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Best plow?`

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gary

08-28-2001 19:09:23




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There was a question posted on the "implement alley" bulletin board about the best plow made. I know this isn't the best forum to get an objective answer, but thought I owuld throw it up for discussion. I have worked around John Deere equipment of one sort or another for a long time, and have found it to be of high quality and reliability. Surprisingly (to me) John Deere did not even get honorable mention, and one guy even suggested that just about any brand was better than a JD. There was much praise for Oliver/White. I found this curious because I thought John Deere revolutionized agriculture with his improvements to the plow, long before the company made tractors.
I am curious about all this, and particularly about the quality of Oliver machinery, because there seems to be some people who think they are the Cadillac of tractors. I don't want to start a war over this, (it isn't a Ford Vs. Chevy thing) I just would like to get a dialog going. I have a friend of mine who owns some Olivers, and they do seem like a durable, innovative piece of equipment, but if they were that good, why aren't they still around?
any and all comments appreciated,
gary

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RayP(MI)

09-01-2001 18:13:51




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 Re: Best plow?` in reply to gary, 08-28-2001 19:09:23  
When I was a kid, my dad had a 2 - 12" bottom JD 44 (low speed bottoms) that we pulled in third gear with a '47 B. When he first got it it did a pretty rough job. An old timer happened on the scene, made a few adjustments, and it did a beautiful job there after. We often planted right over the furrow. No need to drag or disk. At the same time, my uncle had a similar plow with high speed bottoms that he pulled in SECOND gear with his JD 50. His plowed fields were very rough!
It may be more how well set-up the plows were than how "good" they were!

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gary

09-03-2001 08:20:21




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 Re: Re: Best plow?` in reply to RayP(MI), 09-01-2001 18:13:51  
Ray,
I haven't ever plowed before, but I am working on restoring a 44AH and I can tell there is a lot a adjustments that can be made. I have the manual, and it is pretty explicit about how to set them up. I have a feeling it ain't gonna go so smooth for me for the first couple of trips across the field!



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Den

08-29-2001 21:36:14




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 Re: Best plow?` in reply to gary, 08-28-2001 19:09:23  
Had an Allis plow in the eary 60's. It did well once set right, then got a JD same size and no matter how was set it pulled heavy. Had to drop down a gear both were 3x16. Both the Allis and JD covered well. Then got a 4x16 oliver and pulled it a gear faster than the JD 3x16 but didn't cover quite as good but saved alot of fuel. Now don't plow as much but have a 2000 series Allis that really out does my cousins IH 710 in heavy trash. Seems he every once in a while breaks some expensive casting on that 710.

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gary

08-29-2001 19:06:51




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 Re: Best plow?` in reply to gary, 08-28-2001 19:09:23  
Thank you all for your objective responses, it has been one of the nicest responses I have had yet. I think the question is pretty complicated and the time frame is an important part of the equation. I am a John Deere nut, but know that IH has produced excellent equipment throughout the years because I actually spent more time on them than I did the JDs. (And I knew very little about either of them, I just used them)
The Oliver story really intrigues me...there are some people extremely loyal to them, but they never seem to create much interest in shows or at auctions. From my limited experience they seem to be innovative (live PTO early on) and a quality tractor. I guess it's like trying to figure out why Studebakers became extinct, many people think they were great cars but were too far ahead of the times. It just surprised me that they had so many proponents on in that unbiased forum, and that John Deere fared so poorly.
Thanks for you input, and let's here from more of you!
gary

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TP from Central PA

08-29-2001 12:44:53




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 Re: Best plow?` in reply to gary, 08-28-2001 19:09:23  
I don't know about you guys but I like my IH set of trailer plows. I have used IH's, Oliver's, Case's and JD's, mostly in trailer plow form but have also used mounted and semi-mounted versions. The Olivers I have used did cover well, but the plow was built weak and ever time I used it I broke at-least one casting on it and a share here and there. The IH's are built stonger and cover as well and sometimes better than the Oliver, plus, the IH plow parts are available and also cheap-which is important to me, and they never have plugged for me! I only used a JD plow acouple of times, but it didn't cover well at all and it was set up right, and the parts are a couple of dollars more, so I don't use JD's anymore. The Cases are good plows, but, their parts are more than IH or JD, although, still cheaper than Oliver. The Cases also plug more than the others. Just my thoughts on the plow subject!

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Putt Putt

08-29-2001 06:50:59




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 Re: Best plow?` in reply to gary, 08-28-2001 19:09:23  
These are always fun questions. Growing up in the 50�s and 60�s, we had quite a variety of brands of farm equipment around. My recollections are that Oliver plows were head and shoulders above the rest. Tougher, cleared corn stalks better and covered better. Oliver seemed to stress 16� bottoms more than the others and we always had better coverage with them. This assessment is based on having 5 different Oliver plows over the years. A distant second (in plows, that is) was John Deere, followed by Ford and I-H. Pathetic last was shared by Allis-Chalmers and Minn-Moline. I swear, I could spade up the ground better than these two plowed! To this day, although I have John Deere plows to use at plow days, at home I do my best work with Oliver plows behind my Deere tractors. As for the rest of the Oliver line, they were just another in the pack, complete with supporters and detractors. I seem to remember that they were known for good corn pickers, although New Idea rule that roost around here.

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Richard

08-29-2001 05:33:21




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 Re: Best plow?` in reply to gary, 08-28-2001 19:09:23  
Growing up in the 60's, there was an Oliver dealer in my home town. And alot of farmers used Oliver equipment in our area. My family chose to go the 18 miles were the John Deere dealer provided us with our equipment needs. My memory was that both Deere and Oliver made good plows, but the Oliver tractors were some whatless the quality of the Deere 20, and 30 series. Oliver went through such changes, as what engines they used, and their involvement with Cochshutt, White, that I believe you have to compare year to year models to get a true comparison. Certain people are radically loyal particular brands and any time you ask for comparisons, you will invite these responses. From a loyal Deere user, where's Oliver now?

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