variable width plows

[Dieseltech]

Anyone have experience with variable width moldboard plows? I've never seen one work and curios if they can be changed on the go. Looking at a JD 2600 5x, 12-18 inch
with toggle trip. Also, do the toggle trips work OK or not?

 

[Blue Jay]

Neighbor had one DMI Vari it was ether 12 or 14 to 18" no problem changing on the go just made for some strange furrow's.

 

[Cash4Toys]

Changing on the go can be done, but it ain't right. When you change the width of cut, you to change the hitch accordingly. I have seen some White 598's with the hillside side shift that will compensate for some of hitch adjustment.
If you look at the op's manual for a John Deere 2800 under hitching you will see what I am talking about. If you wanted to say widen or narrow it up for the last pass up against a fence or something you could get away with it.
Onland is not as critical as in furrow as you can move the tractor over a little. As with any plow, center of pull is always width of cut divided by 2 plus 1/4 of one bottom measured to the left of front bottom. So if you do the math on say an 18 5 bottom the change it to 14 cut, you will really see the difference. Hope this helps.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

(quoted from post at 16:47:38 11/05/23) Anyone have experience with variable width moldboard plows? I've never seen one work and curios if they can be changed on the go. Looking at a JD 2600 5x, 12-18 inch
with toggle trip. Also, do the toggle trips work OK or not?

There were a few IH 735's around here years ago.

The different widths were used based on the type of ground being plowed. If you were plowing gravel corn ground you'd set the plow to full width. For sod, 14" seemed to turn it over better.

I don't think anyone changed width in the furrow. It was set it and forget it for the field, or at most, each "land" (section of the field)...