Plowing

Last week I had a Harry Ferguson 2 bottom behind my 850 ford, not that different from the Ford plows, and at first it did similar to what you describe, front bottom went in, rear just scuffed the surface. That was ok, as I was trying to flip an old windrow of soil, humped up along where an old silt fence was installed, wanted to level er off. Kind of using it like a 1 bottom.

Well, I decided that I'd best do the width of my disc, so I adjusted the top link so the plow had a more aggressive bite, and immediately it was sinking in hard, so I backed er off a little, close to level, also adjusted my level box on the right 3pt arm, so that side was slightly lower, supposed to be level, but it helped keep that furrow flipping over on opposing slopes. I pulled it in 3rd gear which is a good speed on this tractor to keep some motion on those furroughs flipping over. I don't think my position control works properly, does not adjust for draft when in that position, so I did it by hand, which was not often, the plow seemed to work efficiently as adjusted, especially if I could pull it in 3rd gear, so I was probably close to a good adjustment with the top link and level box. This plow is a friends, someone broke the tail wheel off and it's missing the front coulter, never been painted after use either ( I agree on that, just the right thing to do) but in these soils it scoured up in one pass, moldboards take longer, somewhat pitted, and those are what will hold soil if wet or fine silty type, sticky gumbo, I'd think that would be real important. I'm fortunate that every time I've used this plow, I've been able to easily make the adjustments, on the flat level side to side with the level box, and front to back with the top link, it works pretty good, though I think the furrows might flip easier with smoother moldboards, the idea is to completely turn over the sod, and not leave any exposed, sometimes that is not always the case with this one. I had fun with it, got it scoured up for my friend, he needed to use it for a small plot.

I've had that problem on uneven ground, went down into the soil deep enough, just not enough umph to roll it over. I've also plowed with it when the leveling box was still seized, no way to adjust that and it worked good, must have been close to level. With that now working, I sometimes will adjust it to favor the furrough, adjusting that side to be lower, it helps on sidehills when fighting the slope, turns it right over.

Not sure if you also have a combination of things cumulatively working against you, soil too dry, speed not enough to help give it some momentum to roll over, top link set too agressively, digging in causing slippage, loss of speed, more adjsutments to try.

You do have the plow adjusted to the tractor so that the one front wheel, (depends on which way the plow is casting) goes down into the clear cut area near the closest furrough, the plow is taking a correct bite, you're not leaving an unturned green patch between the previous furrough and the one you are now pulling the plow through. Meaning, the plow is not offset too far from the last furrough, it's aligned to take the correct cut and the outside furrough should flop right over.

Soil conditions vary and can dicatate performance, thickly rooted sod, too dry, need to slice that with the coulter.

Trial and error with adjustments, no harm there.

Are the wear surfaces, point, shares all that shined up ? This old H.F. plow takes one pass to polish up, moldboards are slightly pitted but do shine up a bit, not much sticks to em, they certainly don't polish up, or I have not done enough continuous plowing to get them to, seems to roll over most soil here, deeper loam type topsoil even with heavy sod and in drier conditions it will still bite in and make a respectable furrough.

Hopefully you'll figure out that 2 bottom

Remember that, to strike a Headland, the plow has to be (as on a 2-bottom) set deeper at the right side for the 1st round... Then, on the second and succeeding rounds, the plow has to be set back to more level settings, because the tractor and right wheel of the plow, if it is pull-type are running in a furrow and the plow will go in too deep if you don't adjust. Let us know how you do...!! Plowing can be "FUN"...!!!!