Bottom plows and Draft Control - few Q's

[andrewj]

I have a 3 bottom ford 101. Land is hard clay. New ground, used to be forest. My top link is set in the center hole, with the top hole and bottom hope unoccupied.

I am using draft control only and not using the position control. I am popping shear pins like crazy. If i move to the top hole nearest the detection cylinder, will it pull up quicker if i hit a root/rock? Thanks inadvance for any help.

 

[JerryG]

Are you hitting something when the shear pins break or is the ground that hard? If you aren't hitting something like a big rock or a root, it needs a harder shear bolt.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I have a 3 bottom ford 101. Land is hard clay. New ground, used to be forest. My top link is set in the center hole, with the top hole and bottom hope unoccupied.

I am using draft control only and not using the position control. I am popping shear pins like crazy. If i move to the top hole nearest the detection cylinder, will it pull up quicker if i hit a root/rock? Thanks inadvance for any help.

I'm assuming you're using your Deere to plow with. Not being all that familiar with that particular tractor, I'd advise one thing about choosing which top link position to use. STICK WITH MANUFACTURERS RECOMENDATION on that pin location. Plows put the absolute most stress and strain on a draft control system of ANY implement. Stick with what is suggested as far as location of the top link. More "sensitive" settings are normally reserved for lighter draft implements (such as a row-crop cultivator....)

Now on to draft control, shear pins, and plowing.

Draft control WILL NOT prevent you from shearing pins when you hit something substancial enough to trip the plow bottoms. It takes a split instant for the draft control to react to a sudden increase in resistance. You've already hit whatever it is that's shearing the pins. Draft control doesn't anticipate a buried obstruction and raise the plow over it. That's not its function. That's why trip beam plows are used. Draft control, in it's INTENDED form, as designed by Harry FErguson (of Massey FERGUSON fame), is intended to keep a plow (or any soil engaging implement) at a steady depth, all the while making gradual movements to keep the drawbar load (measured at the 3-point hitch draft arms) at a constant load. As the draft load varies because of changing soil conditions, or variance in shape of terrain, the draft control makes those gradual movements. When draft control senses an increase in resistance, it will raise the implement SLIGHTLY and GRADUALLY to reduce the resistance, then return to the pre-set draft depth as soon as that increased resistance is passed by. . As it raises the implement, the hitch pull down on the rear of the tractor, increasing available traction just as if the tractor weighed more. The purpose of Ferguson's design was to allow a relatively small tractor to do the work of a much larger unit. It simply made tractors more efficient at handling heavy draft loads.

Shear pins (or better yet, re-set-able saftey trip beams) are intended to protect the plow and tractor from that sudden jolt when the plow strikes that "immovable object", be it a rock, a root, or whatever hidden obstruction it is. If you're shearing pins, you CAN use a harder bolt, but be ready to get slammed into the steering wheel if you do hit something hard. (BTDT, grew up pulling old solid beam plows) If it's relatively "soft" roots that are tripping the beams, you MIGHT get away with harder bolts, but you'll still get a good jolt as the tractor pulls through them. Rocks? Well, harder shear bolts might just cause you to shatter a plow share, moldboard, or even bend the plow beam. Those shearbolts are there for the protection of you and your equipment.

 

[andrewj]

thanks for the information guys...

on harder shear bolts, I just don't want to damage my equipment - I am using the softest bolt TSC has, so I guess I can go up one grade in hardness?

 

[LoneCowboy]

Now on to draft control, shear pins, and plowing.

Draft control WILL NOT prevent you from shearing pins when you hit something substancial enough to trip the plow bottoms. It takes a split instant for the draft control to react to a sudden increase in resistance. You've already hit whatever it is that's shearing the pins. Draft control doesn't anticipate a buried obstruction and raise the plow over it. That's not its function. That's why trip beam plows are used. Draft control, in it's INTENDED form, as designed by Harry FErguson (of Massey FERGUSON fame), is intended to keep a plow (or any soil engaging implement) at a steady depth, all the while making gradual movements to keep the drawbar load (measured at the 3-point hitch draft arms) at a constant load. As the draft load varies because of changing soil conditions, or variance in shape of terrain, the draft control makes those gradual movements. When draft control senses an increase in resistance, it will raise the implement SLIGHTLY and GRADUALLY to reduce the resistance, then return to the pre-set draft depth as soon as that increased resistance is passed by. . As it raises the implement, the hitch pull down on the rear of the tractor, increasing available traction just as if the tractor weighed more. The purpose of Ferguson's design was to allow a relatively small tractor to do the work of a much larger unit. It simply made tractors more efficient at handling heavy draft loads.

Shear pins (or better yet, re-set-able saftey trip beams) are intended to protect the plow and tractor from that sudden jolt when the plow strikes that "immovable object", be it a rock, a root, or whatever hidden obstruction it is. If you're shearing pins, you CAN use a harder bolt, but be ready to get slammed into the steering wheel if you do hit something hard. (BTDT, grew up pulling old solid beam plows) If it's relatively "soft" roots that are tripping the beams, you MIGHT get away with harder bolts, but you'll still get a good jolt as the tractor pulls through them. Rocks? Well, harder shear bolts might just cause you to shatter a plow share, moldboard, or even bend the plow beam. Those shearbolts are there for the protection of you and your equipment.

Great post!!!!!

 

[Soundguy]

As Farm indicated.. use the implements recomendations for the draft setting.

IMHO.. most ford plows like the lowest hole on the ford toplink rocker.. IE. the lower draft sensing. ( plows are high draft implements. ).... Typically.. top holes are for low draft implements that need mechanical advantage.. like.. cultivators.. etc..

Some ford plow manuals are availbale in reprint or pdf format from places like N-news

I have a 10-1 2 bottom

Soundguy

I have a 3 bottom ford 101. Land is hard clay. New ground, used to be forest. My top link is set in the center hole, with the top hole and bottom hope unoccupied.

I am using draft control only and not using the position control. I am popping shear pins like crazy. If i move to the top hole nearest the detection cylinder, will it pull up quicker if i hit a root/rock? Thanks inadvance for any help.

 

[Glowplug]

I think FWJ answered it perfectly. If there was an issue with your draft control set-up your plow would either be buried up to the hilt (if sensitivity set too low) or keep popping out of the ground (if sensitivity set too high). So I don't think it's necessarily an issue with draft control but with compatibility between the shear pins, equipment, and ground conditions.