plow troubles

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

From what you are saying, I am willing to bet you have a bent plow frame. If you have a good eye set the plow on some level concrete and not attached to the tractor. Look at the plow bottoms from different directions, all of the bottoms should set flat on the floor and all of the angles should look the same, on all bottoms. If it is bent you will find it almost impossible the ever get it to work correctly. Good luck with it.

 

[art]

Art, how much does a plow have to be bent to make a noticeable difference? In other words, is this something you can eyeball or does a bend too small to eyeball still cause problems?

We often would find them out a couple of inches on the ones that were relatively close. For the size of many of the plows it was easy to watch the furrows and measure the plowing width's comparably from bottom to bottom. We normally are working with more then two bottoms!!!!

There are often a hole or two on the back of the moldboard and for a field expediete bolt an extra piece of steel on the tail to set the furrow over a little further! Many older plows actually came with them to assist with this problem in difficult conditions. It might be enough to rectify this problem.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Another question.... How deep were you attempting to plow? Many older plows held true to the rule where they were intended to be used at a depth of one half of the bottom width. (ie a 12" plow to be used at 6" deep, 16" plow to be used at 8" deep, ect) If used too deep, the furrow slice would almost always turn up on edge, then flop back to "green side up". The lead bottom MAY be taking less than a full width of cut. Let's say a 10" wide cut being rolled into a 14" open furrow. That would let it roll completely over. The REAR bottom, (or multiple bottoms in the case of a plow with 3 or more bottoms) wouldn't have that extra room to lay the furrow slice all the way over. It then stops partially rolled over, then falls back. I had a John Deere 3X14" model 215A plow that wouldn't turn bottoms 2 and 3 all the way to save itself if the plow was ANY deeper than 7". It would turn the front cut all the way over very consistantly no matter what depth.

Just a wild guess.....


But, I'm of the same opinion as everyone else here so far. Sure sounds like a sprung frame.

By the way, what BRAND plow? And is it a trip beam? (Or rigid beam)

 

[N80]

I was down at my property this weekend and just for kicks decided to look at the plow that I use. It was rescued from my B-I-L's junk pile and as I mentioned above, it often takes me a good while to get it to work right. But, the truth of the matter is that I can usually get it to do a good job, but one bottom or the other usually 'digs' a little better than the other no matter what I do.

Sure enough, the frog (is that the right term?) on one of them is bent just a little bit and it kicks the tip of that share out a bit compared to the other. (Hmmm, maybe that's why it was in the junk pile?)

The plow is a rusty piece of junk and looks like most of the new ones you can buy nowadays at TSC etc.

I have found a lot of use for it but I suspect a good older model plow or even a new plow similar to it would work a lot better and be a lot easier to set up.

I may have to find me another 2-14 plow somewhere.

 

[backdoor]

Is there some way you can remove the rear plow shank and bottom from the rest of the plow? I've done that, and used the front plow only. Of course, on my plow the rear plow was the one sprung way out of line. I took the long landside off the rear plow and put it on the front, but I don't know for sure if that was needed. Mine worked great as a one-bottom.