How to set up a plow, and use it?

Generally you need to line up the right wheel of the tractor (and front also if wide front) with the right wheel of the plow, and all go in the furrow of the previous round. It is best to move the tractor wheel on the axle, & try to keep the plow centered on the tractor for an even pull.

You get a better pull when the plow hitch is low & the tractor hitch is high; but overdoing that will want to pull the front wheels of the tractor up, and mess up the plow a bit. And you don't want the plow hitch in the ground! :)

It's better to have a coulter on each bottom. Sometimes if you are in heavy trash (cornstalks) with wore out small coulters, you are better off to throw them all off and plow without. The coulters mostly cut trash and slightly help break the ground.

The trip mechinism is, of course, to raise the plow at the end of each 1/2 round, and drop it back down again when starting back.

You can start on one end of your field in the middle, plow to the other end, and come back next to it, with the furrows expanding outward as you go around.

Or, you can start on each edge of the field, and plow with the furrows moving in to the center.

The first round is always more difficult as the plow is not at it's proper angle (one side in the furrow) and a plow is miserable to use until the bottoms get shiny - pushes dirt instead of flowing up the bottom.

Very often the plow shares (lays) are wore out & you don't realize it, the plow will not go into the ground with old shares. or very dry ground will not let the plow into the ground - wet ground will not flow over the molboard and stick. Also wore out coulters don't really do much for you, should be 18-20" across if you are trying to plow miserable cornstalks, heavy grass, etc.

There is more art than science to matching up a plow to a tractor & geting all 3 angles matched up so it works well. As someone here said a week or 2 ago, find an oldtimer who knows plowing in your neighborhood & have him help. He'll get done in an hour what you will be cussing at for 3 days.... ;)

--->Paul

There are several variations of travel when plowing. I like to look the field over well before plowing. On a long narrow field you may travel counter clockwise, plowing on each side until it comes together. However if you look at that same field and see a bit of a hollow up the middle. The hollow has been created by plowing as I mentioned in the past. What I like to do in a case like this is strike the field out by plowing into that hollow, in reality just doing the reverse of what has gone on in past. In this case you would travel clockwise on both sides until you reach edge of field. This type of looking your field over helps keep the field level. Good plowing is the first step in keeping your fields level. If you have questions, ask. Don't hesitate.