plows for TC45A

[woolyAcres]

Can any of the experienced New Holland folks provide some advice on recovering an unattended field?

Can I expect to pull any plows with a 45HP 4WD New Holland TC45A? I need to recover some pasture land that hasn't been plowed as long as I can remember. I don't think it has too many large stones, but when it's dry it's pretty hard. I'm happy to consider standard 2 or 3 bottom plows, but I was wondering if I could pull a set of chisel plows to break things up. I don't intend to plant corn or any type of row crop; just want to break up the weeds/grasses that have taken over. Final produce will be something for sheep: Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, etc.

Just got finished brush hogging it. Some of that stuff (including multi-flora rose) were more than 6 feet tall. Most of it was golden-rod, ironweed, thistle, and typical northeast uncultivated plants.

I really don't want to spray to clear this field.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[lhfarm]

I have pulled a 2-14 in hard clay with my TC40DA w/R4s. You didn't say how large the field was, but this was a slow process. Would have gone better if the soil was less like concrete. I went over the ground several times with a small disc and drag. I hand broadcast winter wheat (since I didn't have a drill) and disc it again. This was for a fire break around my prairie grass. It worked fine, but not sure I would do this on large field.

 

[smstonypoint]

<snip>

Final produce will be something for sheep: Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, etc.

Just got finished brush hogging it. Some of that stuff (including multi-flora rose) were more than 6 feet tall. Most of it was golden-rod, ironweed, thistle, and typical northeast uncultivated plants.

I really don't want to spray to clear this field.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

To my thinking, you are still going to have weeds after tillage. You may have to apply a broad-leaf herbicide.

Steve

 

[jinman]

Woolyacres, what type of tires do you have on your tractor? I think R4s like many of us have will seriously limit your ability to pull a plow. If you have R1 tires, you might be able to pull the chisel plow (not sure because I've never done it). If you have particularly hard spots, a sub-soiler could come in handy to break those up. I think since you have a TC45A gear tractor, you might be able to pull a 3-bottom plow.

 

[woolyAcres]

Gents-

Thanks for the responses. This particular pasture is probably 10 acres. I've got a Case 1490 2wd that can be used but getting that machine to this pasture is more difficult. The NH TC45 has ag tires so traction shouldn't be too bad and it is geared (H,M,L with 1-4 on the dash). It sounds like 3 bottom plow might be doable, but 2 is more likely.

Anyone other than Jinman have thoughts/experience with chisel plows?

Thanks

 

[sweettractors]

Can any of the experienced New Holland folks provide some advice on recovering an unattended field?

Can I expect to pull any plows with a 45HP 4WD New Holland TC45A? I need to recover some pasture land that hasn't been plowed as long as I can remember. I don't think it has too many large stones, but when it's dry it's pretty hard. I'm happy to consider standard 2 or 3 bottom plows, but I was wondering if I could pull a set of chisel plows to break things up. I don't intend to plant corn or any type of row crop; just want to break up the weeds/grasses that have taken over. Final produce will be something for sheep: Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, etc.

Just got finished brush hogging it. Some of that stuff (including multi-flora rose) were more than 6 feet tall. Most of it was golden-rod, ironweed, thistle, and typical northeast uncultivated plants.

I really don't want to spray to clear this field.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Either of these implements should do the trick. 2 bottom 14 inch plow, 30 inch 5 disc plow, 4 shank chisel plow. Ken Sweet

 

[woolyAcres]

Ken-

Are those 2-bottom plows ford by any chance? I've got a set that looks almost exactly like that sitting in the barn yard. It looks like I'll have lot of seat time plowing this field....

Thanks for all the suggestions and feedback.

 

[sweettractors]

Ken-

Are those 2-bottom plows ford by any chance? I've got a set that looks almost exactly like that sitting in the barn yard. It looks like I'll have lot of seat time plowing this field....

Thanks for all the suggestions and feedback.

These are Ford and the Dearborn plow looks exactly the same. Ken Sweet

 

[sweep]

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

My Tc45a pulled this 12" 2 bottom plow with zero resistance in 2wd mode. I know it could pull a 3 bottom 14-16" without any problem whatsoever in harder ground. Granted, the garden in the picture had been plowed 2 years earlier so it's a a little softer but the tractor literally felt like it was cutting snow. I wish I looked at the rpm's but it was low. No tire slippage with the ag tires.

I think I ran medium range 2nd gear.

As Jinman mentioned gear tractors with ag tires do a much better job of pulling a plow. I think you lose lot's of torque with the "slush box" tractors.

 

[sweettractors]

My Tc45a pulled this 12" 2 bottom plow with zero resistance in 2wd mode. I know it could pull a 3 bottom 14-16" without any problem whatsoever in harder ground. Granted, the garden in the picture had been plowed 2 years earlier so it's a a little softer but the tractor literally felt like it was cutting snow. I wish I looked at the rpm's but it was low. No tire slippage with the ag tires.

I think I ran medium range 2nd gear.

As Jinman mentioned gear tractors with ag tires do a much better job of pulling a plow. I think you lose lot's of torque with the "slush box" tractors.

That is a beautiful sight I can almost smell that freshly turned soil. Ken Sweet

 

[woolyAcres]

Ken is right. That's a beautiful sight. Very nice property and not a bad looking tractor

 

[sweep]

Ken is right. That's a beautiful sight. Very nice property and not a bad looking tractor

Thanks for the compliment on the tractor. The property you see in the background belongs to the neighbor. We are the Clampett's on our road LOL.

BTW: I always run with the rops up except that day. Our property is extremely hilly except for the garden area.
To take the tractor out of the basement I have to fold down the rops. I was hot to trot to plow that day and could not waste any time putting up the rops.

 

[djradz]

I think you'll be fine with anything from a 2-12" up to a 3-12". Beyond that you might struggle, especially in unplowed ground. I wouldn't anticipate the roses or even small tree's will give you much trouble. Probably what kind of tires you have will have more to do with your success. I've pulled 2-14" behind my TC-40D. The limiting factor was not the HP but the tires. I have the R-1s and they just don't compare to the R-4s. Just seeing those (in the pictures)on a tractor my size makes me jealous. My old 1720 had R-4s and I swear that could pull better than my 40D.

 

[AndyG]

Why do you have to work the ground right now? Surely it will rain in the next few weeks then the ground will not be so hard. I pull 2-14s with a 1935 Farmall rated at 20hp and weighing 4250#. Your TC45 should just play with a plow that size. I see no reason to work the ground deep in order to sow grass. A 14" plow should work the ground about 7" deep. The only reason I can see for plowing would be to turn the damned roses out of the ground. If you can get a disk to cut a little that should be sufficient for sowing grass. Even if you do plow you will have to go back over it with a disk to smooth it out.

 

[butternut]

I have a 1-14 on a 3045 with R4s. I broke a small .25 acre plot of unplowed sod growing on the hardest, heaviest clay you can imagine. Yes, it'd probably have softened up a little with the Fall rains, but I needed to get a cover crop in before mid-month. I probably had the power to pull a two bottom, but I don't think I'd want to in those conditions. It wasn't that easy. Don't underestimate hard clay!

 

[emorris]

I run a 2 bottom 12" plow behind my tc30 with R4 tires. The rear tires are filled, but the tires will spin before the engine loads up. I use low range and 2nd gear, its slow, but it is what I have. I only wish it had R1 tires and draft control.