Need help adjusting a plow!

[Sideways]

I bought this one bottom plow for my compact tractor but cannot get it to cut more that 3 inches deep.
Is the top link supposed to be in line with the moldboard or offset?
Do I have it hooked up correctly?
I posted a couple of pictures, any help would be appreciated

 

[rambler]

Setting up a plow is an art form. You need to get the pitch, yaw, & angle right, as well as side to side width. Changing one of these will affect the others in some ways.

If your problem is the plow not digging into the ground deep enough, one of 3 problems:

1. Very dry & compacted soil.

2. The plow lay (bottom cutting blade of the bottom which we can't see in your pics) is wore down, esp in the front point. Sometimes they look ok, but compared to a new one, are worn out.

3. Your top link is too short. Screw it out some. (In a very screwed up world, the top link could be too long, but not typically....)



One or all of those is the reason it's not digging in.

Then you'll go on to the next problem. Note that the first round of plowing you need to lower the right side of your 3pt to set the right side down about 7-8 inches. After that your tractor wheel will be in the furrow that deep, and the right arm should be raised back up to normal. The first round is more difficult to make.

Also, an old rusty bottom with paint or dirt on it is hard to get started as well. The soil won't want to flow on it, but will stick instead.

--->Paul

 

[Egon]

Is the plow frame aligned with the tractor?

Is the wheel limiting depth?

Attached picture of plow hook up.

 

[foggy1111]

Your pics arnt too clear, but it sure doesnt look like that plow will pull straight. I think that top link should be pointing straight out the back at the plow.

To set my plow up, I put 6" of wood blocks under both the front and rear tires on the LEFT side of the tractor. That way the plow should sit level front to back and side to side (just as you are when plowing). You can ajust to this setting via the top link and the 3 point drawbars (one side is typically adjustable). Get everything pointing in the same direction via the adjustment features on the tractor AND the plow linkage.

If you plan to plow deeper.....just add more height to the wood placed under the tires. From this setup....I think its a little more trial and error to get a perfect setting....but you should be close. Mine was.

Also.....What kind of plow is that? It sure is back from the tractor a long way.....and I dont see much for adjustment on the plow drawbar. (???)

 

[Farmwithjunk]

The top link SHOULD be very close to a straight line (front to rear). The plow bottom SHOULD ride just inside the right rear sidewall. If not, the TRACTOR needs adjusting, NOT the plow. The track width (center to center of rear tires) should be so that the plow can trail with the draft line on the center line of the tractor . Draft line of a single 16" plow would be roughly 12" from the LEFT side of the plow bottom, (ie 4" from the landslide.)

A plow should be VERY close to perfectly level (front to rear AND side to side) once it's in the ground at working depth. A nose down attitude will often defeat the intended purpose of pointing it down....In other words, they won't go in the ground very well.

Worn out shares is the #1 reason why a plow won't "suck". (tech term for a plow pulling itself down)

I never liked gauge wheels on mounted plows. They tend to unload weight OFF the hitch (and corrospondingly OFF the rear wheels of the tractor) reducing available traction.

Make certain the COULTER isn't set too deep. They'll prvent a plow from digging in also. Especially so in hard (ie DRY) ground. It only needs to be a couple inches in the ground at plowing depth.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Adjust your gauge wheel to the depth you want. IH used this style on their older plows to set depth when they had the 2pt Fasthitch plows as the earlier tractors with this feature did not have good depth control. BobG in VA

 

[Sideways]

Thanks everyone.
I can't get the plow to dig down enough for the colter or the gauge wheel to touch the ground.

My biggest concern is the plow does not pull straight and the top link is not pointing straight out of the rear of the tractor.
It appears I can loosen up the 2 ubolts at the front of the plow and slide everything over to the left in order to straighten the top link.

 

[Opti-Mist]

Thanks everyone.
I can't get the plow to dig down enough for the colter or the gauge wheel to touch the ground.

My biggest concern is the plow does not pull straight and the top link is not pointing straight out of the rear of the tractor.
It appears I can loosen up the 2 ubolts at the front of the plow and slide everything over to the left in order to straighten the top link.

Before you start modifying the plow, do as foggy suggested and properly do the basic starting point of the plow to the tractor relationship FIRST. Then try it to see what it now wants to do. Then adjust from there. Farmwithjunk gives you good advice. A properly adjusted plow will track true laterally and vertically. Your plow would track true with a single connection at the 2nd bolthead on your plow shin (if I remember my plow Doctor's description from some great number of years ago).

 

[Sideways]

Turns out I had the adjusting arm on the wrong side of the 3pt hitch.
Once I switched sides I was able to line up the plow and the rest of adjustments were pretty easy to figure out.
Thanks again to everyone that offered advice.