Plowing new ground.

[Farmwithjunk]

Funny.....I get up every weekday at 4 AM. I almost always want to stay in bed and sleep a few minutes longer. Weekend arrives, I can sleep in, and guess what? I'm wide awake and moving around AT 2AM.........

Oh well.

Headed out to the shop in a few. All the old parts are cleaned and ready for primer. All the small parts are hanging from the rafters (wire) ready for spraying. I'll do that today. MAYBE tomorrow ( IF the primer dries) I'll shoot the first coat of red. (Final coat after everything is assembled)

Landslides are in the system at UPS. (Valu-Bilt) SHould be here monday (tues at latest) Shares are on their way from North Carolina. (Agri-Supply) They need a coat of red before assembly. (I paint the back-sides to prevent rust) All the bolts are here. Most of the "plow bolts" came from TSC. A few other bolts came from an industrial supply shop I buy from at work. (Try finding a "grade 8, fine thread, 3/4"X4-1/2" carriage bolt at Home Depot ) I'm hoping to get started putting things together about wed.

Decals are in at the Massey dealer. (What good is a fancy new suit without a nice tie to go with it? Got to have ALL the small details covered)

Once upon a time, you could have walked into ANY Tractor Supply, or ANY Massey Ferguson dealer and bought all the hard parts for this plow straight off the shelf. Now it's become a scavenger hunt to put one together. I'd HIGHLY recommend to anyone with aspirations of owning a fresh plow to get busy. Parts are getting scarce for even the most common models. Parts that are available are already expensive. I've already spent more to replace worn parts on this plow than I did on an entire NEW 4-bottom plow I bought in 1974.

After I'm done with my plows, I've got a set of Ford model 101's to re-do for my son. (He "lets" me do some of his wrenching.) He's trying to keep dads mind occupied and off of the good looking SINGLE (and "well endowed") 25 year old blond that just bought the house across the road from us. He doesn't understand that once us old-timers hit 50, we become invisable to women that age. We just go to our shop and beat on old plows...........

 

[BobG_in_VA]

"Once upon a time, you could have walked into ANY Tractor Supply, or ANY Massey Ferguson dealer and bought all the hard parts for this plow straight off the shelf. Now it's become a scavenger hunt to put one together. I'd HIGHLY recommend to anyone with aspirations of owning a fresh plow to get busy. Parts are getting scarce for even the most common models. Parts that are available are already expensive. I've already spent more to replace worn parts on this plow than I did on an entire NEW 4-bottom plow I bought in 1974."

Boy that's the truth...I found and redid a Dearborn 10-8 (for the uninititated thats a 2 bottom, 12" from the late 40's..) a few months ago and hunted all over "****'s half-acre" to find the plow points for the front as it had been broken off just below the frog. As some of you know the front and rear points/shears are different. I actually found a place that asked me if I needed the front or rear. They had steel for $150 ea or cast iron for $65. Since the rear was near brand new, I ordered 2 cast fronts. Around here, if you don't use the clay points you don't pull far or fast. I had an old single bottom Dearborn (with slotted moldboard) with a tailwheel/furrowwheel, that had the landslide broken. I got the right bolts from the local NH dealer and put that tailwheel on the 10-8. Repainted and it looks like brand new. Used it to plow a friends garden a month or so ago. Good luck on the plow! BobG in VA

 

[BobG_in_VA]

By the way, if anyone has a Ford/Ferguson/Dearborn implement that they need help with, this site is a font of knowlege and was where I found the outfit that had the plowpoints for the 10-8. Good bunch of folks! BobG in VA


Implements Forum

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Primer is DONE! I'm not wanting to branch off into a painting discussion at this point. So.... I'm just saying the primer was shot almost immediately after I finished sandblasting to get any bare metal covered. It's an enamel primer made by a VERY well known maker of, among other things, industrial coatings. This is a primer we use on structural steel and re-bar where I work. It's tough stuff. It's made for priming rust-proned metal. I've used it quite a bit with great success. End of commentary.

Pic#1 is the back-side of the moldboards in prime.

Pic#2 and 4 are the frame. First time I've used an engine hoist as a paint "hanger". Works like a charm.

If the primer is dry enough, I'm planning on shooting the red paint tomorrow afternoon.

It's ALMOST time to start re-assembly.

 

[scott_vt]

He's trying to keep dads mind occupied and off of the good looking SINGLE (and "well endowed") 25 year old blond that just bought the house across the road from us. He doesn't understand that once us old-timers hit 50, we become invisable to women that age. We just go to our shop and beat on old plows...........

Hey Farm,
Darn, Im supposed to be learnin about plows here and Im gettin a vision of somethin else !

BTW, could it be Ellie May ?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Hey Farm,
Darn, Im supposed to be learnin about plows here and Im gettin a vision of somethin else !

BTW, could it be Ellie May ?

I'm gonna be real careful here. There's about 500 replies that would get us BOTH banned forever from Mr. Gores internet

Not Ellie. More the "career gold-digger" type, if you know what I mean.

I've got 3 kids older than she is. In the past 3 days, she's been over here 4 times. My Mrs. thinks the young lady has plans for me. I'm (1) stroking my own ego, (2) letting my wife THINK she's going to have to protect what's hers,(Has her REAL fired up!!!) and (3) being the good neighbor that I am.

Sorry about any possible traumatic visuals this may have created.

 

[dapper]

Evening Farm,
Interesting post (as always). Looking forward to your progress. I purchased a set of MF 3 14’s in December. Didn’t look like they had been in the ground. Weathered paint was all that needed fixing. I won’t tell you what I paid for them, but it was twice what JerryG did and still less than what you will have in the replacement parts for 1 bottom. Surprised that they are that high in your area. Around hear not much demand for something that small so easier to pick up bargain.
I also have a set of MF 2 14’s that I am keeping in my barn for my neighbor while he is looking for a set of Ford 2 bottoms. Not exactly like yours, no adjustment on them, but pretty close to what you’re working on. Can't tell for sure from pic, but are your's break back, or trips? Trip's are the main reason for my new set. Lots of rocks hear.
Also have Dad’s set of Dearborn 2 12’s that have been in the “family” for longer than I have been around. (Read “longtime”) I have been saying that I would get a new set of shears for it for the last 20 yr anyway. Plowed many an acre with an old 8n, and those 2 12’s.
Maybe I should check out your dealers for the shears for the Dearborn now. Thanks for the heads up. All parts for this old equipment is becoming harder, and harder to find so any source is greatly appreciated.
Like Flusher, one of my fondest memories is going with my grandfather down to the blacksmith shop. To have his plow shears re sharpened, or to have some other broken piece welded or repaired. Amazing what that old man could do with a hammer, forge, and anvil. I got to pull the forge bellows….
Keep us posted

 

[john_bud]

After I'm done with my plows, I've got a set of Ford model 101's to re-do for my son. (He "lets" me do some of his wrenching.) He's trying to keep dads mind occupied and off of the good looking SINGLE (and "well endowed") 25 year old blond that just bought the house across the road from us. He doesn't understand that once us old-timers hit 50, we become invisable to women that age. We just go to our shop and beat on old plows...........

Yeah, everybody knows that good looking 25 year old single well endowed blonds get all hot and bothered by paunchy balding married middle aged men! Especially when they are all grimy, greasy and smelly from working on antique tractor parts.

Or at least we can hope....

jb

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I purchased a set of MF 3 14’s in December. Didn’t look like they had been in the ground. Weathered paint was all that needed fixing. I won’t tell you what I paid for them, but it was twice what JerryG did and still less than what you will have in the replacement parts for 1 bottom. Surprised that they are that high in your area. Around hear not much demand for something that small so easier to pick up bargain.
I also have a set of MF 2 14’s that I am keeping in my barn for my neighbor while he is looking for a set of Ford 2 bottoms. Not exactly like yours, no adjustment on them, but pretty close to what you’re working on.

I can't get a read on the 3-bottom, as to them being CAT I or CAT II hitch. If it's a CAT I, that's a model 43 plow. Much better trash clearance. (Corn stalks.....ect) The 2-bottom is a #66 (like mine) only WITHOUT the landing crank. Also, the #66 is missing its tail wheel.

That "adjustment" or landing crank on mine is the reason why I paid so much for this blasted thing. In a later post, I'll go in to more detail on WHY they're needed.

Location might be THE WORD in real estate, but it doesn't help much for buying plow parts. 90% of the parts have to come from Valu-Bilt (Indianola Iowa) or Agri-Supply stores scattered throughout their chain. (They're selling off their plow parts inventory, not to be re-stocked. When all the stores run out, that's it.....) Between steel prices and transportation cost, parts for these old things are just about to price themselves out of business.



And just let EVERYBODY smack me right between the eyes with your tales of cheap plows. Since starting this thread, I've heard about over a dozen folks who bought what I have (or better) and paid less than I now have invested IN PAINT AND DECALS for my project.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Or at least we can hope....

jb

In a matter of a week, I've figured out just exactly what it takes to get this one worked up.......


That would be a simple touch of my credit card or check book. Not my type.