plough for 35 hp 4 wheel drive?

[bjr]

I recently had to disc up up a old pasture mostly bermuda grass tough and compacted. I have a KK 18" 6-1/2' disc and grey market 5' tiller was all I had to work the ground. The disc front gang are notch and the rears are smooth. The front cut the sod but the rears sorta just rolled over. I got the job done, but it took many many cross cutting passes and this just sort diced it up. I then used the tiller with multiple passes. My question. What would be the best to use somekind of plough if so how many blades and how big. Would a plough actually turn the sod over? I need not to go over about 8-9" deep, some times the underground irrigation pvc pipes can be a problem. I've never been around a plough and don't know what to expect from one. bjr

 

[beenthere]

A moldboard plow will turn the sod over if everything is adjusted just right. Depth would be 6-9 inches.

A disc is for ground already worked up, and as you found out, not real good for turning ground over. There are disc plows, built heavy and needing lots of hp that partially do the job, depending on the soil you need to till. Your disc/tiller combination will work too, but will go slower than a moldboard plow. These are not the only options you have.

Where are you located? No bio filled out.

 

[plowrup]

In my part fo the World, 35 h.p. will only pull a single bottom 14" Plow. Why not use a RotoTiller? 48-60" width, 6-7" depth-

 

[JerryG]

What I use and most people in the area that I live is a moldboard turning plow. It will turn the sod over and bury it. Then give it a few days to break down and go at it again with a field tiller or a disc. You will have a nice lose, pretty smooth seedbed. Unless your ground is like rock, a two bottom will work good with your 35 horsepower.

 

[Fredex]

Turning old compacted sod is tough duty. Killing the grass and letting it lay until the root system rots will help some, but it will still be compacted. Under those conditions one 14 or 16" plow would be my guesstimate.

Don't know the acreage involved, but I would seriously consider hiring someone with a big machine to turn it for you - as deep as possible, maybe even disc it for you the first time. Those big, heavy discs just cut better. Also might consider big tractor with a chisel plow instead of moldboard. This won't turn the soil as well but may go deeper.

 

[Chuck_Lind]

The general rule of thumb for a 14" or 16" moldboard plow is 15 hp per bottom. My old John Deere 50 (27 hp) is good for a 2-bottom plow; my NH TN65 with FWD pulls a 3-bottom 16" with no problem; could even pull a 4-bottom 14" with ease.

 

[TwinWillows]

Where/what do you measure to determine the size of a plow?

 

[RFB]

I would also like to reap some of the advice regarding this. I have a Kubota 5030HSTC, and I need to turn about 7 acres that have been fallow for about 15 years.

My Kubotoa manual says I can only pull a 2 bottom 16.

Is that a little conservative for my tractor with R1's and 4wd, or is that an accurate assessment?

Also, what is the difference between a "14" and a "16" plow?

Thank you gentlemen.

 

[RFB]

I would also like to reap some of the advice regarding this. I have a Kubota 5030HSTC, and I need to turn about 7 acres that have been fallow for about 15 years.

My Kubotoa manual says I can only pull a 2 bottom 16.

Is that a little conservative for my tractor with R1's and 4wd, or is that an accurate assessment?

Also, what is the difference between a "14" and a "16" plow?

Thank you gentlemen.

 

[jgh]

20060516

With either 42.5 or 44 PTO hp you can certainly pull 2 bottoms but a 16" three bottom would be sort of close based on the comments I've heard. I own 2 3 bottom, probably 16", plows but have not used them. My NH has 80 pto hp so it should be fine. But I'd experiment with 3 if you have not already bought it.

I believe the measement is from front to back of the plow bottom, tip to end, but have honestly never done it.

With all the rain we're now getting (betw Richmond & C-ville, Va) I may try out one of those tools (and our tiller) to see if I can clean up some problem ground, may plant some rows as an experiment, with mainly hay and timber elsewhere.

Jim