3 point 2 bottom plow

MMILLER · Mar 27, 2006

Is anybody familiar with Dearborn 3 point 2 bottom plows. And would 1 be worth $250? Any info would be appreciated.

Toolguy · Mar 27, 2006

I bought one last fall and paid $250 for it so I would say that is a fair price. Mine is pretty much worn out. The points are good and it plows well, however the moldboard is wearing through on the leading edge and there is a lot of play in the tail wheel and coulters. I only use it for my small garden and for a landscape project I did last fall. It does the job I need it to do and will last me a long time. I found some in better shape, but they were priced higher, too. In excellent condition and with a modern two piece moldboard I think they would be $400 to $500 minimum.

Toolguy · Mar 27, 2006

Another thing to consider is whether it has trip bottoms or not. That will add to the cost. They are very good to have in rocky ground and are worth the extra money if you need them.

Soundguy · Mar 28, 2006

I picked up a dearborn 10-1 2 bottom plow a while back. I paid 195$ for it. But I see them go in the 250$ range. Preferably, for 250$, it will still have coulters. Mine had no culters.. etc.

Good sturdy plows.

Soundguy

spanky8N · Mar 28, 2006

With normal wear and no obivious damage that would be a fair price. Those dearborn plows are solid well made plows.

Dan

MMILLER · Mar 28, 2006

Can you still get parts for these. And if so were would you find them. Also would my TC40A pull a 3 bottom.

JerryG · Mar 28, 2006

The best prices that I have seen have been at farm auctions. I picked up a MF model 66 three-bottom at an auction about 4 years ago for $135. It looked just like a new. I bet that they hadn't plowed 20 acres with it.

Toolguy · Mar 28, 2006

If you have sandy ground a 3 bottom should be no problem for a 40 HP tractor. In clay ground it might be OK, but you will probably need 4WD. Also, the extra weight of the 3 bottom will require extra weight on the front end of the tractor. A loader would be plenty.

rambler · Mar 28, 2006

( Can you still get parts for these. And if so were would you find them. Also would my TC40A pull a 3 bottom. )

4wd is not so important for plowing, need hp, traction takes care of itself.

In my clay soil 40-45 hp will only pull a 2-14 or 2-16 plow. I could only pull a 3 bottom out to the field, not in the dirt. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif In lighter soils, I hear it works, but a 3-16 would be a whole lot. 3-14 might work.

--->Paul

JerryG · Mar 28, 2006

I use that 3 bottom with my 40 HP Massey. I don't think that you would have a problem. I have even used it to turn over 10 year old sod in ground that hadn't really been worked for 20 years.

Farmwithjunk · Mar 29, 2006

( I use that 3 bottom with my 40 HP Massey. I don't think that you would have a problem. I have even used it to turn over 10 year old sod in ground that hadn't really been worked for 20 years. )

Drop on down to Kentucky sometime. That 40 HP tractor would be lucky to get a 3-bottom plow all the way in the ground. You're talking 60 (+) HP to pull 3X14"s here. My 44HP Massey pulls 2X14"s with relative ease, but wouldn't even be able to move 3X12"s in the ground. And that's in my better "bottom ground". (And we won't even discuss plowing on some of the hills Kentucky is famous for)

Also to be considered, some BRANDS of plows pull much harder than others. Ford 101's pull easy. John Deere or IH plows pull harder. (moldboard contour?????)

A plow with new shares and shins will pull easier. "Set-up" of a plow has a great deal to do with how they pull also. I've even experienced a plow pulling far easier on one tractor than it did on another. Never did figure that one out, but it sure did. (Same HP SAme weight, Same operator, Totally different results)

Soundguy · Mar 29, 2006

I agree.. in good soil conditions, a 2wd 33hp tractor can pull 3 bottoms. i have literature from 1953, showing ford jubilee/hundred series with 3 bottoms. I'm sure they are 12/14.. etc.

Soundguy

Farmwithjunk · Mar 29, 2006

Those old Ford pictures were mostly taken at the Ford Proving Grounds. That area is mostly sand/peat mix. That ISN'T typical of most areas. I've seen Jubes struggle with single bottom plows here. As a general "rule of thumb" it takes 15 to 20 HP per bottom to pull a plow. Also, back in the 50's it was still "normal" to plow at less than 3 MPH. Plows made after that time were generally designed to plow much faster. That requires more HP and weight.

JerryG · Mar 29, 2006

You haven't been through NW Arkansas to see what we have for soils lately have you? People in most of the county, wouldn't even call is soil. The plow is a 3-14 and it does have like new shares and it is set up right and it is an easy pulling plow. I will agree with you that it is amazing how much easier it is to plow with some plows than others. Another agreement is that some tractors just plow better than others do even with the same weight and HP. Actually when I bought the plow I planned on remove one bottom. Then I thought that I would try it to see what it would do. It worked so well that I have just left it.
A funny conversation that happen about a month or so ago between a first grader and myself about our soil. I was setting at BB practice talking to this little 6-year-old. He was telling me that he wanted a skateboard, but his parents wouldn’t buy him one. I told him that is was more than likely because he lived out in the county and didn’t have a sidewalk or pavement to ride it one. Then I said that skateboards don’t work very well on dirt. He looked me straight in the eyes and said “We didn’t have any dirt”. While still serious he said “All we have are rocks about this big”. Showing his hands the size of a basketball. I couldn’t keep from laughing. He is about right. The rock are about that bad until you get down to the clay.

Farmwithjunk · Mar 29, 2006

Well, at least you have clay UNDER your rocks! Central Kentucky is known for the "Bluegrass" area. The reason why the grass has that famous blue hue is the amount of lime in the soil. That's from all the limestone deposits under us. Go on up in to southern Indiana, and you get into an area known as the "Limestone Belt". (Ever here of "Bedford Stone"? Bedford Indiana is the capital of cut limestone quarries.) (Watch the movie "Breaking Away" sometime.) Look around the area and you'll see a BUNCH of stacked limestone fences around older farmsteads.

As far as "some tractors just plow better than others", truer words were never spoken. My 2440 Deere is 60 + HP, 7900 lbs, and has more than enough iron to handle a plow, yet my 150 Massey will plow circles around it. (Granted, with one less bottom on the plow) Along about the mid 70's, plowing with smaller tractors just wasn't fashionable anymore. They weren't designed to do heavy tillage. Those older Masseys and Fords were. Better draft control is about the only reason I can come up with.

Soundguy · Mar 29, 2006

( That area is mostly sand/peat mix. That ISN'T typical of most areas. )

That's a very very subjective statement you just made there. I happen to live in florida. We have about a foot of sand with a little 'real' dirt in it.. some clay particles.. and eventually.. limerock. Thus Plows pull easilly in my area.

( I've seen Jubes struggle with single bottom plows here )

See... it's a local issue you have. Jube's are about 5hp more than 8n.. 8n was a 2-12/14 rated machine, or a 1-16. Jube bumped to 3 bottom in good soil. As you said.. In 'your' area.. it's different.

( Also, back in the 50's it was still "normal" to plow at less than 3 MPH )

2nd gear on the ford 4spd was 'plowin' gear.

Soundguy

JerryG · Mar 29, 2006

This all goes to show that no matter how much experience that some of us have, we have to watch it when making a definite statement about what size of implement that will work behind a certain size of tractor. The composition of the soil and the capability of different tractors vary so much that there will always have some variation with what will work and what won't. I now that normally when making recommendations here on TBN that I usually make it on the low side. That way it will always work. There are some here that really think that you can use an implement twice are big are the tractor manufacture says that you can. It is bad judgement and a bad recommendation anyway you slice it. That plow and me is definitely an unusually case. I didn’t even think that it would work and sure didn’t think that it would do a good job even if it did work.

MMILLER · Mar 29, 2006

Ok so based on the consciences of most of you. In my rocky clay ground I will stick with a 2 bottom plow. Now 2 my second question are parts still available for Dearborn plows and were would a person go to get them?

Farmwithjunk · Mar 29, 2006

( ( That area is mostly sand/peat mix. That ISN'T typical of most areas. )

That's a very very subjective statement you just made there. I happen to live in florida. We have about a foot of sand with a little 'real' dirt in it.. some clay particles.. and eventually.. limerock. Thus Plows pull easilly in my area.

( I've seen Jubes struggle with single bottom plows here )

See... it's a local issue you have. Jube's are about 5hp more than 8n.. 8n was a 2-12/14 rated machine, or a 1-16. Jube bumped to 3 bottom in good soil. As you said.. In 'your' area.. it's different.

( Also, back in the 50's it was still "normal" to plow at less than 3 MPH )

2nd gear on the ford 4spd was 'plowin' gear.

Soundguy )

Actually, it appears to be a local issue in YOUR area where a Jubilee could handle 3 bottoms. In most states, soils are clay based, or at the very least, "heavy" compared to sand.

Put 3 bottoms on a Jubilee in clay-based soils ANYWHERE, and you just spin the wheels. Just won't hack it.

I've owned a couple 3000 Fords. (72 and 74) They would run circles around a Jube. They wouldn't budge 3 plows in NORMAL soils. Sand yes, clay? Forget it.

My 150 MF was rated (Back in the day) as a 2/3 plow tractor. I've got a couple pictures of a 150 pulling a 3 bottom plow. But you won't see one doing it in the soils common in the midwest.

Sand or light soils aren't typical outside of a select few areas.

Soundguy · Mar 29, 2006

( Actually, it appears to be a local issue in YOUR area where a Jubilee could handle 3 bottoms. In most states, soils are clay based, or at the very least, "heavy" compared to sand.
)

You are still generalizing here. There are plenty of sandy areas in the us. My post says 3 bottoms , soil dependent.. that's the key.. 'soil dependent'

Soundguy