Farmall Fast Hitch Plowing

[Bill VA]

Snapped the 2 bottom moldboard plow into the Farmall’s fast hitch - think I’m going to try my hand at a bit of plowing…

Got the manuals, reading them over, have plowed with 3pt hitch plows - never a fast hitch plow.

Any sage advice for plowing with a Farmall and a fast hitch plow?

A few questions -

Unpinned the side to side stabilizer bracket so the plow could follow its own path behind the tractor. Good idea?

The teledepth “display” on the left side works - how do you use/reference it?

Depth/position control - is there a non-visual way to set this consistently every time I drop the plow?

Fast hitch has down force - how do you neutralize this or is it necessary?

This fast hitch is period 350 vs 300, so no second hydraulic function.

RPM’s, ground speed, gear selection - how fast, what gear do you plow with your Farmall and wide open throttle or something else?

Probably have more questions - but looking forward to turning some dirt!

Plow is in rough shape, but what the hay, just looking to have some fun with it.

Any chance I’ll break this Farmall 350 in half?

Again - any sage advice is much appreciated!

 

[Janicholson]

Snapped the 2 bottom moldboard plow into the Farmall’s fast hitch - think I’m going to try my hand at a bit of plowing…

Got the manuals, reading them over, have plowed with 3pt hitch plows - never a fast hitch plow.

Any sage advice for plowing with a Farmall and a fast hitch plow?

A few questions -

Unpinned the side to side stabilizer bracket so the plow could follow its own path behind the tractor. Good idea?

The teledepth “display” on the left side works - how do you use/reference it?

Depth/position control - is there a non-visual way to set this consistently every time I drop the plow?

Fast hitch has down force - how do you neutralize this or is it necessary?

This fast hitch is period 350 vs 300, so no second hydraulic function.

RPM’s, ground speed, gear selection - how fast, what gear do you plow with your Farmall and wide open throttle or something else?

Probably have more questions - but looking forward to turning some dirt!

Plow is in rough shape, but what the hay, just looking to have some fun with it.

Any chance I’ll break this Farmall 350 in half?

Again - any sage advice is much appreciated!View attachment 65659

There is a cross pin directly under the FH cylinder. This is removed to allow float.
The 350 will play with that 2bottom plow. Keep the throttle wide open and in a gear that for the most part works the engine RPM back down to PTO speed. (again wide open throttle) Use the TA to keep forward momentum and progress when engine RPM drops to 1400 or so, then shift back to direct in lighter soil. Move the TA handle about as rapidly as you can both ways. it is a switch, on or off, no part way ever.
The sway stabilizer is as you have it unhinged.
The D shaped draft control handle (left side of platform) can be played with, but I have found it to be kinda unimportant. I liked it best pulled up all the way. Experiment!! AS the rust is scoured off the surfaces it will pull a higher gear. Start in second direct to scoure, you will end up in 3rd direct. Depth in this case should be as deep as it will cut, maybe 8 or 9 inches. Grease everything before starting. Jim

 

[Ron Muhlenkamp]

Snapped the 2 bottom moldboard plow into the Farmall’s fast hitch - think I’m going to try my hand at a bit of plowing…

Got the manuals, reading them over, have plowed with 3pt hitch plows - never a fast hitch plow.

Any sage advice for plowing with a Farmall and a fast hitch plow?

A few questions -

Unpinned the side to side stabilizer bracket so the plow could follow its own path behind the tractor. Good idea?

The teledepth “display” on the left side works - how do you use/reference it?

Depth/position control - is there a non-visual way to set this consistently every time I drop the plow?

Fast hitch has down force - how do you neutralize this or is it necessary?

This fast hitch is period 350 vs 300, so no second hydraulic function.

RPM’s, ground speed, gear selection - how fast, what gear do you plow with your Farmall and wide open throttle or something else?

Probably have more questions - but looking forward to turning some dirt!

Plow is in rough shape, but what the hay, just looking to have some fun with it.

Any chance I’ll break this Farmall 350 in half?

Again - any sage advice is much appreciated!View attachment 65659

 

[Ron Muhlenkamp]

I have a 3 bottom FH on a 400.
generally, you’d like to plow half as deep as the width of a share. 14 in share implies 7 in deep.
It looks like your plow is sagging in the hitch like mine did.
I’m guessing your lower arms started out straight, 70 years of gravity can change things.
if so, when you put it in the ground, the rear share will cut deeper than the front.(as mine did)
I have a different design, but it has three holes in the hitch to change this angle. I had to drill another.
in a three pt hitch, the angle is adjusted by changing the length of the top link. Just one of the reasons everyone went to the three pt when Fergusons patent ran out.
Enjoy
An easy way to see if your plow is adjusted properly is to run the front wheels and the left rear up on blocks (7 in.)
on a flat surface. when you lower the plow it should meet the ground evenly, side to side and front to back.

 

[730 virgil]

something you want to do try cleaning moldboards of rust before you go to the field that should get moldboards to scour sooner

 

[formerly ny bill]

what Ron said about plow depth.
That 350 should just play with a 2 bottom. Don't know what your rock situation is, but if you hit a dead man that doesn't move, that big spring underneath will introduce your ribs to the steering wheel reeeeal fast. My Super C does that trick once in a while.
If you have access to an old sand or gravel pit, that would be a good place to start the bottoms scouring. If you are in sticky ground, you will be scraping a layer of dirt off the moldboards very often before they scour. Carry a spud with you to scrape off the dirt skin, if you can find a place to carry one. A wire brush on a drill might be a start to break thru the rust.
Jim mentioned the pin underneath the FH cylinder that lets the hitch float. Side to side float too. I have plowed with the old 300 style FH (with the second cylinder in the front of the yoke), and also with your style FH on a 560. FWIW, I think the old style hitch has it all over the newer style for controlling plow depth. YMMV.
The Tel-a-depth system was IH's first try at something, but in my opinion, pretty worthless. Ditto for the big lever on the LH side. When the 06 series came out, IH had an excellent automatic draft control system.
Third gear 2/3 throttle should be adequate for plowing. I'm sure it will pull the plow in 4th gear, but then the dirt will end up in the next county. After you get things scoured and limbered up, use the engine sound to tell you if you are too deep or shallow.
Have fun. Plowing is very satisfying, both visually, and I love the smell of freshly turned dirt.
Bill

As Colombo would say... one more thing. There is another set of pins that need to come out on the FH to let it float properly. You can just make the left one out in the shadow between the 560 tire and the H rim. Move both pins (or maybe bolts at this stage of your 350's life- McMaster Carr has replacement pins) to the rear hole in the FH socket, so the FH can flex at that point.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

For a novice at plowing, 3rd gear might be a bit fast at first with everything going on. It's not a race so start out in 2nd, which is where you'd be with a 3-bottom plow anyway. Once you get a rhythm developed, and you want to try going faster, shift up.

As for whether you'll pull the tractor in half, that's always a possibility with a 70 year old tractor, but it won't be because of anything you did.

You'll probably make a mess the first time out. Don't worry about it. You're learning.

 

[Bill VA]

Thanks for the replies - much appreciated. Anyone know where I can get a manual for this plow - 34-F20

Here is a short video…

 

[plowman]

Thanks for the replies - much appreciated. Anyone know where I can get a manual for this plow - 34-F20

Here is a short video…

HI I should have one thanks Steve 419-618-0017

 

[MARK ROBKE]

In the video I noticed 2 things. First it is easier to hook and unhook if you lube your fast hitch prongs and their receivers. I like old motor oil. Secondly you need to move the pins in the receivers to the rear holes. Make sure (could not tell in the video) you remove the 'down' pressure pin under the hydraulic cylinder. Wheel spacing may need to be adjusted. And when I plow, my hand remains on the hydraulic control lever, so I can fine tune the plow depth on the fly. Have fun, Mark.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

There is a cross pin directly under the FH cylinder. This is removed to allow float.
The 350 will play with that 2bottom plow. Keep the throttle wide open and in a gear that for the most part works the engine RPM back down to PTO speed. (again wide open throttle) Use the TA to keep forward momentum and progress when engine RPM drops to 1400 or so, then shift back to direct in lighter soil. Move the TA handle about as rapidly as you can both ways. it is a switch, on or off, no part way ever.
The sway stabilizer is as you have it unhinged.
The D shaped draft control handle (left side of platform) can be played with, but I have found it to be kinda unimportant. I liked it best pulled up all the way. Experiment!! AS the rust is scoured off the surfaces it will pull a higher gear. Start in second direct to scoure, you will end up in 3rd direct. Depth in this case should be as deep as it will cut, maybe 8 or 9 inches. Grease everything before starting. Jim

Is it possible that the Tel-A-Depth valve is over compensating, due to the lack of a gauge wheel?

It also looks like the plow tripped, at one point in history & never returned "home". That would cause the plow to suck down more & pull down the engine.

Mike