothing to do with the width of the plow, it is the share that determines the width. All the moldboard does is turn the dirt over. It is the share that cuts the soil. Two 14s will plow 28" wide per pass, two 16s will plow 32" wide.

It is hard to tell how wide a single bottom plow is, though you might be able to use a straightedge to measure the width of the share, or drop it in the ground and use a string line to measure from furrow to furrow. With a multi bottom plow, the widths are additive, so it's easier to tell.