setting plow coulters

[k1e1n1]

I have a Ford 101 2-14 plow.Where should the coulters be set? Do the coulters make a slice for the furrow wall. Or should they be set away from the furrow wall to slice through trash so the plow doesn"t pull in residue from unplowed ground.Thanks, Ken

 

[LEH]

I set mine about 1" inland from the shin and as deep as I can and still mount the trash so it does not plug up. Nice big coulters are a plus.

 

[IHCPloughman]

(quoted from post at 02:35:59 04/09/09) I have a Ford 101 2-14 plow.Where should the coulters be set? Do the coulters make a slice for the furrow wall. Or should they be set away from the furrow wall to slice through trash so the plow doesn"t pull in residue from unplowed ground.Thanks, Ken

Start with the hub of the coulter directly over the point, move further back in hard ground, further ahead in trashy conditions. Set to cut 3-4" deep (enough to thoroughly cut the trash). Set to the left of the share enough to cut a clean furrow wall. Too close and you will have a ragged furrow wall, too far and you will have a significant step in the furrow wall (a little step is fine (1/4"-1/2"). Sharpen the coulter with an angle grinder. The bigger the coulter the better.

I don't quite understand your question, the share and the coulter combine to make the "furrow wall". When set properly the coulter should cut all surface trash so a 14" bottom is only turning under 14" of trash. Specifying a distance to set the coulter outside of the share is arbritary, because this will change depending how straight the plow pulls.

 

[Hugh MacKay]

Ken: Ploughman has it dead on, especially when he describes the effects of too close or too far away. I like to start with it 3/4" to left of straight line with landside, then adjust from there according to his criteria.

 

[Leroy]

Good answer, the only ones that think a plow works better without coulters are the ones that do not know how to set a coulter.

 

[buickanddeere]

Coulters primary task is to slice trash. A pretty furrow is secondary. Most operators set the coulters deeper than required.
Some people just pull the coulters off and forget about them if trash isn't a concern.

 

[Mike Aylward]

One thing to mention in addition to what the others said is to set your rear coulter first until you have a nice furrow wall and then set all the other coulters just like it. Never could understand why some people would take the coulters off a plow. The purpose of a nice furrow wall is not just cosmetic. It takes a lot of wear off the shins and landsides of the plow. Hope this helps. Mike

 

[Allan in NE]

Ken,

Coulters were designed with the idea in mind to "cut trash". That was their original intent and purpose. Good theory if it would have worked.

However, this is another one of those silly brain storms that just plain didn't work out as nothing will plug a plow faster than a full set of coulters in high-trash, high humidity/wet spring/wet fall conditions.

Furthermore, the smaller the plow the worse the plugging effect.

None of my concern; set your coulters any way ya want. However, I'd sure avise ya to just yank the things off and throw 'em behind the shop in the iron pile.

Allan

 

[Mike Aylward]

Allen, I will respectfully disagree. If a coulter is SET PROPERLY they WILL cut the trash and let it go through much better. I will guarantee that if you go out on some damp corn stalks in the fall without coulters you will plug your plow in a matter of FEET. Most people do not set their coulters properly. Most will run them way too deep or way too shallow. They have to be run just deep enough to cut the trash and no deeper. If they are bouncing up and down all the time they are not set deep enough. If you are running to the hubs they are set too deep. Setting a plow is becoming a lost art and too many people are willing to throw up their hands and blame the plow when in reality a simple adjustment is all that is needed. Mike

 

[Allan in NE]

Yes Sir,

That's what I am saying. If the conditions are right (sadly, all too often), you can't cut those stalks/trash with a buzzsaw.

Not gonna get in a screamin' match over it neither.......just trying to help because I've been there.

Allan

 

[big jt]

Good advice on others posts. I farmed from the early 50's until the early 90's, and used a plow until about the late 70's or so. Then went to minimum till. I have to admit that I felt that I never did really learn to set a plow to my satisfaction. It is almost an art, I think along with the science. Anyway, so far as plugging is concerned, some plows were much worse than others, partly due to clearance, both hieght and distance front to back between bottoms. We had a good Case plow (probably 1950's vintage) that was awful for plugging. Dad said that if two cornstalks went in at the same time, it plugged!! We pulled a rotary rake behind it that helped a lot. Later on had a later Oliver pull and then a John Deere semi-mounted, both with more clearance that did not plug as much. We always used coulters but many neighbors did not.

 

[k1e1n1]

Thanks for all the replies . I had my new -old plow out tonite for the first time.I made a couple of runs on new ground. Mainly to scour the rust off the moldboards.

I noticed the tailwheel assembly, Does the arm that the tailwheel is mounted to supose to pivot a small amount? I also noticed an adjustment bolt. Is this some sort of travel stop ?

Thanks , Ken

 

[IHCPloughman]

Oh Allan, Allan.....

Here's what I know: Using no coulters will result in a plowing job that looks like dog poop. A plow with sharp, properly adjusted coulters will cover trash and turn over the furrow slice a thousand times better than a plow with no coulters.

Now, modern European plows use no coulters most of the time, but those plows use beam mounted jointers (skimmers) or trashboards. These covering attachments are necessary to cover trash well without coulters. And, I have found these attachments will also cause plugging if they are not properly adjusted.

So, for the plow day guy who drags his grandpa's plow out of the trees on Friday for a plow day Saturday: use coulters.

This picture is of a 2-14" #8 with coulters and trashboards plowing under corn stalks four years ago. It wasn't 300 bu/acre Bt corn, but it was heavy corn residure nonetheless. (the mismatched furrows were wheel tracks that the plow bottom couldn't pulverize)

 

[LA in WI]

Ploughman,
I think I recall you get into competitive plowing matches and I see your work in heavy cornstalks and I am impressed. I agree with you that no coulters in stalks create a big mess. In soybean stubble you can plow with almost anything and make the field look pretty good.
When in heavy trash, I use an old trick from the 1950s....tie an 8ft piece of #9 wire to the coulter arm and start plowing. The wire will trail out back under the soil being turned over and make that plow cover trash like you would not believe. When you eventually lose a wire, cut another one.
LA in WI

 

[Allan in NE]

Dunno,

Guess I've been around these ol' German farmers in this area way too darned long. :>(

Allan

 

[Rootsy]

There's always more than one way to skin a cat...

 

[Hugh MacKay]

Lowell: I agree on that wire, chain works well to, but quite costly as it will wear the end off the chain in two days. I can see Allan never got into heavy corn stalks, notched coulters work best for corn stalks. Put the wire and notched coulter on a small clearence plow like a 60 or 510 in corn stalks and you rarely have to stop for plugging.

 

[garytomaszewski]

Allan,
Your plowing looked great but I sure didn't see anywhere near the stover that IHploughman is turning over. If you tried to plow 200 bushel corn ground without coulters you wouldn't get the length of the rig before you were plugged.

 

[Allan in NE]

You misunderstood.

I'm not criticizing anyone's work. IHPloughmans's picture looks just fine.

Allan

 

[Leroy]

Coulters were not orignaly designed to cut trash. The first coulter was just a vertical knife fastened to the right side of the share on a left hand throw 1 bottom walking horse plow to make a smooth furrow wall for the farmer walking behind that plow had a smooth with no clods place to walk in, the first sulkey plows also had the same setup, the rolling coulter came with the sulkey plow as it pulled easier but you still needed the nice clean furrow as that is where 1 of the horses walked and it was easier on the horses on smooth ground, also the farmer even if he had a sulkey plow a lot of times would walk behind it so his weight was not a aditional load for the horses to have to pull. At that time there was no cornstalks to turn under because they were all cut and harvested for feed and also all the grass had been pastured down to nothing so there was no trash they needed to cut thru, that only came later with the advent of the corn pickers when you had enough ground in corn that you did not have to remove all the stalk for feed.