Trailer vs 3 pt plows

Charlie M

Well-known Member
I grew up in the 60's using trailer plows and I'm curious why someone these days would want the small 3-4 bottom plows in 3pt hitch. Personally I think 3pt hitch stuff is a pain where I sit to hook up and I think trailer plows do a nicer job of plowing. A post else where about a guy wanting 3pt hitch plows for his H got me thinking about this.
 
Each has there good and bad points and a lot depends on what tractor you are using. Ya on an H Farmall a trailer plow is the way to go but on say a Ford 841S a 3 point is the way to go. A trailer plow you cannot back up into a tight spot where as a 3 point plow you can. Also is the trailer plow gets hung under a root or other such thing it is harder to get freed up then a 3 point plow is
 
We always figured you could pull one more bottom with a 3pt plow because of the weight transfer. That only worked with an integral 3pt with draft control of course.
 
A trailer plow, with 3 wheels on the ground, will make more uniform, even depth furrows. When it"s muddy, the mounted or semi-mount can be raised easily to clear the area, and weight transfer is an advantage.
 
We put a thing on the back of our tractors called a quick hitch, backup to the plow, raise the hitch and then lock the pins down, it is a breeze. I have to wonder why someone would want a one way plow!
 
(quoted from post at 12:38:04 02/05/18) I grew up in the 60's using trailer plows and I'm curious why someone these days would want the small 3-4 bottom plows in 3pt hitch. Personally I think 3pt hitch stuff is a pain where I sit to hook up and I think trailer plows do a nicer job of plowing. A post else where about a guy wanting 3pt hitch plows for his H got me thinking about this.

Trailer plows in the size you are talking were obsolete years ago, once the 3pt hitch became the standard. You can still buy a new 3pt plow, think drag ones were 1960's.

Being able to lift and back up makes small patches very easy and I even do it on headlands, shuttle transmission so tractor goes as fast backwards as forward.

Weight transfer is the real king though. You/draft control can lift the plow slightly as the rear tires slip and still turn a furrow if you are careful.

Relative went from 1 furrow walking plows behind horse to rope trip 2 furrow drag plows to 2 furrow 3pt hitch plows, said he had no idea why anyone would want a drag plow after having a 3pt one.
 
3pt is so much more handy in every single way except maybe for the 5 minutes to hook it up.

Maneuverable for corners, backing up for any reason, adding weight to the rear tractor wheels, clearing out a plug, and on and on. No wheels to pay for or maintain. Easy to lift and lower, no troubling trip mechanism or hyd cyclinder to find and install. And on and on.

You would be in the vast minority to prefer a small trailer plow over a 3pt.

Paul
 
Yes, as others have said a lot of the advantage of a mounted plow is the weight transfer.
The little Ford Ns with their revolutionary 3 point hitch only weighed about 2400 lbs. But they would pull as many bottoms as a comparably 'horsed' tractor weighing 1000 lbs more than they did.
And the Ferguson draft control system allowed you to infinitely adjust the draft from the seat and not have to get off to adjust the depth of the plow.
Till the advent of remote hydraulics, load monitors and the like it was a big advantage.
 
I think the trail plows do a better job plowing, but they are not good for tight spaces like gardens with fences around them.
 
(quoted from post at 18:07:31 02/05/18) I think the trail plows do a better job plowing, but they are not good for tight spaces like gardens with fences around them.
from my experience I have to agree with c.amick, out on bigger fields a trailer plow do's a much better job than a 3pt. in tighter areas like gardens or small plots the 3pt. wins hands down, but it can't do as nice a job as a trailer type. I have both types, but I much prefer plowing with the trailer type.
 
That is why they invented the semi mount,draft of a three point, and plowed like a trailer plow.
 
Did you ever try to plow hilly ground or contour strips with a drag type plow? You'd need a hillside hitch or hydraulic slide drawbar and have to watch it like a hawk.
 

IMO trailer plows do a better job than 3 pt plows. Part of that may be because people using trailer plows tend to be the type that are looking for good plowing and a trailer plow is easier to adjust than a 3 pt plow, at least the ones I've used. But 3 pts do make life easier in the traction and "not getting stuck in the wet spot" category.

We have some BTO's around here that send the hired help in to
"plow" new farms they buy. When they're done it looks more like a bomb range than a plowed field. Then they go in with heavy harrows and flatten out what they dug up. Lots of money and poor plowing, that's the ticket I guess!
 
I kinda think it was for shorter and smoother headlands. Check some of the old literature on them. I remember back in 61 the Oliver dealer brought out a new 1800 and a semi mount plow and demonstrated it. First time we'd seen one. I wanted Dad to buy a Ford 6000. He'd show me the ads for them with a fully mounted plow and poke fun at them for not having a semi mount.
 
My mounted ih does a fair job I've always wanted to find a pull type plow but haven't been able to a mounted plow is also easier to haul around
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