IH plow for my M - opinions on the one pictured here.

denglish · Sep 7, 2017

Hi,
I also posted this in implement alley, but though I might get some help here as well. I'm thinking about buying a trip plow for my M. I'd like to be able to use it, that is have it in working condition to use behind the M a few times a year.

Here are some photos of one for sale near me. Does it look whole to you? Is it missing coulter blades? I have seen photos of other trip plows that have a coulter blade behind each bottom plow.

cuby · Sep 7, 2017

I have never seen a plow without the coulters.

denglish · Sep 7, 2017

I guess they are missing. From photos I see on the internet, it does seem like they all had coulters. I guess they could be added fairly easily except I don't see any mounting shanks for coulters in the images. Maybe the guy who is selling it will know.

gene bender · Sep 7, 2017

You want a Little Genius #8 complete with rolling cutters and joiners you will not like the job that plow will do.

George 3 · Sep 7, 2017

(quoted from post at 17:34:52 09/07/17) You want a Little Genius #8 complete with rolling cutters and joiners you will not like the job that plow will do.

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Agree. However that plow is set up for plowing corn stalks. With no coulters or jointers there are fewer obstructions for corn stalks to catch on. You need to find out if the seller has the coulters and jointers.

denglish · Sep 7, 2017

Thanks guys. This one looks so similar to the little genius. If I can get the coulters, would it be good to use with M then?

teddy52food · Sep 7, 2017

If you have rocky soil, the coulters will lift the plow out of the ground. Can't use them for plowing down corn stalks as it will be plugged up all the time.

denglish · Sep 7, 2017

No issue with rocks here (I'm pretty sure). The most difficult plowing would be new ground that is currently a hay field.

Red Dave · Sep 7, 2017

That is a 2 bottom #8 Trailer Plow, AKA a "Little Genius", but somebody has been doing things to it. Look at the brace that has been welded from the plow beam to the back side of the front moldboard. Maybe they didn't have the right parts, but now that moldboard can't be adjusted or changed out without major work.

It doesn't have coulters or joiners, but they get taken off under some conditions. It would likely plow, but it can't do a nice job without coulters, joiners are not as important.

An M should play with a two bottom under most soil conditions.

Check the axles, bushings and adjustment pivot points for excessive play. Does the clutch lift work? Sight along the plow beams for straightness. If they are bowed, it has been sprung and will not plow straight.

Based on the weld job I can see on the front bottom (what else is there that I can't see), I would pass on it unless the price was very, very low (scrap price).

WayneLee · Sep 7, 2017

The thing is 80 years old so what. You could find coulters for it. I wouldn't worry about them. I have never seen a plow with joiners. If you can get is at a good price buy it.

rustyfarmall · Sep 7, 2017

The coulters were optional. That plow may have never had them. That being said, the coulters were a very nice addition when plowing sod.

gene bender · Sep 7, 2017

We had coulters and joiners for cornstalks and when we were done it was clean and everything was turned under. Thats the way we used to plow you wouldnt see any rubbish on top.

gab · Sep 7, 2017

Don't remember ever seeing a plow with out coulters, think it would do a better job with. When I was a kid we had a two and a three bottom like that with tires. Had two Farmall Ms, one pulled the 2 bottom in sod, other M on the 3 bottom in corn stalks and some times a two bottom on the Super C.

denglish · Sep 7, 2017

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I'm going to go take a look at it. The seller wants $250. That seems steep especially with the bar welded on it that Red Dave pointed out.

OldFarmall450 · Sep 7, 2017

We have two, 2 bottom plows, both with metal wheels, and when we bought them used NEITHER had coulters. IDK if they didn't come with them, or had been taken off.
Either way, we used them for years and rarely had problems. If the wheat or grass was tall i remember dad using a small chain, tying it to the beam, to help turn the sod.
My drag type 4 bottom plow has but one Coulter, it seemed to do fine. The JD mod A, on the other hand, really puffed pulling it around the field.
Offer him $100, see what happens.

OldFarmall450 · Sep 7, 2017

Here's another time edit would be nice...
I was Just curious, I called the local scrap dealer.
Long iron is bringing $115.00 per TON! He's looking at $25.00 over the scales..
There's your bargaining chip.

rustred · Sep 7, 2017

i thought i read plow for an M , That is a joke. take all summer to plow a field. you need a 3/16 plow for that tractor.
better leave that one in the weeds.

BarnyardEngineering · Sep 8, 2017

A two bottom plow is fine for an old M in unknown mechanical condition, for plowing gardens or going to plow days. These tractors are 70 years old. It makes no sense to run them at 100% capacity, and possibly break something expensive.

For those who have "never seen" or "always have" there are others who have done it other ways.

I would pass on that plow, not because it's too small but because of the steel wheels and the fact that it looks pretty badly beat.

Keep in mind on these old plows, that replacement parts like moldboards and shares are hard to come by and expensive when you do, so you want to buy a plow that has some life left in it if you plan on using it. Look at the end of the moldboard. If it is worn to a razor's edge there is not much life left in the moldboard.

LA in WI · Sep 8, 2017

The seller wants $250 for that plow? Of course he does. He is smoking a strange kind of weed.

With welded parts, no coulters, steel wheels, and whatever else is wrong, that plow is worth scrap price....maybe $50 if you are good at fixing things and have money to burn.

Keep looking. There are better plows you can find if you keep looking.
LA in WI

OldFarmall450 · Sep 8, 2017

(quoted from post at 19:37:18 09/07/17) i thought i read plow for an M , That is a joke. take all summer to plow a field. you need a 3/16 plow for that tractor.
better leave that one in the weeds.

The OP said he wanted to use the plow a few times a year... not plow 180 acres of bottom land.
The 2 bottom will do fine for small plots, or a plow day where its not about productivity, and they are not as hard on the tractor as a bigger plow. We used a 2 bottom on a couple of 5 acre plots, our neighbor used my 4/16 for his 140 acres across the street when he deep broke it.

denglish · Sep 8, 2017

I went and looked at it and all the wheels and bearings seemed tight and in tact. There is a bar welded on the front share as was pointed out by Red Dave from the photos. The bar is welded where a bracket had broken but I think that can be cut off when the time comes, and a better bracket can be fabricated. I was glad to see the brackets for the coulter shanks are in place and in good shape but the owner does not have the coulters. He says he is selling it for a friend, I am going back tomorrow to pick it up. Maybe the friend knows where they are.

I probably paid too much - $250 but it will be fun to see if I can get it working. I only have 10 acres. I'm interested in using it to plow my large garden which is about an acre and enlarging it a little. Anyway, I'll have fun messing with it and in the worst case it sounds like I could probably sell it for parts!

PretendFarmer · Sep 8, 2017

I pull a #8 with my super m. Its a walk in the park for that thing. I can easily pull it in 3rd gear.
When you are working new ground you should stay in first. Its not fun when you hit a big fat root in the ground and the tractor comes to a dead stop doing a wheelie.

DR. EVIL · Sep 8, 2017

Look at the hitch on that and ANY other IH #8 plow, those big coil springs are the trip release springs
that basically unhook the plow if you hit a rock, root, whatever.

What's this tractor coming to a quick dead stop and pulling a wheelie? You must have never plowed with a
#8. I had them plug up with corn stalks bad enough to trip the hitch.

If I ever planned to plow old corn ground I sure would not buy an IH #8 plow. Not near enough trash
clearance, and That was back in the days of 100-125 bushel corn, not today's 200+ BPA.

BarnyardEngineering · Sep 8, 2017

Use a single strand of baler twine to tie the rope to the tractor. This way the rope breaks when the hitch trips and unhooks the plow from the tractor. The alternative is having the seat yanked off the tractor, with you sitting on it!

Jim Becker · Sep 8, 2017

(quoted from post at 13:32:25 09/08/17). . . This way the rope breaks when the hitch trips and unhooks the plow from the tractor. . . .

Which is why the trip rope clip was made of such light material (and often had the end ripped off). We usually used a hunk of baling wire between the rope and the seat.

OldFarmall450 · Sep 8, 2017

One of our 2 bottom plows has the spring release. Dad was plowing new ground, kept hitting rocks and breaking the baler twine we used. Only other rope we had was 1/2" nylon. Dad tied it on, next rock he hit the spring tripped and the rope held fast. The seat spring was compressed like a catapult as dad fought to reach the hand clutch. Nylon rope finally broke... throwing dad up on the hood of our JD. Luckily his foot hit the clutch and it stopped. But it hurt his nutz when he sat for a month.
Funny now, not so much then.

BarnyardEngineering · Sep 9, 2017

A piece of baling wire just hooked, not twisted back on itself, is a great idea Jim. Then the wire just straightens and the rope falls off.

I'm just going by what my dad told me, and as I recall he has a similar tale of caution about someone who got sick of replacing the twine too. My trailer plows are all hydraulic lift so I get the dubious distinction of hooking them back up under pressure after knocking the clods off the couplers.

D beatty · Sep 9, 2017

We used a Oliver 2-16s manual trip plow behind our M until we got a larger tractor and went to a 4 bottom plow. The oliver was a nice
pulling plow.

Dugger · Sep 10, 2017

(reply to post at 10:33:54 09/07/17)

Hey there denglish
After reading some of the others responses
I can tell who knows there stuff and who doesn't
First of all coulters have a purpose
They not only cut the trash so a plow won't plug
But they also slice the ground in front of the shin
Leaving a nice square cut edge
By doing so your shin and landslide last longer

I would not buy a plow on steel wheels
If you have to travel any distance at all it will be slow going
There are lots of good 3 Bottom plows out there on rubber
Good luck
Dugger

denglish · Sep 11, 2017

I got the plow home Saturday, lubed and greased it well and took if for a trial run on the back of the M. The lift clutch works well and I was able to plow sod pretty well after I got the plow depth set. I made several passes before I got it working well and consistently. It seems it will be fine for my demands. The M handles it fine and barely noticed it was there when running in first gear.

If any of you see any coulters for sale or have some to get rid of please let me know.

I have parked the plow for now until my garden is finished. I still have eggplant, peppers, toms, okra and butter beans coming in and peanuts to be harvested. Once we get a good cold spell, I'll take it back out and try again.

denglish · Sep 11, 2017

Thanks for the good advice. The steel wheels are in good shape but boy do they make a lot of noise on the gravel. Once you get in the grass or field you don't hear them but going over the gravel driveway, the whole thing sounds like it is falling apart. I don't plan to haul on the tractor beyond going back and forth from the barn to the garden which is only about 100 yards.

D beatty · Sep 11, 2017

If you can find a set of disk coulter I would buy them. They help turn trash under better than straight coulters.

denglish · Sep 11, 2017

Yes. I'm going to keep my eye out for some or for a cheap parts-plow. Fortunately, the clamps for the coulters are still on the plow.

IH plow for my M - opinions on the one pictured here.

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