What is the best plow?

[Tom43]

I would like to buy a 5-18 semi-mounted plow with category 3 hitch for my 200 horse J.D. 4960 MFWD tractor. What are the pros and cons of various brands? What would a good used plow cost?

 

[farmer boy]

IH had a good plow in my opinion. 710/720. I'm not sure it has a category 3 hitch though. That tractor should be able to carry a 7-8 18" plow. We can pull 4-18 with an Allis 200 no problem in most conditions.

 

[BobHnwOh]

IH 720 very good plow,has cat.2 pins,just use cat.3 sleeves,Bob.

 

[rednekelmo]

I'll vote for the IH 710 or 720 also. even many of the diehard Greenies had one in our area.the automatic return plowbeam was the ultimate and so far ahead that deere paid IH to use the idea on their plows. they made it in a 6 and 7 bottom 2pt mounted onland plow they usually go a little cheaper because you have to work 3 levers instead of 2 for a regular semi mounted plow or hitch drawn onland type

 

[960]

I have JD equip. but have used a IH 720 and it is the best plow made!!!!

 

[Anonymous-0]

Like dad always said- either a 720 IH or a Oliver/White 588

 

[VernMN]

IH 720 plow is the best. It's the "corn stalk king".
I have a 720 5 x 18 and it has cat. 3 pins.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I agree, the White 588 or IH 720. A step down would be the IH 710 and the other Whites such as the 549 and the adjustable 598. I would guess $1000 to $1500. On-land plows are more expensive.

 

[Lee in Iowa]

You could pull a lot more plow than that if you want to. I've seen a 4850 mfwd pull a 10-18 plow with an on land hitch and duals on good laying ground. I always wanted a plow with an on on land hitch or rollover plow because in the hills like we got its a bearcat when you get the down hill wheel in the furrow. Lee

 

[Old Ford Mechanic]

Uh,i don't know about that Deere pulling a red plow.It might if you turn the fuel up a little.

 

[RodinNS]

Kverneland.
Look here

 

[JMS MN]

Corn Stalk King?- yeah- that front bottom will delay entering the ground if it comes down on top of a corn stalk. I had a 720 since 1980. That linkage that lets it ride over an obstruction or trip on it was fine back then, but the 588 White I also have is my plow of choice- better, simpler reset system, leaves a more uniform furrow than the 720. I can drive by the field when it"s done and see which plow was working where. Way more uniform behind the White. Don"t use either one now- just the White 435 disc chisel now. Granted, many 720s behind green tractors here years ago, but no more. Don"t miss breaking the cast iron standards, either. Way less maintenance on the 588.

 

[Don-Wi]

Oliver/White plows were very well built and easy pulling models. I've also heard that Kneverland and DMI plows were pretty good too.

Donovan from Wisconsin

 

[Anonymous-0]

DMI is a well built plow, but pulls hard. Most farmers dropped one bottom when going from an IH or White plow to a DMI. Kneverland I've also heard is one of the best, but generally expensive to buy and replacement parts are in the stratosphere. I would stick with a home grown version.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Spelling error again, how about Kverneland instead.

 

[RodinNS]

Kverneland parts are expensive, yes.... but last about 4 times as long as most of the other stuff I've had over the years. IF you can get over the purchase price and look at operating cost I'm sure you'll find that Kverneland will come out ahead most times. STAY AWAY FROM MOLBORO or other aftermarket Kverneland wear parts too. They cost close to the smae money and give a little more than half the wear. They don't have the process int he steel... I don't know how Kverneland compares to the IH plows on wear parts. I had an arguement with Hugh about that some time ago.... He swears by IH... But I know that Kverneland has been 10 times the plow to anything else we've had, which were mostly old David Browns and a Ferguson-Sherman. Those were good plows, but the Kverneland wears a lot longer and the long beams give it a huge body clearance which is ideal for tough conditions. I've got a mounted 4 bottom, variable from 12-20" and it will plow down standing corn, or down and tangled corn without plugging, along with most other things. I knwo we wouldn't have even dared to try such a thing with the old plows.
Kverneland is worth the money to me... and most others around here because it's seldom you see anything but a Kverneland plow. There are some Kongskilde's and some Fiskars, but virtually none of the old American/British stuff. They ones that still have them around here are holdouts from another time... Kverneland owns the market with about a 90% share 'here'.

Rod