Plow day aftermath

Setting a plow: a pull type trip plow has 2 levers. The lever on the furrow wheel sets the depth and the lever on the land wheel levels the plow. It should be level looking from behind the plow when plowing. The turned furrows should be even, it not adjust the land side lever to make them match. Hydraulic lift plows are the same only you use the cylinder to adjust the level of the plow, adjust accordingly to plow level. Semi mount and mounted plows, decide how deep you're going to plow( we'll say 8 inches) and drive the land wheel of the tractor up on a 8 inch block with the plow hooked on. lower the plow and adjust the lift arm until the hitch is level. On mounted plows, adjust the top link until the plow is level front to back. Most semi mounts have a stop bolt, adjust that until the plow is level front to back. That will get you close, adjust from there to make it plow level.
A couple of pictures, that’s me with my super 88
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I have seen many plow day events. I know the theme is mainly to have fun.

Many of the rigs that attend seem to need a half day of adjustment and/or a couple thousand dollars of parts before they show up. The job that some do is so very sad, some would call it a disgrace.

I wonder if those that do such a poor job know that their mess isn't going to heal itself anytime soon? Unless that is, that someone takes the time to drag a land leveler across the field a few times.

The jobs some do are painful to watch, yet they make no adjustments. They just keep going round after round. Why don't the ones that do know how to plow stop and help the ones that are struggling?
Eric when the plow day is being hosted by the farmer farming the ground, in my opinion, it is his decision as to what type of job he will accept. It is my experience that most guys going to plow days want to do a good job and are receptive to accepting assistance in setting their plow. The problem is finding guys like Chris that have the knowledge and patience to help. If guys are hosting an event and they want to just provide everyone an opportunity to experience the "good old days" they will probably get out the chisel plow and field cultivator the next day and level things out. I think plow days and corn picking days are great ways for participants and spectators to experience a little bit of farming history; I do believe it is reasonable that the hosts establish standards as to what to is an acceptable level performance.
 
I've noticed a few IH 11 bottom plows for sale on our local "for sale" website, bismanonline lately. And they aren't real cheap, at least not in my opinion. Would be fun to pull something like that but might be a tad much for my Farmall Ms or Hydro 70! 😁
 
My gramps had it down pretty well. He owned an IH Dealership, Cohocton Valley Garage, and when I was little, he had a pair of gas M's and a TD6, plowing with one M and the TD6. He was planning on buying a 504 until we went to a plow day when the 06 series came out. The field was a gentle roll, with the tractors starting over the hill out of site and then over the top. IH, Deere, Allis, Ford etc. The IH contingent was a 504, 706D, 806D and an 1100, 4,5,6 and 7 bottoms, and made the others look pretty sad with that lineup. That day he decided to keep the 706D Demonstrator, and our neighboring potato farmer bought the 806D. That 806D pulled 6-16's every year without breathing hard, never remember it having any downtime. We got another 706D in 65. Gramps was a master at dead furrows, back furrows, end furrows- he would put a chalk mark on the inside of the left rear tire, find the dead furrow, "measure" with the chalk mark, over to the back furrow, plow in, plow out and make it fit perfectly. We had the IH "Steerable" plow, with hydraulic sideshift on the hitch and hydraulic tailwheel, and was very easy to set up
 
I've only taken part in few plow days and have rudimentary knowledge how to set up that my dad taught me before he passed. I really dont feel qualified to offer adjustment advice. That being said, what I've seen is that unfortunately, some folks want to have fun but what they show up with is some very badly worn plows that no adjustment is going to help and its hard to tell someone that its just not gonna work unless you buy several hundred dollars worth of points and moldbiards. And there is the usual small clique of high rollers with tractors and plows that no price was too high in restoring. It's usually the smooth running tractor in its work clothes pulling a well cared for unrestored plow that does the best and has the most fun. As to quality if the job, the landowner that opens his field up to a mob of random plowers should expect whatever he gets. Ita about fun not quantity or quality.
 
I believe there are at least 2 factors in the reason the plowing is as bad as it is in some events.
The operators of poor plowing are convinced they don't need help.
The experienced operators may not be wanting to confront (in their point of view) those with underperforming equipment or directional skill.
Jim
It is common to want to have the biggest baddest tractor, or other manly thing at an event.

So some folk have a plow a little too big for their tractor, they are convinced their 2 bottom tractor can really pull a 3 bottom. Because I have the best….

It can’t. The results are a poor performance.

Could also happen by plowing at a site with tougher soils, not what they are used to back home. Can pull that 3 bottom plow in their light loamy sand soils, but knocks them out at the plow site with clay soils.

Paul
 
The farms that host these plow days usually have equipment that is far larger, far more powerful, and can move far more dirt, than anything that participated in the plow day. One pass with their big machine and you won't even be able to tell the field has been plowed.
 
I would love to do a local plow day and learn how. My son and I intend to plow up a garden in our bottom land; we'll try to learn by doing. I have the manual for the JD 4B, so it should help. But to plow a big field would be fun.

I have done just about every other job on a big field, from disking to planting to cultivating to harvesting, but I never got to plow.
 
I can see that happening and more . I have not participated in a plow day . I do participate in plowing competitions. I’m very grateful for the advice and encouragement from the staff and my competition for the helpful advice I’m receiving on practice day and during the competition From competition and observors watching the competitions.
My experience is has been so positive .
My experience competing has improved my ability to plow , reduce the wear and tear on my antique tractor and plows . I also want to emphasize that my competition has rewarded me with kinds word of encouragement on how much my tractor ,plows and workmanship has improved , I can’t ask for any more Fun .
so there’s my experience.
 
I am 53, went to a plow day 6-8 years ago. I had the manual for the plow and the tractor. Set everything the manual said, just adjusted the center link, fully mounted plow. I had a blast, and got a few compliments, Others showed up with painted tractors, no weights, and pull type plows. All you could smell was their brakes, trying to keep straight. And the plow went down as far as the three point allowed. Others not so much. Was taught with a semi mount 5 bottom when younger, but really Dad set everything then and I just plowed.
that's probably the case with a lot of us. Dad or someone else set up the plows and we drove once set up. Of course for the most part once set up they didn't need to be monkey'ed with much. then moldboarding fell off and no one needed to so we didn't learn.

as the land owner if he cares about he plow job he should insist that you can plow and have fun but i get the final say in how you plow (adjustment, depth, speed ect).

similar topic i've seen some videos on corn picking days where a bunch get together with their old pickers and little combines. i wonder how much these guys are leaving in the field. one video a "younger guy" was picking with a WD45 and mounted picker and he was flying thru the field and didn't seem like much was coming out of the elevator into the wagon.
 
I have seen many plow day events. I know the theme is mainly to have fun.

Many of the rigs that attend seem to need a half day of adjustment and/or a couple thousand dollars of parts before they show up. The job that some do is so very sad, some would call it a disgrace.

I wonder if those that do such a poor job know that their mess isn't going to heal itself anytime soon? Unless that is, that someone takes the time to drag a land leveler across the field a few times.

The jobs some do are painful to watch, yet they make no adjustments. They just keep going round after round. Why don't the ones that do know how to plow stop and help the ones that are struggling?
Its one of the reasons, i "invite" people, that know how to plow
 
They are the ones dad assigned other work to while growing up because dad was afraid of their habits while in the field. Anyways, these kids grew up but never lost their desire to want to do field work such as plowing. So no experience and trying to tell someone today that they are not doing something correctly starts a fight. So round and round they go with a plow barely in the ground or one end up in the air. Like others have said have the chisel plow ready to go after everyone has gone home.
 
I have seen many plow day events. I know the theme is mainly to have fun.

Many of the rigs that attend seem to need a half day of adjustment and/or a couple thousand dollars of parts before they show up. The job that some do is so very sad, some would call it a disgrace.

I wonder if those that do such a poor job know that their mess isn't going to heal itself anytime soon? Unless that is, that someone takes the time to drag a land leveler across the field a few times.

The jobs some do are painful to watch, yet they make no adjustments. They just keep going round after round. Why don't the ones that do know how to plow stop and help the ones that are struggling?
Some of the problems is having a 12 inch plow trying to work behind a 16inch plow. Does not work because a 12 inch is designed to plow 6 inches deep while a 14 inch is 7 inches deep and a 16 inch is 8 inches deep. You put a 12 inch plow behind a 16 inch plow no mater how good things are set up you will never get a good looking job. Then quality of the shares makes a big difference, a dull share will not go in where a sharp share will. It has been years since I was at a plow day but I have hosted them. I have had friends that were into compition plowing that tried to talk me into doing the same but I did not have the interest in that and besides I had no way to transport my tractor and plow up to 2 states away. One of the friends got as far as the world plowing compitation in South Africa only to get beat then by a young lady. When you got up to the internation level the ones running the meet furnished the tractor and plow so every body had the same thing to work with, the only thing wrong was you were not experianced with the equipmrent like others were. Back when I hosted a plow day one showed up with a 4 bottom plow while every body else had either 2 or 3 bottom and one had only a single bottom and from 12 inch bottoms to 16 inch bottoms the 2 sizes just did not work together. Then the older plows the shares were not in good shape while the 4 bottom had new shares as it was used all the time on their farm. The last plow day I was at I took my 2N ford and orignal plow that worked good in my ground it would not work in the black jackwax and they tries setting it in ways that woulsdwork for other makes but different than the owners manual said to do it and i was never able to get it to work after that. Most of my friends that could plow are gone now and it will not be too long untill I join them as I am 81 years old now. The type of plow hitch will also make a big difference in how the plow will work as well/ I had Olivers and with the wheel tread required with my tractor it would not work but with the other tractor having a narrower wheel tread it would work.
 

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