Plowing project disrupted by BFR... need help quick!! (pics)

Investorguy · Sep 24, 2006

Hey guys, been a while.

So I'm plow this section of my field (to make a useful lawn, not gardening or anything) and all of a sudden my plow gets held up by something. so I figure it's nothing big and get a running start at it. Well, I'll never do that again... with my next plow at least. This was my first time ever using the plow and I guess this is one of those rookie mistakes. I broke the bottom of the plow off. I was really disappointed, as it was really starting to develop a nice shine. $350 *poof* gone.... Spilled milk I guess. The school of life often requires expensive tuition.

Anyway, I finally figured out that it was a big 'fat' rock (BFR) that had become my nemisis. My plow didn't go down without a fight--took a nice chunk out of the top. Anyhow, my buck didn't fare much better. I tried getting at it from all ends

So now my questions:

1. Any ideas on how to get the rock out of there? Shovel? Keep working the bucket?

2. Will the plow be able to do a decent job of the rest of the field or am I outta luck there too? All I need is for it to cut about 4-5 inches down to get below the 20 year old sod.

3. Am I best off just leaving the rock and working around it, paying special attention to that spot when I rototill (w/ a friends rototiller)?

Here's some pics for the curious:

Here's my first plowing project, nearly finished. I know you're not supposed to plow in a square, but I'm going to till it all out anyway.

Here's the plow on my 3400. Ouch...

Here are the plow pieces. Broke the metal clean apart... you should see the other guy though.

Here's the BFR w/ my 5 year old for reference.

And here's why I'm plowing the field. Those big chunks of sod make for some pretty useless ground.

Birdhunter1 · Sep 24, 2006

You should be able to find a replacement share for that at a TSC or comparable farm supply.

It is best to plow everything in rows rather than squares, ie: go one way turning the soil over, come back turning the soil onto the soil you just turned
Example: (see below) k is your first pass, n is the pass coming back, then do j, then b then j, then b, then j, then b. The "jjjknbbb" area is the area you're plowing, the headlands is where you are doing your turning.

Headland area
jjjjjknbbbbb
jjjjjknbbbbb
jjjjjknbbbbb
jjjjjknbbbbb
Headland area

If you do several hundred acres you can see why they made a turnover plow or farmers started parking them in the weeds and using a chisel plow instead.
If it wre me I'd let those sod chunks bake in teh sun a few days and if they were to get a rain on them before you work them again that would be even better.

Egon · Sep 25, 2006

The plow is fixable.

Plant a tree by the rock.

Follow previous advice for working that ugly sod. That is the result of not having the proper mouldboard for turning sod on your plow. Yours will be fine on land that has been cultivated.

Sme ploughs will have a trip arrangement just for your type of situation.

shvl73 · Sep 25, 2006

It's hard to tell the true size by the picture but, if you have access to a backhoe, even a small one, maybe you could dig a hole beside the rock and push it into the deeper hole. If it's the size of, say your kitchen table, that would work. If it's just the tip of the iceberg, I like the tree idea.

Farmwithjunk · Sep 25, 2006

Egon said:
The plow is fixable.

Plant a tree by the rock.

Follow previous advice for working that ugly sod. That is the result of not having the proper mouldboard for turning sod on your plow. Yours will be fine on land that has been cultivated.

Sme ploughs will have a trip arrangement just for your type of situation.

That plow IS a trip beam plow. Can't tell from that view if it's shearbolt or saftey trip. That's an "HSS" bottom on that plow. (Deere terminology) You'll need to know that when buying new share. Looks like a 14" plow. If it's 12", good luck finding share. They're getting almost impossible to find. 14" are common as the dirt you're turning. Valu-Bilt has 'em. (I've got an identical 2-bottom plow and a 3-bottom version of the same plow)

It's not uncommon to break shares even with trip beam plows. A trip beam SHOULD release when you hit something, but that initial shock has already done its damage. If it DIDN'T trip, make sure someone hasn't put grade 8 bolts in the shearpin hole.

I'd be inclined to leave the rock be. If it was covered before, and you didn't know it was there. just cover it back up and let it go.

Your plowing "style' is not uncommon out west. That's the way big wheatfields were plowed. (square, plowing to middle) Back east, that wasn't seen much.

Those Deere HSS bottoms weren't the greatest thing ever for breaking sod. It isn't out of the ordinary to see sod rolled up on its edge like that. Mouldboard extentions helped, but still didn't do as good of a job as other brands of plows. In spite of the fact John Deere earned his reputation from the plow, Deere plows were not known as the best on the market. In the early 1960's, Deere introduced the "NU" bottom to replace the HSS. Much better design, but by that point, plows were on their way to the fencerow for the most part.

daTeacha · Sep 25, 2006

Depending on where you are in Washington, you may or may not get serious frost in the ground. If you do, the rocks will tend to "grow" up out of the ground and burying it will only put the problem on the back burner for a couple of years. If you don't, then bury it as deep as you can and forget about it. Around here on the glacial moraine, we have special implements or high school kids for picking rocks out of the fields every couple of years.

Highbeam · Sep 25, 2006

Thanks for posting those pictures. It is good to know what 34 HP and industrial tires can do in a field. How do you intend to make it smooth enough to plant on? Do you have a disc to follow?

To be honest... if I found all the metal chunks that broke off of the plow I would just weld them back together and grind it smooth. It might not be as good as new but you have to know that the rains are coming and I think there's a chance that that field of yours might just be hungry enough to try and eat your Kubota once it gets wet.

john_bud · Sep 25, 2006

HIghbeam,

Welding high carbon steel is too tough for me. You have any tips on doing it?
jb

Highbeam · Sep 26, 2006

I am not knowledgable enough to know the difference. If it is steel and basicly scrap at this point, then why not try? If it is anything like a scarifier tooth on a bulldozer then I have just ground out the break and welded the bugger together with 7018. Grind smooth and put it back together. Yes, lots of heat and careful welding on both sides to prevent the thing from curling up out of shape as the weld shrinks.

That ripper tooth is still ripping along just fine and when it snapped off on a tree root the break was all grainy looking unlike mild steel.

john_bud · Sep 27, 2006

Well, maybe. I mean you are right, it's already broke how can it get messed up worse?

But I have seen a fair amount of high carbon steel get some of the most perfect looking welds, then CRACK when they cool. And yes, they are typically loud when they crack. Maybe with a Ni rod and some serious post weld heat then slow cool overnight. Even then, crack happens.

jb