L4400 and 3 bottom plows

[spudfarmer18]

Last year I purchased a Kubota L4400 and I was wondering if the tractor is powerful enough to pull a set of ford 3 bottom plows through sandy-loam soil?

 

[HCJtractor]

With good Ag tires (preferably loaded) I would think you would be fine. Worse case, you could always remove one bottom.

 

[spudfarmer18]

The tractor is equiped with loaded ag tires. However my brother and I are in a freindly dispute as to whether plowing with 3 bottoms would be too labor intensive on the tractor. As we just purchased the tractor last year and would like to preserve our investment and prolong the life of the tractor.

 

[HCJtractor]

I don't see how pulling a plow could cause any problems. Tractors are made to pull. It either has the horsepower and weight to pull the plow or it doesn't. Either way, it won't hurt the tractor. Worse case, if the tractor can't handle the plow, the tires will spin. Do you already own the plow? As I said earlier, if it doesn't work, simply remove a bottom, which is easy. I pull a three bottom in heavy clay with roots and rocks with my M6800, which is a bigger tractor, but your soil sounds lighter than mine.

 

[bigbull338]

i think even in sandy soil your tractor will spin pulling a 3 bottom plow.but you can try it an see what it does.i know you can pull a 2 bottom plow with ease.

 

[beersngars]

My soil type sounds a lot like yours. I have an L3400 and am pulling a Dearborn 14" 2 bottom plow. The tractor has loaded R4's and I have to use 4 wheel drive to maintain a no spin forward motion. Sooooo...your tractor has a bit more weight and HP, plus the ag tires, it should be OK.

As mentioned above, you could always remove one of the bottoms if it's too much.

 

[Eric_Phillips]

I have a 27HP FarmTrac with filled R4s. In 4 wheel I can pull a ford 101 with 3 bottoms through sandy loam.

 

[art]

I would say you should hve no problem as long as you don't sink the plow below 12 inches. The right gear and four wheel drive and you should not have an issue at all!

Four wheel drive tractors are balanced differently then a two wheel drive are so be sure to take advantage of the four wheel drive. We do have people who leave the loaders on as countr weight for the plow on the rear.

 

[Grandad4]

You have the power, but the question will be the weight because the L4400 is pretty light for its power. Loaded R1's, keep the FEL on if you have one, sandy loam soil... all work in your favor. Definitely worth having a go at it!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

In 4 wheel I can pull a ford 101 with 3 bottoms through sandy loam.

I've used the same plow behind a Ford NAA without loaded tires, but our soil is pretty sandy.

 

[JerryG]

I have plowed the rock, clay stuff that passes as soil with my Massey 1440 using a 3-14 bottom for several years. My tires don't have liquid ballast but I do have 400 lbs of cast on the wheels.

 

[allen in texas]

Maybe I'm late to this parade but I want to play too.

The old wisdom said one horsepower per inch of bottom.
Thats a broad statement and doesn't consider soil types but just FYI, I pulled a 14" two bottom with a L3240 HST which has 25 pto horsepower.
PTO power relates roughly to Drawbar horsepower so...
Two 14" bottoms would require 28 horsepower. By those figures, I was slightly underpowered but my soil is sandy loam and I pulled plow reasonably well at a speed around 3.2 to 3.8 mph.
I now pull the same plow with a L5740 with 50 pto HP and I can already see (tractor is not broken in yet so I haven't hammered on it) that I can run away with the two bottoms. I've pulled it 5.5 mph and still have some left. but that's a bit too fast.
Your tractor has 36 or 37.5 PTO power (depending on whether it's an HST or Gear) and a 3 bottom 14" plow by the old rule would require you to have 42 HP. Since your soil is sandy, I say try a 3 and if you can't pull it the way you want, drop a bottom as everyone else has suggesed. You ain't gonna hurt the tractor.

Just my $.03 (adjusted for inflation)

edit, are you two wheel drive or 4. I left that out of the equation. Two wheel drive in that tractor and a three bottom might give you a bit of a problem. Another thing, your tractor weighs about the same as my L3240. I could not pull the two bottom at any reasonable depth in two wheel drive. I just spun. Good luck

 

[some zilch]

i have no issues pulling a dearborn double 14" with my L4400, through tough, clay-ish, rocky virgin ground, uphill. i would like to think i could pull a triple if i had to in more forgiving ground