OH My--to keep this reply from being 5 miles long, I will limit the reply to just one implement--dad's old plow with mechanical lift. Baling wire was a poor farmers best friend. Baling wire served a purpose on both ends of the trip rope. Rope was easier on the hands than wire so a piece of usually old, broken, discarded rope was used in the grabbing area. Tie a knot in each end of the rope and extend it back to the plow trip lever as needed with baling wire. For the breakaway feature and to attach the trip rope to the tractor, double strand the wire and form a hook. Hook the baling wire hook to the tractor seat and to the knot in the front end of the rope. When the trip rope got tangled or the plow broke away, the hook would straighten out. The depth levers original rods from the latch to the squeeze lever tended to break after 30 years and baling wire would serve as a replacement. Also, the notches that the latch engages tended to wear angles and would not stay engaged. A piece of baling wire properly applied would hold the latch engaged. To hold the plow in the ground, pieced of heavy iron from the junk pile could be mounted on top of the plow beams and held in place by you guessed it baling wire. Baling wire worked for small cotter pins. Need an inch long spacer on a shaft, wrap baling wire between two washers. If spare parts had at least one bolt hole, tie them to the implement with baling wire. Those were the good old days.
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