Plow size

[bindian]

I would go with the 4-16's instead of the 5-12's the reason I say that is because the 5-12's =60" the 4-16's =64" so you gain 4" over the 5-12's. Years ago I had a FORD 4000 DIESEL '72 model bought it new with 38" rear tires 14-38 LOADED and one set of WEIGHT'S , with 52 HP on tap had no trouble pulling 4-16's at 5mph here in good old MISSOURI.

The Ford 4000, at most, weighed around 8200 pounds and, I think, was just 2WD. So with me loading my tires on top of 10,000 pounds of 4WD, 57 PTO horsepower, do you think it could pull 5-16s?
hugs, Brandi

 

[jeff9366]

FARMWITHJUNK advises:

A typical 2 X 12" plow will be moving dirt 24" wide and 6" deep. (144 square inches)

A 2 X 14" plow will be moving dirt 28" wide and 7" deep. (196 square inches)

A 2 X 16" plow will be moving dirt 32" wide and 8" deep. (256 square inches)

Also worth considering, 3 X12" plows cut 216 sq in as opposed to a 2 X 16" plow moving 256 sq in.....so THREE bottoms moves less dirt than TWO in that case.

Throw in for good measure the fact that OFTEN, the deeper you plow, the harder the soil, the harder the plow pulls.

Do you think it could pull 5-16s?

5 X 16 X 8 deep = 640 square inches = 4.444 square feet (WHEW!)

5 X 16 X 7 deep = 560 square inches = 3.888 square feet

Often, the deeper you plow, the harder the soil, the harder the plow pulls.

 

[bindian]

FARMWITHJUNK advises:

A typical 2 X 12" plow will be moving dirt 24" wide and 6" deep. (144 square inches)

A 2 X 14" plow will be moving dirt 28" wide and 7" deep. (196 square inches)

A 2 X 16" plow will be moving dirt 32" wide and 8" deep. (256 square inches)

Also worth considering, 3 X12" plows cut 216 sq in as opposed to a 2 X 16" plow moving 256 sq in.....so THREE bottoms moves less dirt than TWO in that case.

Throw in for good measure the fact that OFTEN, the deeper you plow, the harder the soil, the harder the plow pulls.




5 X 16 X 8 deep = 640 square inches = 4.444 square feet (WHEW!)

5 X 16 X 7 deep = 560 square inches = 3.888 square feet

Often, the deeper you plow, the harder the soil, the harder the plow pulls.

Thanks Jeff. I did read your post compilation of Mr Junk's plow threads.
hugs, Brandi

 

[motownbrowne]

The Ford 4000, at most, weighed around 8200 pounds and, I think, was just 2WD. So with me loading my tires on top of 10,000 pounds of 4WD, 57 PTO horsepower, do you think it could pull 5-16s?
hugs, Brandi

I think it'll really depend on the soil you're working. Somewhere between 4-14s and 5-16s, though that sounds like a lot to me. I don't think you'll run out of traction at 10k, but at some point you'll run out of horsepower.I think trying a plow or two before buying would be ideal.

 

[mkreitler]

What size rear tires on your tractor and what size is on the front? The rite size tires and with your weight it could be done it also depends on what type of soil you have there and if it is wet or dry when you plow,and how deep you are plowing. Also if your plows are of the SEMI-MOUNT or not plows that size and over is best if semi -mount so you have control over the front and rear end of the plow.The best way to find out is if someone around you has a set to try out. You may be surprised on the H.P.it may take. That being said you want to be in the sweet spot on the motor (R.P.M.).

 

[jeff9366]

Do you think it could pull 5-16s?

I have not seen one but somewhere there must be a reliable guide to horsepower per square inch or square foot of plow soil displacement.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Brandi, it's been over 40 years since I've used a moldboard plow so take all this with a grain of salt.

We used a 3-bottom plow (I think they were 16" bottoms, but could have been 14") on an old Minneapolis Moline tractor that I can't remember the model number/name of. We had 2 of them exactly alike.

That old "Minney" would pull that 3-bottom moldboard just fine. I doubt if it could have handled a 4-bottom, but it did a fine job of turning the soil with the 3 bottom. (That's one of the keys with a moldboard plow - maintaining the correct speed to turn the soil over.) I think that old tractor was somewhere around 50 drawbar HP.

If I was in your position and if I couldn't borrow one first, I'd probably buy the first good deal I found on either a 5-bottom or 4-bottom. As you said in an earlier post, you can always sell it if it doesn't work out. And if you buy it right, you won't lose any money.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

One more thing. We pretty much quit using the moldboard plow when we got an offset disc, which you have.

The tractor would pull a much wider offset disc, and the offset disc did fine job of turning the soil over (not as deep as a moldboard, but sufficient) so we didn't use the moldboard plow much. The people on here who have only used a tandem disc and never used an offset have no idea how much better an offset plows than a tandem.

I used to plow a square quarter section (160 acres) of land with that old 3-bottom moldboard. A few trips around that field took a LONG time, and it was really depressing to see how little I had done in that time.

 

[OldMcDonald]

bindian, No advice on size, because it all depends on your ground and how deep you want to go. When I was young I could never imagine farming without a mouldboard plough, but I have not owned one since 1979.

I miss ploughing, but odd shaped fields and "islands" of uncultivatable land in Australia or cultivating amongst olive trees here needs something other than a mouldboard. As you say, the smell and the sight of a well ploughed piece of ground is something that sticks in the mind forever, and in Britain the various species of seagulls flying about two feet from your face. I did bury the odd one that went between the tractor and the plough, but as far as I know pulled them all out again alive. I still believe it is the only way to bring a grass ley back into cultivation - but then you need the right plough too, one made for turning over grass, not for ploughing up arable.

 

[bindian]

What size rear tires on your tractor and what size is on the front? The rite size tires and with your weight it could be done it also depends on what type of soil you have there and if it is wet or dry when you plow,and how deep you are plowing. Also if your plows are of the SEMI-MOUNT or not plows that size and over is best if semi -mount so you have control over the front and rear end of the plow.The best way to find out is if someone around you has a set to try out. You may be surprised on the H.P.it may take. That being said you want to be in the sweet spot on the motor (R.P.M.).

I have 9.5x24 R1s on front and 16.9x28 R1s on the rear. Loading these tires will add 1484 pounds to give me around 11,500 pounds.
hugs, Brandi