plow help

[Jim in LA]

I have a Howse 2-14 plow and the rear moldboard doesn't want to suck down. Tips?

 

[Roger in Iowa]

Top link too short ?
Share worn

Pictures

 

[560Dennis]

look and if there’s a sled runner 1/16 to 1/2 inch wide on the bottom of shares .

 

[da.bees]

I've turned under hundreds of acres with moldboards and still struggle to get them adjusted. After I had tried everything I knew and was making field look like a rubboard my brother or uncle would come by and set plow on a single round. What I've learned is that disc/one-way turning plow covers twice as much ground with equal horsepower and easier to set.
I can pass one tip along about vintage 3 point moldboards. With plow sitting on smooth,level ground, right and left hitch pins are different distance from ground because drawbar has a dogleg in it. Slight mis-adjustment here makes plow near useless.

 

[Ray,IN]

I have a Howse 2-14 plow and the rear moldboard doesn't want to suck down. Tips?

This is the instructions for setting up a H. Ferguson plow, I assume the procedure is quite similar for all 2/14's. To make this link work, copy N paste it into a new tab, then remove the space between the n and the t. For some reason that's the only way this website will accept the web address.
https://www.n tractorclub.com/manuals/implements/plows/Ferguson%20AO%20Plow%20-%20Operating%20and%20Assembly%20Instructions.pdf

 

[47fivewindow]

When we put the plows on we would pull in the shop and jack the land side rear tire up to the furrow depth. Then the hitch was set so both plow points were touching the ground. Then only minor tuning was needed.

 

[flying belgian]

If you have the 3rd link adjusted right then another thing you can do is extend left 3 point arm. This allows point of share to dig before heel of share starts touching.

 

[Janicholson]

Several things can cause your plow problem. Making sure there is freedom for it to move to working depth (Post #2). Very hard clay soil (moisture is the only solution there. Dull share edge or width too worn. The cutting edge must be less than an eighth of an inch round to work.
The cutting edge needs to be touching the ground first. With the plow on flat concrete sitting as though "down" look carefully at the cutting edgr to make sure it is not being held up by worn undersurface. (Post #6 above) Jim

 

[rrlund]

Don't overlook the possibility that it's sprung. If it is, there's no fix to it. I bought a 2 bottom John Deere one time that was sprung.

 

[560Dennis]

Allis Chalmers list in maintenance of the model four plow that they offer a service to exchange,straighten plow beams .
John Gaard video explains how to inspect a plow .
This may not be your issue
Example of blacksmith share sled runner and how I repair the share . Maintenance to your plow will yield you amazing results .

 

[IHCPloughman]

 

[Jim in LA]

I was able to adjust the left hand rock shaft to lower arm threaded link so the plow can be set level front to back and side to side. I have the plow point to right tire sidewall about where the manual calls for, about 17 1/2 inches. I’m going in for eye surgery Thursday and will have to work with this later. In the past, I have had the plow work perfect and other times it’s been a bear.

 

[flying belgian]

Wait. If I understand you, you are taking 17 1/2 inch cut with front bottom. There’s your first problem to correct. You have a 14 inch plow so front bottom should take 14 inches.

 

[560Dennis]

What the distance from furrow wall to the coulter cut ? On each plow bottom.
Furrow tire ,wheel should be about approximately two inches from furrow wall .
If no furrow wall the the coulters need to be adjusted ,
Watching John Gaard video will shorten the time and frustration immediately.

 

[farmersamm]

First off................the plow has to be level. When it's in the ground it has to be level. It's up to you to adjust your lift arms to make it so. I don't have to adjust the lift arms to make this happen because I have a rollover plow that has the adjustments on the tool bar.............but either way, the plow has to be level as it's in the ground. The tractor wheel in the furrow will want to move the plow from a level position.....this is why you adjust the lift arms to make it level.

Level also applies to fore, and aft. The plow should not dig in because the tips are forced into the ground. It should be level on its own. The tips will suck it into the ground.

The thing that makes a plow dig into the ground is suction. Suction is controlled by the front of the plow share (I call it a "bottom") There should be a very obvious point on the share that deviates to the opposite of the landside. I'll try to get a pic tomorrow. ONCE THE POINT OF THE SHARES ARE WORN THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED...............NO WIGGLE ROOM. A plow bottom should never be straight, there should always be a hook to the right at the leading edge.

You should never have to steer the tractor. Once it's in the furrow, it should almost be self guiding. It's a feel thing.......hard to explain.

Try to plow moist ground. If you get chunks like in my pics, it' ok. It just depends on your ground. I'm on clay......a solid PITA to plow.......very narrow window to get it done. If you're pulling up chunks that don't pulverize, don't despair.....the field will mellow during the Winter months. Rain will 'melt' the chunks, and make it suitable for discing in the Spring.

 

[farmersamm]

And..................FOR GOD'S SAKE...........DON'T TRY TO PLOW DOWN TO CHINA!!!!! A good seed bed only requires plowing down to between 6, and 8, inches. YOU DON'T NEED TO GO DEEPER.

Deep plowing stresses your equipment, and tends to mix subsoil with top soil........not something you want to do.

Traditional tillage is a sequence of firming the soil.

Plow it. Do the first discing to firm it to about 4" depth. Do whatever you need to do to incorporate fertilizer (the second discing), spring tooth it, then run your drill. By the time you're done, you've packed the ground to about a 2 inch depth. YOU NEED FIRM GROUND TO MAKE A CROP.

Remember that each tool firms the ground to the depth that the tool penetrates.

So......................you plow, do the first discing, fertilize it, disc the fertilizer in, springtooth it, then drill it. You will run over that field 6 times to make a crop.

 

[farmersamm]

I zoomed in on my pic to show you how a bottom should look.

Do you see the hook on the nose of that bottom............THIS IS WHAT SUCKS THE PLOW INTO THE GROUND. If that hook is worn off, you might as well go on back to the house. That plow will never suck itself into the ground.

 

[farmersamm]

A plow is adjusted in motion. It depends on how it runs under power.

If you have a lot of sway in your lift arms, you'll have a disaster. Always use sway blocks, or whatever your tractor has to prevent the implement from moving too much to one side, or the other.

 

[farmersamm]

There's nothing more satisfying than dropping that plow in the ground, and when it bites, it throws the front end of your tractor into a straight line in the furrow. It's magic.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's that good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!