Educate me on plows please

[BoylermanCT]

From my experience, 2-3 passes with a 3 point rototiller goes from never tilled field to garden ready for planting. For large scale use, tillers are much too small. "Real" farmers use plows, harrows and discs and 100+ HP tractors so they can cover 3-4X the width of a tiller in a single pass. With a smaller tracker like a 35 hp, you could pull a 6' tiller no problem. You can't plow that wide with a mold board plow, I think you need more HP.

A plow can get deeper than a tiller, but again, you will need more HP to go deep, especially if you have 3 or more plow heads. Tillers will go down 6 inches.

If you do get a plow, take some video so we can see how it goes.

 

[WVBill]

Ok - for this uneducated member, can someone post a picture of a disc harrow v.s. a disc plow?

 

[bcp]

Ok - for this uneducated member, can someone post a picture of a disc harrow v.s. a disc plow?

Plow----harrow



Bruce

 

[jeff9366]

A plow can get deeper than a tiller, but again, you will need more HP to go deep, especially if you have 3 or more plow heads. Tillers will go down 6 inches.

You did not obtain this information from personal experience with plows.

A plow will create a single "dead furrow" pretty deep.

Actually working a 12" moldboard plow will turn/lay soil only in a narrow range, from 5" to 7" deep. (14" plow range, 6" to 8") (16" plow range, from 7" to 9") Tractor/plow speed, which varies with soil type and soil moisture, is critical to turning soil correctly.

Only the fortunate few have Top Soil deeper than 9".

A 16" Moldboard Plow pushes near double the volume of dirt, relative to a 12" plow. It takes significantly more tractor weight to pull a two bottom 16" Moldboard Plow, relative to a 12" two bottom Moldboard Plow. A three bottom 12" plow generates similar draft force resistance to a two bottom 16" plow, as tougher soil is usually deeper.

Moldboard Plow operated by someone with experience lays the deepest soil, in small volume, on top of the filled previous furrow. None of the soil moved by the plow should be subsoil.

 

[HEC]

You did not get this information from personal experience with plows.

A plow will create a single "dead furrow" pretty deep.

Actually at work a 12" moldboard plow will turn/lay soil only in a narrow range, from 5" to 7" deep. (14" plow range, 6" to 8") (16" plow range, from 7" to 9") Speed, which varies with soil type and soil moisture, is critical to turning soil correctly.

Only the fortunate few have Top Soil deeper than 9".

A 16" Moldboard Plow pushes near double the volume of dirt, relative to a 12" plow. It takes significantly more tractor weight to pull a two bottom 16" Moldboard Plow, relative to a 12" two bottom Moldboard Plow. A three bottom 12" plow generates similar draft force resistance to a two bottom 16" plow, as tougher soil is usually deeper.

Moldboard Plow operated by someone with experience lays the deepest soil, in small volume, on top of the filled previous furrow. None of the soil moved by the plow should be subsoil.

Well stated Jeff--------I would like to see someone go over my untilled or unplowed ground with a 3pt. tiller in 3 passes and have it ready for a garden . I first plowed up a new garden spot and let it sit over winter . I than went over it with several passes with my 6ft. disc harrow . I than went over it with a 5ft. tiller 3 times before it was ready to plant my garden . Much will depend on the thickness of the sod and your type of soil . I love to plow new ground as I find it much more enjoyable than tilling or using a disc harrow .

 

[jeff9366]

From my experience, 2-3 passes with a 3 point rototiller goes from never tilled field to garden ready for planting.

I have no disagreement with BOYLERMANCT's post relative to tiller success in his soil conditions in CT, but his plow information is incorrect. His CT "field" would have been broken previously and if old, with a plow.

As stated earlier, severing tree roots is often part of sodbusting unworked ground. I was severing occasional 4" Oak tree roots on a lot which was formerly Florida jungle, yesterday. Soil was optimally moist. A roto-tiller cannot do that.

Tractors, mostly Ford Three Point Hitch tractors, 8Ns and 2Ns, came to the farm during WWII as conscription took the men. Until the tractor, moldboard plows were pulled by two horse teams. Plowing with a tractor seemed elementary after horses. Today, plow operation is an arcane art. (sport?) Horses and other draft animals are gone. Moldboard plows have been largely superseded by Roundup, except for sod busting.

Like you, the few hours I get to plow are my best hours on the tractor.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Everyone is beating around the bush....if you want a plow for a 35hp tractor, get what you can find...used is usually better than what is sold today as new...Ie. look for an old Dearborn (Ford) or Oliver 2 bottom plow thats either 12 or 14". I say this as you stated you only want to plow a garden...not a 10 acre field. I've got a one bottom Dearborn 14, a two bottom Dearborn 12" a 16" 1point 1pt Fasthitch that fits my 140 Farmall and 2bottom 14" 2pt Fasthitch that fits my Farmall 230. Like I said, for what you need/want get a Dearborn or an Oliver..the later Ford 101 plows may be the best ever built, but you'll have a hard time finding one for sale....BobG in VA

 

[stuckmotor]

If you haven't already, you might look for plowing videos on youtube and the Everything Attachments site.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My dad has 1 or 2 old plows he doesnt use anymore, in se ohio. Maybe he would sell one..

 

[jeff9366]

Everyone is beating around the bush....if you want a plow for a 35hp tractor, get what you can find...used is usually better than what is sold today as new...Ie. look for an old Dearborn (Ford) or Oliver 2 bottom plow thats either 12 or 14". I say this as you stated you only want to plow a garden...not a 10 acre field.

There is some chance a 1950s - 1960's plow will collide with the frame on a CK3510, judging by its weight, relative to three tractors I have owned.

I have a Ford Series 101 two bottom Moldboard Plow and had a difficult time operating it behind my Kubota B3300SU, with full size Cat I hitch, because of interference. Ford 101 is fine behind my heavier Kubota L3560 but there is little spare room between that long Ford 101 main beam and the L3560 frame.
(I have a blue Ford 101; it is probably an Oliver plow painted blue for Ford.)

Point is: Contemporary compact utility tractors, like the CK3510, are not designed around old plows.
Contemporary plows are designed around contemporary tractors.

I purchased a 12" single bottom plow from everything attachments for a subcompact Kubota BX. It has a full-size moldboard, reduced size frame to fit small space available around BX hitch without interference. ETA plow works great. I wish the BX tractor had hydraulic Postion Control. (The ETA plow I use preceded ETA's Land Shark brand.)

I am not pushing contemporary plows, but contemporary plows should be considered. WEAR PARTS READILY AVAILABLE.

ETA SUBCOMPACT PLOW: Land Shark | Single bottom sub compact tractor plow made by one of the longest running families in the plowing business.

ETA FULL SIZE FRAME PLOW: Everything Attachments 12 Inch Single Bottom Plow



A CK3510 will pull a 12" three bottom plow through "average" moist soil. Three bottom plows take more time to master than two bottom plows.

A CK3510 will pull a 12" or 14" two bottom plow through average and gravel soils. Only the toughest of soils will slow down a CK3510 drawing a 12" or 14" two bottom plow.
Two bottom 16" plow ~~~ OK in good conditions, marginal in tough or dry soil.
R1/ag tires are advantageous plowing.
(This guidance assumes plow is in good shape with reasonably sharp wear parts.)