Plow

[LD1]

What is the plow? Pictures of the plow, the setup, and an action pic of the results would help us tremendously.

Ballast isnt your problem. A 5000# 2wd UTILITY tractor with R1 tires should pull a 2-bottom plow with ease.

Your setup method isnt bad.....but using a 6x6 block (which is only 5.5"), and the tire will flex around it, and you have also not blocked the front tire.....you are basically setting the plow to cut SHALLOW. Like 4"

Whatever the bottom width....say if its a 14" plow....Ideally set BOTH the front and rear tires @7"......then adjust and manipulate the top and side link to have the plow shares LEVEL and FLAT.

Draft control not working shouldnt be causing you this much grief. Because setup properly...the plow should self regulate to an extent. For example.....when you raise the 3PH and lift the plow out of the ground.....notice the points pointing at a downward angle?......Now lower the plow to ~7" below grade and it is now level if you setup correctly right......Now any deeper than 7" and the points start pointing upward.....meaning if the plow tries to dive too deep, the geometry should level it back up at 7"

Now the trash issue.....

There are so many styles of plows and some handle trash better than others. Its not always a coulter setting. Without pics to see whats happening, hard to say. But some more modern plows have higher clearance beams, and trash/cover boards above the moldboard. They all help. The older style plows like the ford or dearborn plows wadded up above the moldboard with trash real bad, especially corn stubble. I fought it with my 3-14 plow. I switched to a higher clearance plow with trash boards.

But there is also a trick of using a piece of #9 wire about 8'-10' long, and tying around the coulter shaft and letting it trail in the furrow to help burry the trash and crop residue. So thats something for you to maybe google and experiment with

But Pictures Pictures Pictures. They will help us figure out whats going on better than any type of written description you can give us

 

[Deanes]

I have a 2WD Massey Ferguson with a 2-Bottom Plow. I planted Sorghum-Sudan seed early in summer and it has been cut down twice. Now trying to Plow it. My draft control does not work on my tractor. 1) when I start to plow, my wheels start to spin and I need to raise the plow constantly. 2) with this cut Sorghum-Sudan seed, when I try to plow, besides my wheels spinning, the grass just builds up a large plug on my plow. Do I need to move my coulters back or sharpen them? How do I get me wheels to stop spinning? Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

Adjusting a moldboard plow is a science. . Get that plow perfectly adjusted and you will be amazed how well it performs. Remember that implement is just an adaption of a plow designed to be pulled with just 2-3 horsepower.

 

[hlyautey]

I have a 2WD Massey Ferguson with a 2-Bottom Plow. I planted Sorghum-Sudan seed early in summer and it has been cut down twice. Now trying to Plow it. My draft control does not work on my tractor. 1) when I start to plow, my wheels start to spin and I need to raise the plow constantly. 2) with this cut Sorghum-Sudan seed, when I try to plow, besides my wheels spinning, the grass just builds up a large plug on my plow. Do I need to move my coulters back or sharpen them? How do I get me wheels to stop spinning? Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

I've done some plowing with an 8N and a single 16". It sounds like the plow is diving too deep. I had the same problem and I attached short pieces of chain to the lift arms and top link to keep it from diving so deep.

 

[jeff9366]

If you use the Top Link to level the plow in the earth using a level as the fore and aft alignment tool, the plow will pull eternally at the set depth if soil moisture and soil composure remain uniform.

The plow is diving too deep.
Lengthen the Top Link in small increments.

All above assumes the plow is not bent.

Same for the horizontal plane, utilizing the right Lifting Rod for adjustment, if the front and rear right wheels are running unimpeded in the bottom of the furrow. (The tractor will be canted sharply to the right but the plow should be LEVEL, NOT CANTED, in action.)

 

[Bentrim]

A few things I learned working with MF.
1. If you are operating the draft correctly the plow will maintain an even depth and load on the tractor.
If working correctly you have one of the most sensitive draft systems created.
Be sure you are operating the draft system properly. The operators manual will explain this plainly.With all appropriate adjustments explained.
2. The frame of the plow, when plowing should be level to the ground, front to back and side to side.
The coulters should be adjusted to get enough penetration to cut the material and about 3/4 to the outside of the shin.
With yhis you should be able to plow evenly about 7 to 8 inches and reasonably cover any vegetation.
As mentioned before if the vegetation is excessive you may do a better job if it is mowed or disked before plowing.
.

 

[cosman47403]

I have a 2WD Massey Ferguson with a 2-Bottom Plow. I planted Sorghum-Sudan seed early in summer and it has been cut down twice. Now trying to Plow it. My draft control does not work on my tractor. 1) when I start to plow, my wheels start to spin and I need to raise the plow constantly. 2) with this cut Sorghum-Sudan seed, when I try to plow, besides my wheels spinning, the grass just builds up a large plug on my plow. Do I need to move my coulters back or sharpen them? How do I get me wheels to stop spinning? Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

Tony, your tractor should have both Constant Draft and Constant Position. I use constant draft on my tractors for plowing. Have you plowed with
this before? I have known some that just drop the lift lever all the way down then wonder why it is going too deep and wheel spin. I hope you know you select how deep it goes by adjusting lift lever. I love the constant draft! As the draft gets too much the feedback from the center link causes the lift to go up slightly which puts more weight on wheels. This happens so quickly you will not be aware it happens. I have used small tractors to plow circles around much bigger tractors without constant draft while still plowing same or greater depth. When using a grader blade constant draft is NOT what you want. Use constant position for that.
Deon

 

[beenthere]

Depending on the type of soil if it is too dry it is very hard to plow. It could be adjustments as well, put your tractor on level ground and the plow should contact on the ground evenly from front to back when lowered. Don't try to go too deep around 4-6 inch is the sweet spots.

Good suggestion, providing the left tires are up on 6" blocking to simulate the right tires in the furrow.

Some two-bottom plows do not have the adjustments to set the plows up for good plowing. The cheap ones do not.

 

[beenthere]

What is the plow? Pictures of the plow, the setup, and an action pic of the results would help us tremendously.

Ballast isnt your problem. A 5000# 2wd UTILITY tractor with R1 tires should pull a 2-bottom plow with ease.

Your setup method isnt bad.....but using a 6x6 block (which is only 5.5"), and the tire will flex around it, and you have also not blocked the front tire.....you are basically setting the plow to cut SHALLOW. Like 4"

Whatever the bottom width....say if its a 14" plow....Ideally set BOTH the front and rear tires @7"......then adjust and manipulate the top and side link to have the plow shares LEVEL and FLAT.

Draft control not working shouldnt be causing you this much grief. Because setup properly...the plow should self regulate to an extent. For example.....when you raise the 3PH and lift the plow out of the ground.....notice the points pointing at a downward angle?......Now lower the plow to ~7" below grade and it is now level if you setup correctly right......Now any deeper than 7" and the points start pointing upward.....meaning if the plow tries to dive too deep, the geometry should level it back up at 7"

Now the trash issue.....

There are so many styles of plows and some handle trash better than others. Its not always a coulter setting. Without pics to see whats happening, hard to say. But some more modern plows have higher clearance beams, and trash/cover boards above the moldboard. They all help. The older style plows like the ford or dearborn plows wadded up above the moldboard with trash real bad, especially corn stubble. I fought it with my 3-14 plow. I switched to a higher clearance plow with trash boards.

But there is also a trick of using a piece of #9 wire about 8'-10' long, and tying around the coulter shaft and letting it trail in the furrow to help burry the trash and crop residue. So thats something for you to maybe google and experiment with

But Pictures Pictures Pictures. They will help us figure out whats going on better than any type of written description you can give us

Excellent trick to use that #9 wire to fold trash down into the furrow for good cover. Used it in the 50's often.

Don't think we really know enough about the OP's problem. Model of MF tractor for one. Pics of the problem setup is another.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Good suggestion, providing the left tires are up on 6" blocking to simulate the right tires in the furrow.

Some two-bottom plows do not have the adjustments to set the plows up for good plowing. The cheap ones do not.

not required i or my dad never done that, simply on level ground lower the plow until it just touch the ground then adjust the top link so the rear is equal to the front longitudinally as it touch the ground and you try multiple times up and all the way down back up back down observing the play and adjusting it double checking then lift back in the air and adjust the three point side to side towards move to the left but i keep some slack so it can play about 3” then i go in the field put her down go 4 feet forward and adjust the tilt to of the flipper if required or other fine tuning.

 

[LD1]

Excellent trick to use that #9 wire to fold trash down into the furrow for good cover. Used it in the 50's often.

Don't think we really know enough about the OP's problem. Model of MF tractor for one. Pics of the problem setup is another.

Yes, still waiting on pictures as it would help tremendously