Oh my gosh is plowing difficult. Help...

[Laminarman]

I chunked, I dug, I bounced...I made a stinking mess. But I definitely did NOT plow in any way, shape or form. I have a new found respect for farmers who make the fields glisten in the sun with their plows. I borrowed a two bottom plow and followed some advice given on TBN. What a frustrating experience.

How the heck do you make this thing work?? Frustrated is only the beginning of what I feel right now. I should have waited for help but time is running short.

 

[beenthere]

Well, can you put up a pic? of the plow on a flat surface? of the plow in the field? of the field showing the furrow and the plowed area?

Can you describe what adjustments you went through to get the plow adjusted to your tractor? Did it scour (come clean off the moldboard? Can you get any help from a neighbor who knows about setting up a plow?

Not surprised you have trouble the first time. And I know how you feel from being frustrated myself. Most attachments, we just get them hooked up and away we go. Not a plow. It must be aligned every which way imaginable, and then some. But when it is right, it is enormous fun to turn that ground over. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Some help from you may lead to some better help from us. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Laminarman]

Hi Beenthere. Thanks for your reply. I tried to adjust the plow so it was level front to rear, then side to side. I found the description of doing that much easier than the doing. As I drive I find the board to my right ("passengers side") plows deeper while the other one doesn't but "scritch the surface". I find the adjustable lower arm set almost all the way as short as she'll go to level it on flat ground. On one pass I got going and both boards bit and man, I thought I was the king. That was on the section of the field tilting more downhill, down towards the right while driving. So it seems to me the left or "drivers side" board needs to be lowered or that the right side needs to be elevated more.

Other observations: I find I have to go fast to turn it over and assume that's normal. For a dozen passes I had one good run. Also, I can line it up all I want, but when the blades hit dirt the alignment changes. I just think it got the better of me.

 

[beenthere]

What I do, is 'level' the plow on a flat surface with the left side tractor wheels up on a 6" high block. This simulates the right side wheels being in a 6" furrow. Then adjust the plow so it sits flat side to side and front to back on the flat surface. Tracking behind the 'furrow' wheel is important too. Keep in mind that the 14" plow width needs to have a couple inches to hold (hinge) the sod to roll it over, and not just shove it over.

Some plows have 'internal' adjustments, so that all the adjustment doesn't have to be done with the 3pt lift arms and the top link.

Picture possible of your plow? Some plows sold now are unlike the older Deerborne plows that had a fair amount of 'internal' adjustment. New plows look like they would just be like dragging a piece of steel behind.

Speed? The old horse drawn plows moved slow, and plowed great. I remember as a kid pulling a two-bottom (2-14's) behind an old F-12 farmall, and I could walk twice as fast as that old devil would plow in low gear. But the ground looked great behind the plow. Still have that gear-grind noise as it lumbered along.

Adjustment is the key. Hope you can find the enjoyment that is there.

PS
One thing that is going to be hard to control is depth, if your tractor does not have draft control (I am not familiar with your model). The older small tractors, i.e. Ford 8N had that control because they were designed and used a lot for plowing. That isn't the case with the newer CUT's, so it may not be a feature that you have. It means that you will have to constanly account for easy and tough plowing by manually adjusting the 3pt control. When tough plowing, the wheels spin a bit and go deeper, taking the plow deeper, making for more spinning, and so on, until the 3pt is raised a bit and the wheels stop spinning, bringing up the plow so the depth needs to be dropped, and the vicious cycle begins again.
Draft control senses the extra compression from the plow going deeper (through the top link), thus automatically raising the 3pt arms a bit until that amount of compression is relieved, and the arms lower. It's a bit complicated but with some thought, can be figured out.

 

[Egon]

Are you ploughing sod or worked ground. There is a difference and different mole boards are required.

Egon

 

[Laminarman]

TC40DA New Holland without draft control. The plow is a "no name"?? It's one of the tractor supply models, although it's been used successfully by others up here. I'm sure this is operator error. I guess the hardest time I have is leveling it side to side and front to rear. I'll try the block trick, which I haven't tried yet. Draft control sounds very cool, but I don't have it.

Thanks for your help. I'll try to get a photo up soon.

 

[sweettractors]

BeenThere has given you good solid advice--I am willing to give you a couple additional tips, if you want to call 270-528-3323-mon-fri-8-5-cst-Sat-8-12-Ask for me--Have your overall tractor track width and HP rating and I will get you thru this--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment LLC *Authorized Dixon ZTR Mower Dealer at [email="glsweet@scrtc.com*[/url]"]glsweet@scrtc.com*[/email]

 

[Laminarman]

Thank you Ken. I'll take measurements and call you. I appreciate your help.

 

[TNCHRIS]

plows when properly set up will only work with the tractor their set for. to start put a strieght line down by inside of right tire, then adjust the back edge of the right hand share to the line.don't use sway bars, you must move them on the lower crossarm. thenby twisting the lower crossarm (or moving hitch pin location, cheap plows usally have three holes) get the plows in a strieght line with tractor, if this is off it will cause the front wheels to pull to the right or left.then using the toplink level the plows from front to back(plows just clearing the ground) finally the side to side must be level for first run then adjusted back to level with the ground with your right tires in the last furrow.

sorry so long butt this is the short verison of a long task.
and why i don't loan my plows.

 

[Laminarman]

I'd like to say that Ken Sweet helped me a lot by telephone today, as have you all. But I have bought nothing from Ken, and he was generous as all get out. Ken I appreciate it, and thank you! I can tell you really do this out of the love of the machines and the earth. We need more people like you.