Plow

[TonyTill]

I have a 2WD Massey Ferguson with a 2-Bottom Plow. I planted Sorghum-Sudan seed early in summer and it has been cut down twice. Now trying to Plow it. My draft control does not work on my tractor. 1) when I start to plow, my wheels start to spin and I need to raise the plow constantly. 2) with this cut Sorghum-Sudan seed, when I try to plow, besides my wheels spinning, the grass just builds up a large plug on my plow. Do I need to move my coulters back or sharpen them? How do I get me wheels to stop spinning? Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

 

[jeff9366]

For a 2-WD tractor to pull a 2-Bottom turning plow it is essential that the rear two tires be 3/4 filled with liquid, usually termed tire ballast, for traction.
Are your rear two tires filled with liquid?

It is also quite helpful if the 2-WD tractor is equipped with R1/agricultural tires, which have the protruding bar tread. With liquid ballast in the tires, R1 bar tread will provide optimum traction. Relatively lightly used tires will have sharper tread than old worn tires, gripping the earth better.

You are not trying to plow dry ground, are you?

 

[oldnslo]

What model Massey do you have? What type of tires does it have?

How are the colters adjusted now. Depth, position in relation to land slide edge of bottom. All of these affect how they work.

How tall is the sorghum now?

 

[sweettractors]

I have a 2WD Massey Ferguson with a 2-Bottom Plow. I planted Sorghum-Sudan seed early in summer and it has been cut down twice. Now trying to Plow it. My draft control does not work on my tractor. 1) when I start to plow, my wheels start to spin and I need to raise the plow constantly. 2) with this cut Sorghum-Sudan seed, when I try to plow, besides my wheels spinning, the grass just builds up a large plug on my plow. Do I need to move my coulters back or sharpen them? How do I get me wheels to stop spinning? Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

What model Massey do you have and what brand and size plow(2-12 or 2-14 or2-16)?

 

[jeff9366]

Massey Ferguson 451​

2002 - 2006 400 Series Utility tractor

Production
Manufacturer:	Massey Ferguson
Type:	Utility tractor
Factory:	Brazil

Massey Ferguson 451 Weight
2WD Shipping:	4,738 lbs 2149 kg

 

[jeff9366]

The draft control does not work on my tractor.

The sensitivity of your Draft Control is adjusted by the pin position of the INBOARD end of your Three Point Hitch Top Link. Repositioning where your Top Link is pinned to the tractor may restore ((increase the sensitivity)) of Draft Control.

VIDEOS:

 

[jeff9366]

Plowing techniques:

MOLDBOARD PLOW WISDOM FROM FARMWITHJUNK

I learned a lot from Farmwithjunk's posts on selecting and adjusting Moldboard/Turning Plows. Here is a selection of Farmwithjunk's Plow posts I found useful. I copied Farmwithjunk's individual posts from T-B-N into 'Word' then pasted the consolidation back into T-B-N, therefore the posts are...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[jeff9366]

2) with this cut Sorghum-Sudan seed, when I try to plow grass builds up a large plug on my plow. Do I need to move my coulters back or sharpen them?

You should not attempt to plow grass. The field should be mowed as short as possible before being plowed. You should plow stubble, not grass.

In the "old days" dry fields were burned after the harvest before being plowed a little before first frost.

You may need to adjust your coulters in or out. Consult FARMWITHJUNK in Post #7.

 

[Egon]

Your tractor should have no problem pulling pulling two bottoms. I’d suggest that your furrow may be too shallow??? and you’re cutting through all the roots Plus you do not have a breaking mole board That properly turns the sod.

Ensure the plow is set up properly For furrow depth, pulls straight and is set in the proper lateral position with the share cutting level. All the cutting edges should be sharp with no rust on the plow where it engages the ground. Tall grass will plug up the plow.

plow share should be level at depth and pulling latterly to the Centre line of tractor. It may require an offset so rear tire falls in the furrow.

 

[TonyTill]

Your tractor should have no problem pulling pulling two bottoms. I’d suggest that your furrow may be too shallow??? and you’re cutting through all the roots Plus you do not have a breaking mole board That properly turns the sod.

Ensure the plow is set up properly For furrow depth, pulls straight and is set in the proper lateral position with the share cutting level. All the cutting edges should be sharp with no rust on the plow where it engages the ground. Tall grass will plug up the plow.

plow share should be level at depth and pulling latterly to the Centre line of tractor. It may require an offset so rear tire falls in the furrow.

Thanks. I put my left wheels up on 6x6 wood then tried 4x4" wood to see if it would prevent the plow from going too deep. I saw a video that the plow works best shifted about 4" to the left of center. Also need to straighten front to back of plow. I will reassess these. Thanks for the great feedback!

 

[TonyTill]

2) with this cut Sorghum-Sudan seed, when I try to plow grass builds up a large plug on my plow. Do I need to move my coulters back or sharpen them?

You should not attempt to plow grass. The field should be mowed as short as possible before being plowed. You should plow stubble, not grass.

In the "old days" dry fields were burned after the harvest before being plowed a little before first frost.

You may need to adjust your coulters in or out. Consult FARMWITHJUNK in Post #7.

The Sorghum-Sudan grass was cut but still residual grass lying on ground. I will check out the Farmwithjunk in Post #7. Thanks!

 

[sweettractors]

To get the correct initial setting for the tractor to plow correctly: for 12 inch plows, the inside of the right rear tire should measure 23 inches to the center of the tractor drawbar/centerline and 25 inches for 14 inch and 27 inches for 16 inch. Ken Sweet

 

[Rockbadchild]

Depending on the type of soil if it is too dry it is very hard to plow. It could be adjustments as well, put your tractor on level ground and the plow should contact on the ground evenly from front to back when lowered. Don't try to go too deep around 4-6 inch is the sweet spots.

 

[TonyTill]

To get the correct initial setting for the tractor to plow correctly: for 12 inch plows, the inside of the right rear tire should measure 23 inches to the center of the tractor drawbar/centerline and 25 inches for 14 inch and 27 inches for 16 inch. Ken Sweet

Thanks. This may help a lot.

 

[LouNY]

If you are plugging your coulters are not set properly and or your grasses are very tall. Often plowing is easier if a field is disced prior to plowing, and allowed to dry a bit.
Proper setup with the right tire spacing and plow positioning is critical for good plowing.

This is just my opinion developed from plowing with several tractors from an Allis WD, IH 400, 560, Ford 8000, IH 1066, 1086, then Magnum series 7110-7250's.
Draft control very seldom works well, when your tires spin you are actually putting less of a draft load on your tractor.
The later electronic computer controlled draft using lower arm sensors will work marginally, they are better when interfaced with the ground speed radar units.

 

[52wej]

I have plowed hundreds of acres with a 2 bottom ford roll over plow pulled by a Ford 3000. Weight on rear tires was critical. Ours were filled and we had wheel weights also since that tractor was a 2wd with a front loader. We were plowing heavy sod in late fall/early winter when there was sufficient moisture in the ground. The draft control on those tractors worked fine. The tractors that I have to day without draft control are a pain to plow with.

All these factors have been mentioned earlier in the thread. Hope you can figure this one out.

 

[jeff9366]

To get the correct initial setting for the tractor to plow correctly: for 12 inch plows, the inside of the right rear tire should measure 23 inches to the center of the tractor drawbar/centerline and 25 inches for 14 inch and 27 inches for 16 inch.

Your right side tires, front and back, have to move freely through the last plow furrow created. If your plow is 12" wide, producing a 12" wide furrow, but your rear tires are 15"+ wide, forget a consistent result.
(I speculate this is your problem.)

If your plow is 14" wide, producing a 14" wide furrow, but your rear tires are 15" wide, the weight of the ballasted right rear tire usually will pack moist furrow soil sufficiently so the plow can operate as designed.

A 16" wide plow will allow the rear tires of any COMPACT tractor, including your MF 451, to move freely through the last furrow created.

INFORM US OF THE WIDTH OF YOUR PLOW AND THE WIDTH OF RIGHT REAR TIRE.

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[Egon]

Fifty years ago plows were a common agriculture impliment. I just can't recall even hearing about the problems that seem to be experience in today's world. It was just a matter of hooking up, getting the plow and tire aligned and going to work. It must have been the farmers just knew how it should be done which is quite simple. Perhaps just knowledge passed down through the generations!

There were no tape measures used. Just empirical observation and adjustment. None of today's supposedly knowledge required; myself included!!

 

[lman]

Fifty years ago plows were a common agriculture impliment. I just can't recall even hearing about the problems that seem to be experience in today's world. It was just a matter of hooking up, getting the plow and tire aligned and going to work. It must have been the farmers just knew how it should be done which is quite simple. Perhaps just knowledge passed down through the generations!

There were no tape measures used. Just empirical observation and adjustment. None of today's supposedly knowledge required; myself included!!

Fifty years ago we farmed about 500 acres and were able to make it. You couldn't pay the bills doing that now. I talked to the guy that farms the 80 acre field across the road from me and he said that he's farming 4,600 acres. I remember when I was a kid, we had an Oliver 60 and my dad found a 2 row cultivator to put on it. I was about 13 and put in 12 hour days on that tractor. It seemed like it took me all day to do 20 acres. They combined 150-200 acres yesterday near me with two combines with 40 ft. heads.

 

[Egon]

Fifty years ago we farmed about 500 acres and were able to make it. You couldn't pay the bills doing that now. I talked to the guy that farms the 80 acre field across the road from me and he said that he's farming 4,600 acres. I remember when I was a kid, we had an Oliver 60 and my dad found a 2 row cultivator to put on it. I was about 13 and put in 12 hour days on that tractor. It seemed like it took me all day to do 20 acres. They combined 150-200 acres yesterday near me with two combines with 40 ft. heads.

The farming times have changed. Equipment & supplies have gotten more expensive but the land production has not increased in perspective. Now it takes a lot more acres to support the equipment.

Those combines we’re probably about a million a piece.

Most of the little farming knowledge I have is well outdated.

Feeding the cattle used to be done with a hay rack, pitch fork and a team of horses. Now!