moldboard plow horsepower

[brcisna]

Hello All,

New to the compact tractor world. Going to purchase a moldboard /breaking/turning,plow for my 25 hp pto, tractor,4WD and would like to hear others plowing experiences. Such as soil type,plow width,12",14",16",coulter,no coulter, 2WD,4WD,etc.

Thanks,
Barry

 

[bigbull338]

with your tractor running in 4wd you can safely pull a 12 in 1 bottom plow.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Coulter wheel in front of the plow is needed to cut the grass so it flips easily and also helps to stabilize the plow. Dont buy a used one without the coulter wheels and the tail wheel. I've seen lots for sale that have neither and I dont think they will work correctly without them. I havent used them in 50 years but my dad had what he called a Pan plow that had 2 deep cupped smooth disc blades about 20-24" in diameter that he pulled with an 8N in medium heavy loam soil. They cut as well or better than a moldboard and dont hang up on roots or rock like the moldboards do. I think they pull lots easier also. No coulter wheels needed on these either.

 

[farmforwildlife]

A general rule of thumb is 1 HP for each inch of plow. So a 2-12 would need about 24 HP. You could pull a 1-16. A 2-12 would depend on soil condition with your tractor. Draft control is also important for maintaining plow depth. Plow should plow about half the width. Twelve inch moldboard 6 inches deep.

 

[duwem]

Brinly sold 12" plows for John Deere 140 garden tractors which had 14hp engines and weight of about 700 lbs so a compact should handle a 12" no problem.

 

[OldMcDonald]

brcisna, Have a look at the thread "What kind of plow should I get" On P13 at the time of posting. Last post by Chilly807 on10-27-2011. In particular follow through his posts and see the difference in his plough and some of the others photographed.

 

[MHarryE]

I have heavy clay soil. My 37 engine HP Kubota did okay with one 16 but struggled with 2 x 14 and wouldn't make it at all on a tough area. I now have a 57 HP L5740 and this year it struggled with the 2 x 14. It was just a tough year, so not only the soil matters but also how the weather treats you. I think I could pull 3 x 14 at my brother-in-laws rich bottom land Missouri.

 

[D7E]

Coulter wheel in front of the plow is needed to cut the grass so it flips easily and also helps to stabilize the plow. Dont buy a used one without the coulter wheels and the tail wheel. I've seen lots for sale that have neither and I dont think they will work correctly without them.

A good plough does not need discs !

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...0YTYDQ&usg=AFQjCNEIvxmt4vSsHW481RP5whf-2xAUEA

Not many of my ploughs have had discs !


Correctly set skimmers are far more important !

 

[flusher]

Hello All,

New to the compact tractor world. Going to purchase a moldboard /breaking/turning,plow for my 25 hp pto, tractor,4WD and would like to hear others plowing experiences. Such as soil type,plow width,12",14",16",coulter,no coulter, 2WD,4WD,etc.

Thanks,
Barry

25 hp pto probably means about 20 hp on the drawbar or 3pt hitch where you attach the plow to the tractor.

Be aware that the trend for decades had been away from moldboard plows since they produce hardpan (because the right wheels run in a furrow and compact the soil = hardpan which eventually causes drainage problems). Chisel plows and discs are preferred since they produce less of a hardpan problem.

With 4WD you probably can pull a lightweight 2-14 if the soil is fairly loose (e.g.gravely loam). Your little tractor would struggle if you tried to pull a 2-14 through soil with a lot of clay content. My JD 2-14 moldboard plow (3pt hitch type) is one heavy sucker and probably would be a real load for a 25-hp tractor.

The soil on my 6-acre hayfield is shallow, thin gravely loam so I don't dare flip it with a moldboard plow. That justs buries the good soil and leaves inferior soil on the surface of the field. I use a 6.5 ft offset disc for primary tillage and a 7-ft tandem disc for secondary tillage, both of which are over 50 years old.

Good luck

 

[SandburRanch]

Look at pics 2 and 3 of the reply by D7E. If your plow moldboards don't look like that you're wasting time and HP.

Horse power calculations are for plows that have a scoured / polished set of moldboards and not for some piece which set in fence row on the back forty that has rusted and pitted for the past 30 years.

 

[Verticaltrx]

A good plough does not need discs !

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...0YTYDQ&usg=AFQjCNEIvxmt4vSsHW481RP5whf-2xAUEA

Not many of my ploughs have had discs !


Correctly set skimmers are far more important !

Look at pics 2 and 3 of the reply by D7E. If your plow moldboards don't look like that you're wasting time and HP.

Horse power calculations are for plows that have a scoured / polished set of moldboards and not for some piece which set in fence row on the back forty that has rusted and pitted for the past 30 years.

Agree on both points. We have a JD 1600 moldboard plow (3-16) and a small 2-14 plow, neither of which have coulters. Coulters are nice for some conditions, but far from a necessity. In fact, in some conditions they can be a hindrence. We used to use that JD plow for breaking a lot of virgin ground with lots of stones, small stumps, etc. That type of use would wreck coulters pretty quick.


Also, having a well set and well maintained plow is critical to success. As mentioned a properly scoured plow is important as it will pull a lot easier. When ever I pull the plow out of the shed in the spring I take a grinder with a wire wheel and clean the moldboards to a nice shine, which assure immediate scouring regardless of the soil type. In real sandy soil this isn't as important, put the plow in the ground for about 100' and it's ready, lol.


As for the OP's questions, I think I'd look for a small 2-12 bottom plow or a single 14" bottom plow. According to Kubota my little B3200 is rated to pull a 2-12" plow, but I have never tried it. For reference it is 23 PTO hp, 4wd and weighs about 1800lbs, so it is a pretty small tractor.

 

[Chilly807]

I have a 2 bottom 12 inch MF mouldboard (or grassland) plow, with coulters and guide wheel. The L3400 (4wd and 35 HP) pulls it easily in clay soil, as long as it's relatively dry. Heavy wet ground, which you shouldn't be plowing anyway, will add a lot of load and slippery into the equation.

I think you'd be ok with a 2-12 as long as the ground conditions were good, otherwise a single bottom might be better.

You have to factor in tractor weight and available traction too, it's very rare that you run out of horsepower when pulling a plow, since gearing takes care of that. You also have to be able to pull it at it's design speed for it to work right. Too slow and it won't flip the sod properly, too fast means breaking stuff if you hit rocks.

The guys are right about share condition, they should be smooth and shiny to scour (clean themselves) properly and cut cleanly. They will polish up over time, but most of us don't plow 40 acres a year to get them that way quickly.

Sean

 

[Chilly807]

A general rule of thumb is 1 HP for each inch of plow. So a 2-12 would need about 24 HP. You could pull a 1-16. A 2-12 would depend on soil condition with your tractor. Draft control is also important for maintaining plow depth. Plow should plow about half the width. Twelve inch moldboard 6 inches deep.

In my experience, which is limited, this post is pretty much dead on the money for being correct... 1 hp per inch makes good sense, and the depth is right too..:thumbsup:

Sean