BX24 won't "ground engage"?

[fishpick]

Today was the first time I have gotten around to trying the plow (http://bluebirdmeadowfarms.blogspot.com/2007/07/just-what-i-needed.html) on my tractor - or my brand new disks... (http://bluebirdmeadowfarms.blogspot.com/2007/08/while-concrete-dust-settles.html) with my BX24... up until today there were some minor things that bugged me - but it's been a more than capable tractor...
Here's the thing - neither the plow (not even at all) nor the disks really (about 2 to 2.5") even come close to engaging the ground... It's like the 3PT arms are too short... no amount of rolling out - or rolling in the top link gets things to bit into the soil...
I'm rather confused and frustrated. Especially since I KNOW others out there have plowed and disked with these before - using 3PT equipment...
I'm thinking I'm at a mental impasse - because - I know how to adjust a plow - and there is no way I can get the arms to lower far enough to bit ground...
Do I modify the plow and move the pins higher so it sits lower? Do I buy this - http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/...oduct_6970_200280774_200280774&issearch=12610 or this http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_7807_7807&issearch=12835 to get a little more length on the drawbar arms - so they hang lower...

I know I can't be the only person to have some implements not engage the ground with a BX... Help me TractorByNet... you are my only hope...

OK humility check here - so my pride isn't completely damaged, I'm gonna state for my personal edification - I have have been around farms/tractors my whole life...

 

[wushaw]

I don't have a BX tractor but your saying the 3pt arms are not lowering far enough for your disk to do any good.
Well I'll take a stab at it.... is your side link adjusted up too far? Do you have two sets of holes for your side links to connect up to your lower links? These are the only two thinks that come to mind without doing something else.

 

[cheesehead]

Can you post some pictures for us to look at?

 

[Double Orange]

I Don't have a BX24.. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express Last Night.....I'm not positive but when your in the seat, below the seat there's a black knob that adjust the seat tension. But isn't there another black knob? This controls your three pt.hitch drop rate. Let it all the way out. Good luck Frank

 

[fishpick]

Iis your side link adjusted up too far? Do you have two sets of holes for your side links to connect up to your lower links? These are the only two thinks that come to mind without doing something else.

#1 - I let it down as far as I could - and although that sorat helped - it made the plow face the wrong direction... meaning it rolled the plows angle too far over.
#2 - nope - sure wish I did!
#3 - Me too...

 

[fishpick]

Can you post some pictures for us to look at?

If those links to the implements in the first post are not enough - I'll get some specific pics on this issue up tomorrow.

I'll start with the disk - since that's what's on the tractor right now.

 

[fishpick]

I Don't have a BX24.. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express Last Night.....I'm not positive but when your in the seat, below the seat there's a black knob that adjust the seat tension. But isn't there another black knob? This controls your three pt.hitch drop rate. Let it all the way out. Good luck Frank

That's drop rate - not depth... So all it adjusts is the rate it gets to the point that it disappoints!

I did screw around with the knob for the mower deck height - thinking somehow that might have something to do with the 3PT - does not... Besides - when the deck is not on - I set that to TOP - like a good boy.

Suddenly - I feel like my little tractor is - well - too little and not capable... for the first time since I got her - even when the fender broke - I gave her a dirty look...

 

[638]

A disc won't penetrate hard ground with out a LOT of weight on it, and then it won't go very deep.

ron

 

[wushaw]

Your 3pt. arms are obviously not going down far enough like in this picture where the arms are level...which mine will go below level.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=56152&d=1149658877

 

[Renob]

Fish,

I don't know anything about a 1 bottom plow,.............but I did use a middle buster plow to break up about a half acre this spring for a pumpkin patch. The field was an old hay, now weed field that is hard clay with many rocks. My BX24 would cut 10-12 inches deep with no problem. A large rock would stop me dead in my tracks (it is a baby tractor after all) , but a little adjustment with the 3pt hitch and away she goes. I then used a 3pt tiller to finish the area, but I think your disc would be the nuts, due to all the rocks.

I watched a video of MILKMAN kicking some butt with a 1 bottom, I'm sure yours just needs some adjustment or maybe it plain ole doesn't fit the tractor correctly.

Good luck,

 

[Volfandt]

It's been awhile since I plowed & disc'ed but like riding a bike I guess you don't ever forget how.

1st thing I'd do is unhook lift arms from the implement and see if the 3PH will drop down further. If it does (which I believe it will) hook it back up and try a few things.

Back in the day I'd plow an existing garden under in the late fall and/or plow new spot then also. Come early spring I'd use the disc to break the clogs down into nice soft dirt. I'd run the disc over a couple times and it wouldn't even need tilling it would be so soft.
I wouldn't use the disc to break new hard ground as it won't bite down deep enough (as a plow will), so it'll take many many passes.

Anyways for plowing, the angle of the tip determines how deep it'll dig. The more the tip points down the more it'll dig, up to a point. To much of an angle and it'll just stall out the whole operation.
If the tip is level with the rest of the plow then it won't dig much at all. Theres no down pressure on the vast majority of 3PH's so the implement itself needs to "pull" itself into the ground. You shouldn't need any additional weight on the plow, the tip's angle of attack is the key to digging deep.

If you're going to use the disc to break new ground then your gonna have to add alot of weight to it. The disc will cut and slice the ground but they won't "pull" the implement deeper like the tip of a plow will. Weight is what'll make a disc deep deeper.
Oh and the top link is how you adjust the plows angle of attack and it's also how you can adjust the disc to dig just a hair lower also.
Good luck.

 

[cheesehead]

The most effective pictures you could post for us is a set of views with the implement on the tractor and the three point hitch cotrol in the down position. In this condition, I would be interested in seeing a side view of the implement (to include the rear of the tractor), as well as a closer view that shows only the 3 point hitch while the plow is down. These will enable us to give advice on what's broken or set-up wrong. You should achieve engagement without a problem and spinning those tractor wheels in no time.

 

[milkman]

I have a 14" single bottom plow from an Allis Chalmers B model that I modified and added a TPH, it works really well on my BX2200, and will bury out of sight till it stops me dead. I can plow 8" deep just fine so I added a depth wheel so I don't have to continually adjust the depth.
Yesterday I just finished adding a TPH to a 12" IH single bottom and tried it out in the hard unplowed for 30 yrs sod, dry and hard, it too will go in the ground as deep as I let it go. I had to do some adjustment as it was pulling to the land and taking about an 18" cut. The reason I'm working on a second plow is there is a great difference in the contour of the moldboards, the AC, from point to end of the moldboard is about 9" shorter than the IH, therefore it flips the dirt a lot quicker and in wet ground, it won't lay the ground over as well as I want it to.
Thanks to FWJ's great plow thread, I moved the left TPH pin to the rear, had to do this a couple of times, now it's running straight and pulls a great deal easier.
I don't remember what plow you have, but some will go in the ground better than others, especially in dry ground. Your BX24 will plow when you get it set right and then your disc will work on the plowed ground, but they don't do so good on unbroken soil.
When I don't have an implement on the TPH, the lift arms will lower to within approx. 3" of the ground, if yours will do the same then there is something set wrong or the ground is like a rock. Hope you get it working, PLOWING IS FUN.
There is an adjustment on the TPH control linkage that controls the top and bottom stop, maybe that needs looking at.

 

[fishpick]

OK - I just ran outside and snapped some shots... did not have time today to mess around with a defective plow...
First one shows (the red line) the farthest I can lower the drawbar... no biggie there - looks normal. In that first shot - the disks are still attached - plow is in the back ground. (also of note is the concrete block edge you can see on the disk - about an additional 200# on top of the disk - 10 passes on the weed covered ground and I'm about 3" deep...
Picture #2 is the plow... now - until I mess with it on the tractor again - you will have to trust me - what you see here in this picture is almost exactly how the plow sits with the bars lowered all the way down.
Picture #3 is same plow - opposite side.

Couple things to note about the plow in pictures 2 and 3... you see another pin hole one above (on one side) and one below (on the other side) of the attachment points... they appear to be smaller 5/8" - now - why one is up and one is down is beyond me - because it would roll the plow completely the wrong way.
Also of note - the top link point is not a standard pin - it's the small one you see in there...

In my mind - the "fix" to this contraption is to weld on some 1/2" flat stock above the cross bar - drilled out for the cat 1 pins - and that will give me the 8" lower or so depth this is gonna need... now sure what that does to the top link positioning however...

Help and opinions based on these photos is appreciated - if you need shots of this on the tractor - I can do my best tomorrow after work.

 

[wushaw]

You got some hard ground. You 3pt looks normal to me anyway. I have no idea on the plow set up since I have never had the pleasure to try one out...the disk on the other hand.... In my dirt I have been as far as 5 - 6" and my disk weighs 663lbs.

 

[john_bud]

DON'T mess with the pins on the plow.

Think about plowing your 2ND and on cuts. One side of the tractor is going to be in the previously plowed area and the tractor will be sitting left side high and right side low. (or the other way around...) Wouldn't it be nice if the plow was already set to be side to side level when the tractor was side to side un-level? Oh, it is! That's why the pins are set that way.

A picture of your 3pt with nothing on it and the arm all the way down would be nice.

jb

 

[fishpick]

john_bud - isn't that what the adjustable link is used for ... that's how I've always leveled a plow when in a furrow... plus - if you look at the pin positions - the cat1 pins are currently occupied - and are directly across from each other... it's the cat 0 pin holes that have the offsets...

I'll take some more pictures tonight - but the arms all the way down look about the same as the picture with the disk on...

 

[Vern1]

Greetings,
Do you have the lift arms on backward?
I'm not familiar with your tractor but it looks like the lift links are laid down a lot.
Can you reverse the lift arms and make the lift links more straight up and down?
Again, I'm not familiar with your particular tractor so if that's not it, I plead the fifth....
Hope this helps!

 

[Jimbrown]

Thats exactly what I was going to say. On my BX22 the arms will go on backwards and bind up the three point. By backwards we mean that the knuckels that should connect to the implement are in fact connected to the tractor.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto what Volf said.. unhitc and see where your 3pt arms rest in full down position.. look at the implement pins..how much higher are the pins?... the difference in those is how far the plow will be allowed to go. the rest of it is toplink for angle, and sidlink.. etc..

Soundguy