Plow bolts

Any reason why carriage bolts can't be used as plow bolts?
Replacing the points on my graham hoeme and need new bolts. Hardware store has carriage I know, but not sure anyplace in the next town has plow bolts.
The rounded head should just wear down to a flat surface eventually.

Yes,a carrige bolt will work for a while,in an 'emeregency'.The rounded head will wear down flat.But then the point will fall off!Do it right. Get the right bolts.

You'll hate yourself if for some reason you have to take that point back off again unless you have a torch or a good sharp chisel and bfh . Plow bolts have a bigger shoulder and also have the correct head to sit down in the recess of the point so you can get the bolt loose again . In a pinch I have used a regular hex head bolt with several washers under the head so you can get it back apart when you break a point.

With good points use the correct countersunk bolts and then you will have good holding as long as the point is not wore too thin the head is wore away. Noe on moldboard plows that use those same type of bolts the moldboard wears thin but is still usuable but that head also wears off so there I do use the carriage bolts as the regular plow bolt head would be above the surface to make problems. I am redoing a plow right now that has thin moldboards and to fasten them on (the old bolt heads wore off and pulled thru the moldboard leaving it loose on the frog) I put a 2" diameter fender washer with a half inch center hole over the 3/8" carriage bolt to reinforce the thin moldboard and that will last several years that way and will not have a sharp edge to make problems like a new plow bolt would and if the head wears off too much just put in a new bolt. Now these plows will be used on under 30 acres a year at horse speeds so that repair will last several years and new moldboards and shares are no longer avaible for these old 30's steel wheel clutch lift plows but if that repair lasts 10 years at 30 acres a year it will last the owner the rest of his lifetime.

If the steel is that thin, weld an appropriate plate over it of replace the moldboards.

I imagine the plow is for "Plow Days" only and will do that with your proposed repair..but it will look better to everyone there if you do use the correct bolts.

Any Farm-related Store should have them available.

"Shoup's" should have them..

Ron

I have found that the head will sometimes pop off a carriage bolt.

Done it in emergency, but a bad plan if you aren't trying to finish the last 10 acres before that rain comes in.....

Bolts are weaker, the head catches debris, and as the head quickly wears down, the bolt will pull through.

Paul

Thanks all,
Ended up re-using most of the old bolts, found plow bolts at the co-op gas station. Never know what they will have, often don't have it next time you go in, but always have things you might need.

For those of you that don't think my repair will work I have done that before with no problems andwith the horses speed there is less force against the moldboard than at tractor speeds and this should last several years for amount they do per year and at that time if there is enough left of the rest of the plow can do a cut and replace of the wore out parts but by that time the rest probably will be wore too much to do that. And remember this is a 75 year old plow that parts are unavaible for except by finding a doner plow. I have had carriage bolt heads pop off different times but if they do it is always during tightening and I have explained to the owner that if the heads wear off or pop off then to replace the bolt and not try to plow with the moldboard loose as they were trying to do. And on a 120 acre farm that perhaps only 30 acres per year are plowed and they also have other plows that will be in use at same time the repairs should last for years. If new proper parts were avaible that is the way I would have gone.

I wouldn't use carrage bolts. What size plow bolts do you need? The Kabota Dealer here in Town carries them. Got any implement/tractor dealers nearby tha tmight have them? Let me know if you can't find them. I may be able to find them and ship them.

macs in Jamestown and Devils Lake, North Dakota have plow bolts at their regular price per pound for bolts. They have good prices and stock merchandise other hardware stores don't have.

Also a good idea to only reuse the bolts on two sets of points or the heads get wore down so much you can't get em apart the next time . I normally flip the points over and when the second half is worn out I replace bolts and points