bottom plow newbie help

[SmokyMtnMan]

thanks, Beenthere. I may need to paste your post on the dash of tractor!
I only have postion control on tractor, not draft. I should have just waited and got a one bottom instead of two bottom I guess, but was anxious. Really all i wanted to do was break up new ground for a pumpkin patch and also plow for a medium size vegetable garden to get it ready for roto-tiller yet to be purchased.
only plowing I had done before was with Jack and Jill (two mules) many years ago.
my tractor is Kubota 4610 by the way. here's photo

 

[Inspector507]

SmokyMtnMan
Nice Tractor /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[pennwalk]

<font color=blue>I really think I should take it back just to show them how good their help is</font color=blue>

I think you have to decide if you want to make a point or get some work done. My local TSC isn't much better and I really don't think they want to hear about it. Think of it as a plow kit. TSC is turning into kind of a do it yourself place. One reason to go back to the store might be to see if they can give you a photo copy the assembly instructions. If you bought the plow at a full service dealer it would have probably cost a lot more. It looks like a 15 min job to assemble it correctly which means it would take me half a day./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif If you fix it you can head for the fields and get some well deserved seat time./w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

Chris

 

[markcg2000]

I was thinking the same way... get it put together right and get on with the fun ... err work.

I believe you can take one of the plows blades off if you find that 2-bottom is too much. I don't know though, that tractor of yours looks like it'll probably laugh at that thought /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[Mosey]

Don,

"oh......and that is a 14 pt plow and it is definitely made by KK"

This is strange. I’m not doubting you, but I am doubting the TSC you went to. I sent an email to sales@kingkutter.com (which I got from the their web site, www.kingkutter.com) asking if they sell moldboard plows. Here’s the answer I got:

"We do not make the moldboard plows, the tsc stores once carried another vendors equipment and maybe that was the plow they had at that time."

I don’t know what’s going on with your TSC, but they must have taken a King Kutter label off of something and put it on the plow! It’s not a Wallace either, because it’s a different shade of red and on the Wallace the 3pt attaching bracket (which is upside down on yours) is red, but on yours it’s black.

 

[SmokyMtnMan]

Well, guys, it was a little more involved than just 'reversing the pto brackets"! I had every manual and parts description for bottom plows i could find online printed out and lying on ground beside me. I went to 2 neighbors farms who had bottom plows and couldn't find anything quite like this one i've got.
The brackets were totally different and the arm running from toplink bracket back to rear of plow was slightly bent in middle.....i am guessing it was to make the arm flush against the plow to be bolted on. But when i turned it one way, it wouldn't fit flush against the toplink bracket, turned the other way, wasn't flush against the rear of plow.
The flanges that the U-bolts at the front of bracket held down were strange too. one side was straight up and down, the other was at a slight angle.
Was really frustrating, mainly because I kept thinking I shouldn't be the one to have to do this.
But.as someone stated.....maybe TSC is just a do it yourself firm now and maybe I would have paid more for a plow from a full service dealer. But whatever the case, I've never been one to complain or make a scene....never even sent food back or complained in a restaurant before.......but I must be getting old and stubborn. Just seems I see a lot lately where customer service is a thing of the past......pay huge sums of money for a product and get very little helpful service. Seems that's a trend. I'm not sure if TSC is just a do it yourself firm now....or if they just can't good help and could care less.
anyway, I stopped my bitching and whining long enough to try the plow out. And it works great...sliced that packed red clay soil open like it was hot butter! I ca'nt believe how my bota 4610 HST pulled that sucker through either. I would have to feather the throttle some and it would act like stalling once in awhile but that was because the operator couldn't figure out the proper settings
I had the rear plow doing just fine but the front plow wasn't digging down as much....nothing i could do with adjustments seem to fix that........but when dropping down in a rut like someone described on here......it was great!...cut down about 14 inches.......kind of felt a little spooky on the minor slopes when i dropped down too..........my angle inclinometer showed 20 degrees a time or two....made my knees weak.
i'll post pics of new plowed ground later
thanks all

 

[pennwalk]

Smokey Mountain Man,

That sounds just great. Definitly high quality seat time. Thats what we are all shooting for. I'd love to see your pictures.

Chris

 

[SmokyMtnMan]

on the bottom of my plow is stamped..."Gallipolis, Ohio"..which is same place the KK tiller is made.

 

[SmokyMtnMan]

just a 'plow' rookie looking for comments, suggestions, critiicism or help.
is this how it's suppose to look?

 

[SmokyMtnMan]

view from rear....
this is the lowest position i can get the RIGHT side of plow....is that because when you drop your RIGHT FRONT wheels in rut you've just made that it levels the plow out?

 

[MJB]

As far as adjustments go, when the tractor has the right side wheel in the furrow and the plow is digging into the soil the frame of the plow should be parallel to the ground both front to back and side to side. Since you mentioned that the front bottom was not digging in as much as the rear you probably need to lengthen the turnbuckle on the right side of your three point hitch, or move the right side lift pin to a higher hole in the plow frame. Once the plow is OK side to side you can adjust the length of the top link to get the depth you want. A shorter top link will make the plow dig deeper. Hope this helps.

 

[TerryinMD]

From what I understand from my Leinbach instructions, you need to have the draft arms level with the ground. I had a neighbor plow my upper bed a few years back with a double moldboard and he left the draft arms level with the ground.

Terry

 

[beenthere]

You are looking good to plow, and as MJB mentioned, you should be able to adjust the height (position) of the right lift arm with the adjustable link to the rock shaft arm. At least for the first pass when you do not have a furrow to drop the right wheel into, this should help.

Then to get the 'front' plow to go into the ground, shorten the top link until it does.

When I need to adjust a 3pt plow, I usually drive the tractor onto a flat spot (prefer a concrete slab), and then drive the left wheel onto a 6-7 " high block (wood or ramp). Then I set the plow to be level with the ground. This will be real close to the condition you have when the right wheel is in the plowed furrow.

Your re-construction of the plow looks real good.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

one thing that is good to know,once you do all your plowing for the year and the plow is all scoured up [shined] smear some grease on it. it will make it work a lot better next year.but keep the cows away from it or they will lick it off. juniorj

 

[SmokyMtnMan]

ok, I've done most all you guys suggested here. I have screwed and unscrewed the toplink in both directions, and cranked that telescoping lift arm link on the right...and nothing i do levels the plow. So, I just went and plowed!
and as you guys mentioned, that first trip only the rear blade digs in....front blade just skimmers the surface down maybe 2-3 inches....but with the rut and second pass.......all is well
but.....take a look......is this too deep?
the 4610HST just hums along.....except every now and then i have to feather the position control up a little and let it catch up....i don't have draft control....just position control
look ok?

do you only plow in one direction? that's what i did

 

[SmokyMtnMan]

this is tough stuff here.....this field has never been plowed....at least not in my lifetime...nothing's ever been grown here.....soil is slightly alkaline, ph was 6.4...nitrogen, phosporous was fine....potash just a little weak
hard, red clay based....but seems like some loam in topsoil
i just went down one row with right side of tractor in rut....then went to other side of field and did same......then came back to other side in right side rut again........correct? or not

 

[MJB]

Usually you would start plowing by making a pass down the center of the field. You would then turn around and take another pass right against the first going in the opposite direction. Fot these first two passes you would need to adjust the plow to be much lower on the right side since the right side tires of the tractor do not have a furrow to run in. Once these first passes are done, adjust the plow to be level with the wheel in the furrow and just continue to plow from one end of the field to the other by placing your right side wheels in the furrow from the previous pass. Continue like this until you work your way out to the edge of the field. To finish up take a few passes across the headlands at each end of the field. Good luck.

 

[Soundguy]

Not sure about your TSC store.. but the two local to me advertise (2) prices on thier big tractor impliments.. one is the base price.. and the other is the assembled price.. usually they are about 20 bucks different.

soundguy

 

[SmokyMtnMan]

No, Soundguy.....this TSC store just unloads from truck and lets them sit out and rust outside...when a customer asks for an implement, they announce for some kid in the back to go outside and meet you. Then you have to tell him what the implement looks like and take him to it, then he gets a forklift and drops it in your truck.....<smile>
they sell as it is....seriously
no one there would know how to put it together anyway

 

[Slamfire]

Well, my pappy always got upset when I pulled up red clay and mixed it with the topsoil. I imagine several years of good treatment with compost would turn it all into loam, then you wouldn't have to worry about that. We'd put that right hand plow up against the fence row for the first pass, you couldn't get anything to grow there anyway.