Moldboard Plowing newbie question

[dberg]

I finally got a plow bought, hopefully will use this weekend if it stops raining soon. I did alot of chisel plowing for farmers in high school but never any moldboard plowing, could somebody please tell me the most effective and time saving way or ways to plow with a moldboard plow. Like how to start and finish a field.

 

[DaMadman]

I normally start on the outer edges of the field and run in a direction so the plow throws the first hill to the outside edge of the field. Run that edge and then plow back up the opposite edge of the field throwing the hill to the outside edge again. Once you have plowed one row up each edge of the field the next row I run with the tractor tire in the furrow I just made, always plowing so the plow throws the hill to the outside edge of the field and just keep plowing down one edge and up the next working your way toward the middle one plowed row at a time

 

[ThistleKop]

Damadman,
Would you follow your described method if you were plowing a large field? Looks like a lot of riding without the plow in the ground. Maybe I misunderstood.

Tk

 

[Oldtimermich]

your right thistlekop....a large field would make no sense and wasting a lot of time of unproductivity. Depending on the acres, or dementions of the field, I would start at the 1/3 area of the field. Drive a straight line if able....by looking at a stationary point at the far end of that field, and keeping that stationary point between your legs and NOT THE CENTER OF THE TRACTOR. Throw the first two passes together and keep on going around, when you reach the fence line, which you should, then go and finish the other side of the field.....hope this makes sense. again this is only my thoughts of my past experience in large fields.

 

[Oldtimermich]

I am just curious though, why would you want to plow wet ground, do ya like soil lumbs...lol, or is it new ground? A sub-soilier works very good to break up the hard-pan as to letting the ground drain better. just more babbling from me is all....

 

[Egon]

That may work if it is a small field. On larger areas you may want to break them down into small fields. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

 

[surfran]

Dberg,

This may help, it is the instructions from my 10" moldboard that I bought a couple of years ago. Hopefully you will be able to see as the scan was very large and I had to use Pixresizer to reduce to post. If you cannot read, send me a PM and I can email them to you.

 

[surfran]

Heres another page with additional tips. Hope this helps.

 

[ronbo3]

Thanks for the attachment of your plow manual--it was very helpful! What brand/type plow did you buy?

 

[surfran]

It's a Brinly-Hardy plow that I picked up clearanced at Lowes about 2 years ago for $90. I had been watching it for about 2 years when they finally clearanced it. I had missed an opportunity a few years before at a K-mart that had a few stuffed away in a corner and I watched them keep getting reduced down to $75 but thought I could wait until $50 but then they were gone. At that time I didn't really realize how much they cost so I kicked myself until I finally got this one from Lowes.

Glad they help.