Ford 4 bottom plow: too big for a 42 hp tractor?

Why not forget the plow and "all" you have to get with it, (weights, disc, ect..) and get a Howard rotavator?? Your Ford will run a 5 footer nicely, and go through ANY GROUND at over 8 inches deep!! You won't need any wheel weights, or anything else!! One pass, even in "old sod" will do a better job than "once over plowing" and "two times discing", all with out the "compaction" plowing and discing gives you!! Also you will end up with a "level" field with NO ridges!!! (no dead furrows ect.)
Remember, we are talking about 60 inches wide at over 8 inches deep with a 40 hp tractor!!!!
You get what you pay for, so "don't" buy a cheapo tiller!!!!
Robert

• Howard Rotavator

To comment on some things posted here:

First off, "if" you can plow it i can rotavate it!! I have rotavated ground full of roots that you "can't plow"!! Stumps, rocks ect, will NOT kill my Howard. I do a lot of custom rotavateing, and "NO", your fields do not have to be "rock free"!! (my fields also have plenty of rocks!) YES, rocks are hard on a rotavator, but that's why i said "don't buy a cheapo tiller"!!! That's "also" why it has a drive line slip clutch!!

20 acres on a Howard????? ????? I get, in "very rough service", about 500 acres out of a set of blades, and i've NOT needed to buy any other parts for my Howards (i have 3) other than a few gaskets, bolts, and drive line slip clutch plates!! This is in over 15 years of service out of the oldest one!!! It still has all the origional berrings, gears, chain ect.. My oldest one, is still today my most used rotavator, and is the one pictured in my "last post". It's made me a lot of money over the years!!

As for fragile soil: You "don't" have to pound the soil to death!!! You set the ground speed, tine speed, (the gear box has 4 speeds) and back door opening to get the tilth you want!!! I can leave it in big turned over clods or till it for veggies like in the picture in my other post!! You have to "learn" what the customer wants and give it to them!! Aparently you guys have seen nothing but cheap garden tillers in action, and don't realize what a "field" tiller can do!!!

This "isn't" an add for Howard, i'm just trying to get rid of the many myths guys have about rotavators. Most have only seen what a garden tiller will do, and have no idea that with a Howard you can make ajustments to to till a field to what ever level you may want. I rotavate many fields where the owners have a plow, disc. ect., and still call me to till their fields.

I use to plow and disc and disc and..... . my ground too. I bought a used tractor and on the back was a Howard rotavator. I had planned to sell it, as i just wanted the tractor, UNTILL i tried it in my own field. After learning how to ajust it, dad came out into the field and was amazed!! He right then and there was totally against me getting rid of it, and we haven't plowed (other than for fun) ever again!! My dad is now 90 and if you asked him today, he'd still tell you he wouldn't use a plow "over" a rotavator.

Every time a tiller is mentioned, i see the same things in print, too fragile, don't hold up, pound the soil ect.. These things aren't true, you just need to find a guy that has a rotavator and KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!!

In more than 15 years of custom rotavateing i've NEVER had even one customer, not happy with his field when i'm done!! I've never had anyone tell me, "i wished you had done..... ..." I don't advertise and farmers keep calling me to work their fields, even though i'm trying to retire a bit to have more time to do my own projects!

I hope this helps answer some of your questions and comments.

Robert

Thanks, Ray in Pa.

2 bottom plows = 1 drawbar hp per 1" of plow - row crop
2-16 = 32 hp ~ Farmall M (33hp drawbar)
2-18 = 36 hp ~ Farmall Super M (39hp drawbar)

For 28" tires (utility tractors)add .25 hp per inch 2-12 = 30 hp ~ Ford 2600 (30hp drawbar)
2-14 = 35 hp ~ Ford 3600 (34hp drawbar)
2-16 = 40 hp ~ Ford 4600 (45hp drawbar)
2-18 = 45 hp ~ Ford 4600 (45hp drawbar)

3 bottom plows = 1.25 drawbar hp per 1" of plow - row crop
3-12 = 45 hp ~ Ford 5600 (52hp drawbar)
3-16 = 60 hp ~ Ford 6600 (58hp drawbar)
3-18 = 68 hp ~ Ford 7600 (67hp drawbar)

4 bottom plows = 1.5 drawbar hp per 1" of plow - row crop
4-14 = 84 hp ~ Ford 8600 (93hp drawbar)
4-16 = 96 hp ~ Ford 9600 (116hp drawbar)
4-18 = 108hp ~ Ford 9600 (116hp drawbar)

The chart I created was baised on clay soils and mounted plows for the 3 & 4 bottom models that tend to pull harder than trailing plows. I really don't have any experience with 5 or 6 bottom trailing plows but understand they tend to pull easier that mounted rollover plows. I've seen an old JD 830 pull a 5 bottom trailing plow - it had plenty of weight and could pull a house. I guess you could drop the hp requirement to 1hp per inch for trailing plows putting a 6-18 with in reach of the 9600. I'd stick to the chart however for rollovers.

I think we can all agree that the tractors specified are up to the challange.

When all is said and done the only way to really determine the best tractor / plow combination is to try it.

The chart I created was baised on clay soils and mounted plows for the 3 & 4 bottom models that tend to pull harder than trailing plows. I really don't have any experience with 5 or 6 bottom trailing plows but understand they tend to pull easier that mounted rollover plows. I've seen an old JD 830 pull a 5 bottom trailing plow - it had plenty of weight and could pull a house. I guess you could drop the hp requirement to 1hp per inch for trailing plows putting a 6-18 with in reach of the 9600. I'd stick to the chart however for rollovers.

I think we can all agree that the tractors specified are up to the challange.

When all is said and done the only way to really determine the best tractor / plow combination is to try it.

Just re looking the chart, if it is right there have been one heck of a lot of over worked tractors across North America. No one ever hooked onto less the 3 x 14 or 16 with a Farmall M. I can pull 2x12 in heavy clay with my Farmall 130.

Your chart says nothing about depth and depth will definately make a difference. That chart must have drawn up by a couple of guys who spent too long in a bar. I mean if that 9600 wouldn't pull 6 x 16, 8" deep in any farmable soil, I'd cut it up for scrap.