John Deere 4B plow

I have one, completely restored and perfect. I have never used a pull plow before and I am having a deuce of a time getting it adjusted correctly. I have watched U Tube plowing but can't get a good close up. I keep burying it. Could someone please explain in the SIMPLEST terms about the levers and the adjustment knob at the front? My drawbar is 13 inches above the ground. Using a Farmall M tractor. No comments please about my intellegence level. LOL, Thanks, Ellis
 
You say you keep burying it. Hydraulic lift? You need a cylinder with a stop on it so you can only let it down to a certain depth. You can't put a cylinder on there and just let it all the way down.
 
The 4B was never made as a hydrolic lift, only as a clutch lift. Now there was an aftermarket conversion to put a cylinder on but I have never seen one.
 
The left lever standing behind and looking in direction plow is going is the depth lever and as low as that lever can be put is transport position to raise plow to full clearance, to go deeper you raise the lever but you will never need to raise it to full height, stop about 6 notches from full height and try and then adjust lever down if still to deep or up if too shallow. The lever on the right hand side is the side tilt lever to level the plow while working, in transport also put that lever full down. When starting first furrow raise it close to all the way up to compensate for the furrow tire on top of land instead of furrow, now on second round put that lever about to the bottom and when you get going adjust for tilt so you are plowing level and smooth. That front bottomset too deep will make the plow want to run sideways to the left at the back. Your drawbar is i bit high for that plow as the tractors it was designed for the drawbar was about 11" from ground so you may have to adjust the side plates the drawbar is attached to. Then that adjustment on the rod that goes to the frame and drawbar is so you can lift the plow out of the ground at end of furrow, without it you could not lift the back end of plow, Now to get started to adjust that when you get the plow in the ground take that rod off and pull for a ways, possibly 50' and the plow should level itself out front to back, then put that rod back on si it is just between trying to lift the babk end of plow and pushing down on the back end, the pins should go in easy, after you get it going you might have to make a final adjustment and it should raise the rear enough for transport but when in the ground that wheel should be making an even imprint in bottom of furrow. Just try to go about 50' each time you make an adjustment. For use with am M it should be either a 14" or 16" plow as a 12" and H would be correct size. Is your plow an early version with the open clutch or the later version with the oil encased clutch and was it factory rubber or steel and if was steel and cut down to rubber what size tires do you have on it. Factory rubber on land wheel would have been either a 6:00 X 20 or a 21" tire with furrow wheel a 5:50 or 6:00 16" tire, if converted with 16" on land wheel then put a 7:50 x 16" tire on there as the 6:00 would not let it level out. The lighter weight No. 52 plow used both the same size tires and that is what I grew up with. A 14" plow should cut 7" deep, a 16" will work at 7" but designed for 8".
 
Absolutely perfect Leroy. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your explanation. It's hard to believe that with fooling around with computers and CNC milling, etc, I can't figure out a piece of one hundred year old equipment. I don't where you are located, but if you ever are close to Cincy, I owe you a meal. Thanks, Ellis
 
Will be going close by there next weekend. Taking 127 down to 128 to the belt over to 50 to Versailes in and south. from Wapakoneta.
 
Leroy, I just read in detail your message. My 4B has the oil encased clutch and has factory rubber. My tires are both 600x16 cleat type implement, and I had them mounted backwards. Maybe I can compensate for the smaller land wheel with a little more/less tilt. I can't afford more tires, these about broke the bank. Thanks again, Ellis
 
Ellis, sounds like you started spending your money too soon. You DO NOT want a cleat type tire on the furrow wheel, you only want a rim implement type with as smooth of a tread as you can get, any tread can and will make the tire pickup the dirt from the bottom of the furrow and if at all sticky will wrap up that tire in dirt. The land wheel you would want the trad backwards of on the tractor for traction but you should not need it, all we ever had on our plows but they were only 12" so would raise easier than a 16" plow were wore out car tires. The orignal 4B plow with the open clutch the land wheel was a 32" steel wheel while the furrow wheel was a 28" steel wheel and that is why when converting them to rubber they used that 20" wheel (Measured out to 32" and at that time the way they were marked is was 32 x 6 on the size) The 6:00 x 16" comes out at 28" diameter, and the factory rubber was 21". I think when they came out with the enclosed clutch and rubber they did go to the 16" wheel and made the axle 2" longer to acount for the change in tire size. I think I have the parts book printed out in my collection but not sure but that would tell for sure tire sizes. Some with a smooth tire on clutch wheel would put on a tire chain for traction but would only have been needed on wet grass where you would have had traction trouble with the tractor. They would have come from the factory without tires and dealer would have gone to the tire dealer junk tire pile to get tires when that plow was new.
 
They used the enclosed clutch until the end of production and steel wheels were standard/rubber opt. Here are some pics of mine on a '37 A so you can see where the levers were on this one. Things can vary so won't be exactly what you need. As you can see it plows very nice and never varied depth or went too deep. This one does have the large dia land wheel.
Also , this one is 100% original (accept for rope).
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