3020 plowing

[Jeff Oliver]

Just a curious question here.. Went to a plow day yesterday and one of the tractors we took was a LP 3020 with a JD 3 point 3X14 plow. I had pulled it a few weeks ago in some wet ground and it pulled hard. Yesterday the ground was drier. I put 2 wheel weights on both sides and I think 4 flat weights on the front. No fluid in the tires. Got a man to help me set the plows right and could pull in in 5th sometimes but mostly in 4th. Was breaking about 7-8 inches deep.

What gets me is that all everyone has told me is that this tractor should pull 4X14's but I'm not too sure it would as it is. I had the draft control set on L D and it would seem like it would pull hard them not opening and closing the governor.

I am in West Tn over around Paris where we were and I know the ground has been worked but not broken in quite a while from what the owner said.

Is this normal or should it pull more or better? Also might need new points on the plow being as we haven't used it for about 10 years.

 

[thurlow]

I think it all depends on your soil type and where you're from; many folks say they're a 3-plow tractor. My Dad bought a new cottonpicker mounted on a 3010 diesel in 1963; also bought a new A-C 3-point hitch 4-(14s)bottom plow. Don't remember the model number, but the thing was huge w/moldboards about 3 ft long. It was 'my' tractor for the 6 years we owned it and handled the plow very nicely, plowing 7 or 8 inches deep in the hills and creek bottoms of Lauderdale County, TN. I've plowed Johnson Grass taller than the muffler and except for the dead furrows, it would all be completely hidden. I've used lots of plows and that was the only one I've ever seen that would turn the soil completely over.

 

[gtx1967jewison]

i pull a drawbar 4-16 case with my R in 3rd gear 12" deep in my neighbors soil 15 miles away & at home its hard going in 2nd at 7" deep. but its only 46hp or so on the drawbar & plow is very rusty. also i have no clue how to set it properly but just shows how soils makes a huge difference.

 

[RobMD]

Around here, that's about all a 3020 would want. A fully ballasted 4020 gave black smoke pulling 4-16's. Shale.

 

[Mike M]

Soil, soil soil ! Every place is different.

I once tried out a 720 diesel and a 3 bottom plow as that's all that was handy. Glad it wasn't any bigger as this was a hay field that wasn't plowed in years. Tractor came to a complete stop a few times and then a big bang and off we'd go. I guess it was the roots.

 

[George Weikum]

I've had the same thing happen to me. I was plowing with a 730 Diesel with 66H.P. and pulling 3x16 semi-mount plow in 3rd gear and rolling right along. Several guys asked why I wasn't pulling 4x16's. My answer was this is a easy pull in 3rd gear, and 3rd is faster in this 730. It has the faster trans. There is 40 acres behind my farm that I plow and I've been in 2nd gear pulling hard in hard black gumbo. I have many J.D. books and magazines showing 730's pulling 5x14 plows. If you look at the soil, there isn't a single clod in the plow rows. It looks like sand. it always boils down to type, hardness, density, compaction, and how well the molb-boards are shined. Good luck plowing, George.