plugging up a 720 plow with corn stocks

Started plowing down my corn field yesterday with our 5-18 IH 720 plow, and having trouble with the corn stock trash plugging up between the coulters and bottoms. Seems to happen mostly on the back three bottoms, worst on the second to the back. I disked the stalks after I finished picking, when it was still very dry, then disked again last week after it rained.

I"m plowing about 6" deep, and the coulters look to be in the ground about 2". Heavy black dirt, running in 2nd gear with the MF1100. The tractor is pulling it fairly well, running in multi-power low mostly, but can speed up into high sometimes. The plow sat for several years in the shed, but the moldboards were a little rusty. It seems to be rolling the soil over pretty well and buring the trash pretty good. But then it will start dragging trash on the 3rd or 4th bottom, eventually building up enough to start lifting the back of the plow. When I drive out of the furrow and clean it off, it looks like there is some dirt sticking on the 4th bottom. I"ll get a pass down the field that runs fine, next pass plugs half way down the field.

You think it"s just a matter of the moldboards not being shined up enough yet? I only have 4 acres to plow, so I suppose it will start working good about the time I"m done. So what should I coat them with when I"m done, to keep them shiny for next time? Will be plowing down alfalfa next Fall, so I"d like to shorten the learning curve if possible.

I think you're right about working just about the time you get done.
Meantime,hook a length of good heavy fence wire around the beam ahead of the bottoms that are plugging. Make it long enough that you're burying it with the next furrow. That'll hold the trash down so it isn't piling up behind the coulter.

Why so shallow if it's heavy black soil? Try 8-9 inches. You'll get under the root balls and I think they'll flow through better. Many choices to coat the bottoms when you're done- spray paint, gun grease, etc.

6" depth is a guess, might be closer to 8". I'm running about as deep as I can go without stalling the tractor.

I run the coulters a lot deeper. With the double disking, you have soft dirt, and need the coulters to hit hard dirt.

I try to plow unmolested corn stalks. Works pretty good 4 out of 5 years. I combine in the same direction as my wife will plow. Takes a little planning.

Some years a disking makes things worse. Time of day affects it also, dew, etc. Freezing affects it - works when it's not frozen, works great when frozen, won't work at all as it's freezing.

I'd put the coulters lower into the ground - mine end up about to the hub. See if that helps.

--->Paul

I agree with rrlund. Wires dragging is a must with lots of trash, ie, stalks.
Once you get 'em clean, a heavy coat of grease will last a long time. (South Carolina but years of Nebraska corn ground plowing)

I paint mine when done. I just take a rattle can or two that has a little left from painting something else.

Why are you discing the corn stalks before moldboard plowing them? And you're even discing them twice? Seems like a waste of time and fuel to disc them. Kind of defeats the purpose of moldboard plowing them. And the plow may even do a better job if the stalks are left untouched.

IMO, sounds like the 5-18 is a little too much plow for that Massey. You should be pulling that plow 8-10" deep, and be able to move along at a decent clip, probably at least 4.5 mph or so.

throw the friggin coulters into the corner of the shed, it needs to scour to work good

Take the coulter blades off and throw them in your scrap iron pile. I owned two three bottom and one four bottom spinner plow when I farmed. First thing I did was take the blades off and put them in the iron pile. Never could figure out why anyone thought they were needed on a plow.

(quoted from post at 21:34:28 11/03/12) Take the coulter blades off and throw them in your scrap iron pile. I owned two three bottom and one four bottom spinner plow when I farmed. First thing I did was take the blades off and put them in the iron pile. Never could figure out why anyone thought they were needed on a plow.

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I like coulters. I also don't disc stalks, chop when after harvest and plow it up. I use a JD 2800 plow and don't have issues with the coulters or plugging in cornstalks.
These deflectors help too.