Plowing

[chardage]

Thinking about buying an older tractor for plowing. will use a 2 bottom. use for crops and smoothing/ restoring about 15 acres of improved pasture. i hear the International Farmall 140 is good for this. Other suggestions?

 

[texas42]

A 140 would likely not do well with 2 bottoms, in fact probably not pull it at all
You would need to go up to at lea a 230 if not a 300 to pull 2 bottoms at a reasonable pace

 

[oosik]

Bottom, moldboard plowing is one of the toughest "pulls" for a tractor. I have a 16 inch - single bottom - moldboard plow. I plow 6" to 8" deep and at times this is a real chore for my M6040.

That's some 64 engine HP on a single bottom plow.

 

[jyoutz]

I suggest getting a Fred Cain multi-shank plow instead of a moldboard plow for smaller tractors. They work great and are easier to pull and use than a moldboard plow.

https://www.(Temporarily blocked du...vator-Ripper-p/fc-field-cultivator-cain-9.htm

 

[jaxs]

A 140 isn't enough horsepower to do meaningful work. I'd get at least 30 horse and feel better with 40. Regardless of horsepower it can do more work with disc type turning plow compared to moldboard. Two things make a lot of difference when choosing a tractor. Whether you plan to use a rotary mower and if you need the mower on 3 point apposed to drag. If you can live without 3 point AND you know how to judge condition of tractors Farmall H,Super H,M and Super M are workhorses that sell for less than half what their 3 point counterparts do. My first choice of vintage tractors for small acreage are 4 cylinder 2000 and 4000 Ford. Unless you have mechanical experience with diesels and plan doing your own repair,stay away from diesel that isn't in top condition.

 

[milkman636]

A 140 isn't enough horsepower to do meaningful work. I'd get at least 30 horse and feel better with 40. Regardless of horsepower it can do more work with disc type turning plow compared to moldboard. Two things make a lot of difference when choosing a tractor. Whether you plan to use a rotary mower and if you need the mower on 3 point apposed to drag. If you can live without 3 point AND you know how to judge condition of tractors Farmall H,Super H,M and Super M are workhorses that sell for less than half what their 3 point counterparts do. My first choice of vintage tractors for small acreage are 4 cylinder 2000 and 4000 Ford. Unless you have mechanical experience with diesels and plan doing your own repair,stay away from diesel that isn't in top condition.

I used to plow gardens with a Ford 2000 tractor and a Ford 2x14 plow. It would have probably struggled some with 16" bottoms. A Ford 3000 or 4000 would be a great match for almost any two bottom plow. Ford also made some of the best two bottom plows.

Another important consideration should be getting a plow with coulters and good points on it. Getting the plow adjusted properly so the pull is straight and level will be an important factor in how well the tractor pulls it too.

 

[workinonit]

A 140 will pull a 2 bottom plow just fine. Maybe not on unbroken pasture but turning farm ground they are fine. I've spent half my life on one. That said, I wouldn't buy a 140 nowadays for that task. Too many tractors that do that so much better. I have 3 140s and just use them for planting and cultivating the garden.

 

[Like Tractors]

A little recreational plowing with my M5_091 and an Oliver 546 4-16" plow. It walks the dog through good Iowa soil, where there is compaction it will make her snort a little.

 

[jumpin]

I did light plowing in unbroken pasture with a Massey Ferguson 231 and a 3 pt Oliver 2-14 plow. That's 38 hp, 2 WD, draft control. Advice above regarding proper adjusting of the plow is very important. Do a search on plow mounting / adjusting. With good shares, shins and landslides I had no problems. I removed my coulters as the Oliver bottoms did not need them.

 

[wolc123]

If you want to get an old tractor for plowing, I would recommend a Ford 8n. I use a use a 1951 on a 2x12 plow and it does a wonderful job with that.

I am the second owner and it has just under 2000 hours on it now (it had 1200 on it when I bought it). It still has the original tires and paint and has always been stored inside.

It always plowed good, with loaded rear R1 tires, but one of the original rims (furrow side) rusted thru (3) years ago. I was worried that it wouldn’t plow as good with just one loaded rear.

Much to my surprise, it actually plows better now, doing more acres per hour and using less fuel. Traction is better on the furrow side, so not having the extra weight on that side, evens up the pull force on the plow.


While it plows better now, the same can’t be said about pulling my two row cultivator. Now it pulls to one side with that, so I moved that job to my newer tractor, that has both loaded rears.