moldboard plow horsepower

[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