Year 2, more plow setup issues

[Mearntain]

As some may remember, I played **** last year trying to get my Double bottom setup on my Ford 2000 and pretty much ended up having to wing it in the long run to have a decent seed bed. Well, this is the 2nd year I've had it now and can't get it set up for the life of me and am getting nowhere and I can't figure out if it's me or the equipment.

When trying to set it up tonight on concrete for the first pass (with both plows level), I noticed after I picked it up and set it back down to verify it's alignment, it was slightly different than I thought I had set it up.

I then noticed that my leveling arm has a little bit of play when lifting up on it before the lift arm "engages" and begins to lift at the same rate. (This is being done with no attachment attached at this point) Is this normal for that to be the case or do I have an issue? If it is an issue, could that be why I can't set this thing up to save my life?

 

[jeff9366]

Properly adjusted a moldboard plow should be level only when the right tires are rolling in the bottom a furrow.

 

[Mearntain]

I didn't set them up with the plows sitting flat on the ground. When I said I set them up with both plows level, I meant that relatively in the sense of both share points engaging the ground at the same time with the trailing end of the shares elevated a little over an inch.

 

[countrybumpkin]

I was looks over your posts from last year and happen to notice something , may just be the photo angle , but it appears the right lift pin is mounted farther forward than the left. It also appears to have extra holes that the pin can be mounted in for adjustability , if so I'd try moving the pin back so it's in line with the left pin, see if that helps your sideways pull.

 

[sweettractors]

As some may remember, I played **** last year trying to get my Double bottom setup on my Ford 2000 and pretty much ended up having to wing it in the long run to have a decent seed bed. Well, this is the 2nd year I've had it now and can't get it set up for the life of me and am getting nowhere and I can't figure out if it's me or the equipment.

When trying to set it up tonight on concrete for the first pass (with both plows level), I noticed after I picked it up and set it back down to verify it's alignment, it was slightly different than I thought I had set it up.

I then noticed that my leveling arm has a little bit of play when lifting up on it before the lift arm "engages" and begins to lift at the same rate. (This is being done with no attachment attached at this point) Is this normal for that to be the case or do I have an issue? If it is an issue, could that be why I can't set this thing up to save my life?

2 things to get right before you go to the field. Verify the plow size 12-14-16 and set your inside right rear tire to the center of the tractor drawbar at 23" for 12" plows, 25" for 14" plows or 27" for 16" plows. Look at the plow in the link I have provided below and set your plow drawbar to look like that. Then, go to the field and set the plow to be level with the ground left to right and also front to back(with the right rear tire in a plowed furrow). Ken Sweet
Used Ford 2-14 Inch Turning Plow, 3 Pt Hitch, WE SHIP CHEAP AND FAST | eBay

 

[LD1]

When you set it up on concrete, drive the left tires up on stacks of 2x6's or cinder blocks or whatever. Just get the left tires (both front and rear) ~8" in the air. This will simulate the right side being in the furrow.

Now put the plow shares level and flat on the ground. Level side to side (adjust with sidelink) and level front to back (both shares level with each other). Thats done with the toplink.

On the plows drawbar, where one lift pin is forward of the other, on older plows this was adjustable. And thats what adjusted the plow tracking.

Condition of the points, shares, and moldboards is also important. If the points and shares are worn, or the moldboards arent shined up, it wont plow as well. But the most important step IMO is set the baseline in the shop on concrete with BOTH left tires raised up 7-8". Then make small fine tune adjustments in the field. (Which is really nice with hudraulic top and sidelinks.

MAke at least 2 passes before you adjust. Because the first pass isnt gonna cut as well as the second since the first pass, the right tires arent in the furrow yet.

Once you get it dialed in, it should plow good.

 

[Egon]

I was looks over your posts from last year and happen to notice something , may just be the photo angle , but it appears the right lift pin is mounted farther forward than the left. It also appears to have extra holes that the pin can be mounted in for adjustability , if so I'd try moving the pin back so it's in line with the left pin, see if that helps your sideways pull.

I would also think the adjustable center three point arm should be more in line with the plow frame. Check that the plow frame is square lengthwise to the cross member.

In the attachment note the difference in the cross member. It can be rotated for adjustment.

 

[Mearntain]

As now, I don't have any issue with it pulling to the left and it appears to be perfectly in line with the tractor with the right pin in the center position. The issue that I've been having is getting both plows to go down to the depth that they should be along with both plows doing equal work.

I reset up my plow on concrete with the left side of the tractor on blocks and compared the new measurements to what I still had written from last year, and it's pretty much the same measurements that I started with this year. Theyre Double 14's, so to my understanding they should be running at about 7 inches. With the blocks I had available, I could get it to 6.5 inches. Both shares sit flat to the ground with the landslide perpendicular to the ground, so all appears to be good there. Don't know where I'm going wrong, it seems like I'm doing everything right.

I'm trying to post some pictures but am having some.issues, I'm going to try to add them in a seperate post

 

[Mearntain]

 

[countrybumpkin]

Glad you have the side ways tracking taken care of. When you have it setting on concrete and wood blocks are both left tires on blocks as LD1 one stated? If not that is going to throw the top link adjustment out when you are in the field.

 

[Halftrack]

An issue I have with the plow set up is the alinement of the plow in the photo in response # 4 above. With the lower 3 pt arms allowed to shift a large amount, left of right, it is naturally going to shift to the left and has done so in the photo. Your first bottom should be turning the first 14" from the furrow wheel but has shifted to the left and is trying to turn the first 20" or so. That shift has effectively lengthened the right lower arm of the 3 pt and shortened the left lower arm. The top link is shortened and brought the back of the plow up. I believe you need to stabilize the 3 pt arms to a position similar to your later photos to maintain that 14" cut by the first bottom. I'm not sure if the proper way to do that is by additional stabilizer arms or if it can be done with the chains to the hitch. Some of that side shift torque or draft can be alleviated by a tail furrow wheel per LD1's example, but he also has lower arm stabilizers which hold the correct alinement. Its been 50 years since I ran a full 3 pt 3 bottom plow and that was on a J. I. Case with non-swaying lower arms and you had to add a little left turn to counteract side draft on it. Hope this helps.

 

[LD1]

Should not need stabilizers on a properly setup plow.

In the pics I saw what looked like 3 boards under the tire. A standard 2x lubber is only 1.5 " thick.

Also critical to block up the front tire as well.

And are you running draft control on? That will limit your depth if it's set light

 

[Egon]

I would also think the adjustable center three point arm should be more in line with the plow frame. Check that the plow frame is square lengthwise to the cross member.

In the attachment note the difference in the cross member. It can be rotated for adjustment.

The attachment seems to be missing.


This time it worked. To the OP; your problems may be in the cross member attachment to the lift arm. In the photo you can see how rotating the cross member would change alignment. Your plow seems fixed which may not be the position for your plow & tractor. .?

 

[LD1]

The attachment seems to be missing.
View attachment 501319

This time it worked. To the OP; your problems may be in the cross member attachment to the lift arm. In the photo you can see how rotating the cross member would change alignment. Your plow seems fixed which may not be the position for your plow & tractor. .?

Not to hijack,

Never seen a plow with slotted (finned) moldboards before? Whats the purpose?

 

[sweettractors]

The attachment seems to be missing.
View attachment 501319

This time it worked. To the OP; your problems may be in the cross member attachment to the lift arm. In the photo you can see how rotating the cross member would change alignment. Your plow seems fixed which may not be the position for your plow & tractor. .?

Egon, you are correct. Most newer plows do not have the rotating crossbar and cannot be fine tuned like the older plows. With a plow like the op has, you can never get it set perfect, however, you can turn ground with them. Ken Sweet

 

[sweettractors]

Not to hijack,

Never seen a plow with slotted (finned) moldboards before? Whats the purpose?

Less friction and therefore pulls easier. Ken Sweet

 

[stuckmotor]

Few farmers in my area used a moldboard plow since they got tractors. They broke ground with a disc harrow and if they wanted to get fancy also used a spring toothed harrow. If you never get the hang of the plow that might be an option. I never managed to set one up properly either.

 

[Mearntain]

Glad you have the side ways tracking taken care of. When you have it setting on concrete and wood blocks are both left tires on blocks as LD1 one stated? If not that is going to throw the top link adjustment out when you are in the field.

Yep, both tires on the left are both in the air on blocks at the same height.

Also, 100% I had the tractor tires sitting at 6.5 inches above the ground each, 3 2x8's and 2 1x6's were used for each tire.

My cross bar can't be rotated, but it can be adjusted side to side and also has 3 holes to fine tune the alignment with. I currently have the pin set to the center hole.

Is the play in the leveling arm, that I described earlier, normal for that to be the case? I questioning if part or all of my issue is related to that?

 

[countrybumpkin]

If you have slop in the arms and such , then it's going to be almost impossible to get the plow setup, because it will not hold the adjustment were you place it.

 

[Mearntain]

What's the common spot to wear to cause this? I've been looking through my service manual tonight and cant seem to find any good diagrams or pictures, best I can tell is the the lift arms attach to the ram arms which then attaches to splined shaft.

One more side question - When the plow is properly setup with the front plow sitting higher than the rear, when I lower the plow and set it on the ground, should only the rear plow touch the ground and the front one remain off the ground? As in the vertical spacing between the 2 remains the same regardless of whether the tractor is off with hydraulics fully lowered or lifted in the in the air off the ground?