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74 plow again

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karl f

03-31-2008 22:55:07

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some snow melted before the weekend and i looked at our 74 plow (4 bottom). no tail wheel, no signs of one. it has a crank that turns the lower lift arm attatchment pin shaft, the pics i've found online (with tailwheel) do not have that crank.

how long are the "long" landsides supposed to be? is it all or just the last one? the last bottom has what seems to be shorter than the others. the 3rd/next to last bottom has the longest landside which also has 2, approx. 1 inch holes in it. some of that iron looks like it might be scrap made to work, so it's hard to say what's what. the last bottom also looks rougher than the others when it comes to the bolts and trip spring parts.

think maybe it was a 3 with the 4th added on? the brace going to the 4th frame looks right though...

maybe next post will have pics, workin on gettin a camera.

used equipment: comedy or tragedy?

karl f

ps scrounging for a manual on ebay. being picky takes longer LOL

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c50truck

04-27-2008 14:31:44

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to karl f, 03-31-2008 22:55:07

Where I left the lady today. >Link

Rod>Link L

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c50truck

04-27-2008 13:28:12

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to karl f, 03-31-2008 22:55:07

karl f said:

from the manual:

"when opening a new land, tilt the plow to the left by turning the leveling crank[on the tractor] until the first bottom is cutting 3 to 4 inches less than the rear bottom...after completing the back furrow, level the plow..."

reminder: the cross shaft placement should not be used to compensate for tire placement on the tractor. the cross shaft is set to the plow, the tractor tire is set to the plow, and then fine tuning is done with the adjuster bolts/cranks, which barely varies from the gross settings.
karl f

The above helped. I looked closely at the plow setting square behind the tractor. I noticed the trailing end of the front shear did not line up with the inside of the right rear tire, (which was 24" from center). I also noticed the bracket holding the front bar had been moved over a bolt hole from it's original position. Assuming my 464 was similar to most Massey's of that size, I moved it back.
The plow trailed better, it no longer pulled to the left, hard. I extended the center adjustment link much further, made a few adjustments to level the plow, raised the cutters, and I was doing better each pass.
It's all for not. I blew a hydraulic pump. The plow started to chatter violently, the bucket would not respond, the Hydraulics screamed loudly, as if it was in bypass always.

Sad to say I just put a new pump on this tractor last summer. I must have fixed the symptom, but not the cure. This used tractor had been abused, not respected. I found a 6 volt coil on it when I bought it. Back to the garage.
Thanks again for your help.
Rod L.

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karl f

04-28-2008 13:59:45

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to c50truck, 04-27-2008 13:28:12

c50truck said: (quoted from post at 13:28:12 04/27/08)The above helped. I looked closely at the plow setting square behind the tractor. I noticed the trailing end of the front shear did not line up with the inside of the right rear tire, (which was 24" from center). I also noticed the bracket holding the front bar had been moved over a bolt hole from it's original position. Assuming my 464 was similar to most Massey's of that size, I moved it back.
The plow trailed better, it no longer pulled to the left, hard. I extended the center adjustment link much further, made a few adjustments to level the plow, raised the cutters, and I was doing better each pass.
It's all for not. I blew a hydraulic pump. The plow started to chatter violently, the bucket would not respond, the Hydraulics screamed loudly, as if it was in bypass always.

Sad to say I just put a new pump on this tractor last summer. I must have fixed the symptom, but not the cure. This used tractor had been abused, not respected. I found a 6 volt coil on it when I bought it. Back to the garage.
Thanks again for your help.
Rod L.

sorry to hear of your troubles. that sounds alot like my family's farm operation since the 80s when i came along. every simple task requires 10 hours of ____ just to break even. wears on a person, i got myself convinced it was my fault somehow--but enough about me.

You are right about the similarities to Massey on your IH. Seems like all the utility tractors from England (ford, ih, massey) are very similar. your wheels adjust like a massey or ford, too, shuffling the rim loops and centers and flipping wheels to adjust.

sounds like you'll be posting in the Farmall forum shortly!! good luck.

karl f

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c50truck

04-27-2008 07:55:31

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to karl f, 03-31-2008 22:55:07

Karl,
No offense was taken. Actually "former farm boy" sounds better than the "city farmer" title I've been called.
The plow does not want to "plow" on it's first pass. I'll work on the cross shaft adjustment today, and check out the few other points you stated.
I'm amazed at what I've forgotten. Thanks for the advice.

Rod L.

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karl f

04-27-2008 09:15:33

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to c50truck, 04-27-2008 07:55:31

c50truck said: (quoted from post at 07:55:31 04/27/08) Karl,
The plow does not want to "plow" on it's first pass. I'll work on the cross shaft adjustment today, and check out the few other points you stated.
I'm amazed at what I've forgotten. Thanks for the advice.

Rod L.

everyone seems to say the first pass is the worse so don't quit yet, you'll never want to plow again if it's your first time... :twisted:
from the manual:

"when opening a new land, tilt the plow to the left by turning the leveling crank[on the tractor] until the first bottom is cutting 3 to 4 inches less than the rear bottom...after completing the back furrow, level the plow..."

reminder: the cross shaft placement should not be used to compensate for tire placement on the tractor. the cross shaft is set to the plow, the tractor tire is set to the plow, and then fine tuning is done with the adjuster bolts/cranks, which barely varies from the gross settings.
karl f

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c50truck

04-26-2008 19:02:17

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to karl f, 03-31-2008 22:55:07

karl f said:

seems when former farm boys try to re-live their earlier days, they forget that paw/brother/etc had the equipment adjusted for the job before letting jr have seat time.

karl f

So here I am. The former farm boy. I have two choices since I've slowed down in my fifties. Sell out to developers, or start turning the dirt. I prefer the latter. But I need help with my old Massey 66 Plow. It's not my Dad's, wish I had it, it was spring reset. But this little two bottom will do for now.

I remember all the time spent setting the plow to track right. I remember the plow did not push against the tail wheel. I remember the plow had to be level with the tractor in the furrow. And mostly, I remember, if the field was not table top smooth when done, it was not right in his eyes.
So I find a plow that pulls hard to the left. The shears are John Deere. I was told you can't find shears for these, but I'll look. I suspect if I replace the moldboards with split moldboards I'll have better luck.
The Plow does what I call cut and covers. I'm ordering a manual, but meanwhile, any help for a 50+ gentleman farmer who is a hold out in a housing development world.
Rod L

Greenacres, WA

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karl f

04-26-2008 20:05:22

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to c50truck, 04-26-2008 19:02:17

c50truck said: (quoted from post at 19:02:17 04/26/08)
So here I am. The former farm boy. I have two choices since I've slowed down in my fifties. Sell out to developers, or start turning the dirt. I prefer the latter. But I need help with my old Massey 66 Plow. It's not my Dad's, wish I had it, it was spring reset. But this little two bottom will do for now.

So I find a plow that pulls hard to the left. The shears are John Deere. I was told you can't find shears for these, but I'll look. I suspect if I replace the moldboards with split moldboards I'll have better luck.
Rod L

Greenacres, WA

I hope you did not take offense to the "former farm boys" comment, as it was more about the ones that leave the farm as soon as they can, never looking back, and did not care about the details when they had to be there.

you should make this a new topic so you get more responses.

anyway, i've learned wheel adjustment is critical on mounted plows. so is the cross shaft position if it is adjustable. how does the plow do on the first pass with the wheel out of the furrow? if it's better then definitely look at wheel spacing or cross shaft adjustment.
now having JD shares or bottoms probably won't be an issue if you have the right size. measure your distance between the plow beams (center to center) the moldboard attatches to. that will give us the intended cut of the plow, and the right dimension charts to refer to. then measure your furrow widths just before the dirt covers them, that should equal your plow's intended size. if it is greater, you either have the wrong hardware if everything else is adjusted right or we'll need more adjustments.

make sure your 3pt on the tractor is not missing any lock pins or has damaged/missing parts.
hope this starts to help. and if i'm totally wrong, someone will correct it for us.

karl f

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chuck bergstrom

04-02-2008 15:33:17

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to karl f, 03-31-2008 22:55:07

I do have a operators manual on a 74 plow. The
manual has been used a little,mostly in a binder.
$ 8.50 ppd. I think this subject came up recently
but all 74 plows were shipped from MF with tail-
wheels. It was not an option.

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karl f

04-02-2008 16:32:43

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to chuck bergstrom, 04-02-2008 15:33:17

chuck bergstrom said: (quoted from post at 15:33:17 04/02/08) I do have a operators manual on a 74 plow. The

manual has been used a little,mostly in a binder.

$ 8.50 ppd. .

thanks for the offer. It is a good price; but I just purchased the ebay one the other day. It's supposed to be from '62 with 40 pages. what year is yours from and how many pages?

karl f

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karl f

04-02-2008 13:21:24

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to karl f, 03-31-2008 22:55:07

The plow also has cat 1 hook up. was that all there was when it was made, or were up to 3 bottoms cat 1?

won a book on ebay. :) was the newest one i found, 10 more pages than the cheaper ones.

karl f

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MF Poor

04-02-2008 13:51:42

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to karl f, 04-02-2008 13:21:24

In so far as I know the #74 was only CAT II and the #66 was CAT I. The drawbars were just about the same diameter and quite possibly someone swapped that along the way.

1971 full line equipment catalog says #66 available in 2 or 3 bottom and #74 in 3, 4, and 5th bottom can be added. Doesn't mention CAT I or II on either

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karl f

04-02-2008 14:17:23

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to MF Poor, 04-02-2008 13:51:42

MF Poor said: (quoted from post at 13:51:42 04/02/08) In so far as I know the #74 was only CAT II and the #66 was CAT I. The drawbars were just about the same diameter and quite possibly someone swapped that along the way.
1971 full line equipment catalog says #66 available in 2 or 3 bottom and #74 in 3, 4, and 5th bottom can be added. Doesn't mention CAT I or II on either

YIKES might be a cluster...

the owners book i got on ebay is advertised from 1962. some of the others on ebay were 1958 vintage. will wait n see what i get.

i haven't measured the pin space distance. maybe it's II with I pin diameter.

MF dealer pulled outta here when i was a preschooler in the 80s.

are these good plows for 25yr old sod?
karl f

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TomTex

04-01-2008 09:25:44

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to karl f, 03-31-2008 22:55:07

I have completely re-built 3 of the MF-74 plows. I got a Parts Book - #651021M94, and an Operator's Manual - Form No. 690 349 M6 for the MF-74 plows. Get you a set at your MF dealer. The books will answer all questions. Mos of these old plows have been all cobbled up by shade tree tight wads doing their jury rigged patches on them. They are one of the very best moldboard plows made,and when assembled correctly in good condition will plow like a dream. I have seen very few modern day farmers who can even adjust one to plow correctly, the Operator manual tells you exactly how to set the plow. Tom

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karl f

04-01-2008 16:48:24

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to TomTex, 04-01-2008 09:25:44

TomTex said: (quoted from post at 09:25:44 04/01/08) I have seen very few modern day farmers who can even adjust one to plow correctly, the Operator manual tells you exactly how to set the plow. Tom

very true, even with new plows. lots of posts on these forums indicate misuse of draft control adjustments and so on...just look at the bad appearance of plowed fields today...

we had an uncle come up from the cities and on a whim decided to plow the garden without askin. with the 74 behind a 130horse tractor he stopped it dead without plowing 3 feet, and got stuck up to the axles in an area you could barely turn the tractor around. My dad came home from work later, took one look after we got the tractor out, and cranked a few levers. plowed perfectly right through the new craters the 20.8x38s left, even though you had to back into the end of the furrow to make a new pass. :lol:
seems when former farm boys try to re-live their earlier days, they forget that paw/brother/etc had the equipment adjusted for the job before letting jr have seat time.

plow hasn't been used since the above incident, but i wouldn't be surprised if it would do a good job without the wheel, set up proper behind a 65 horse tractor. asking all the questions mainly because i want things right. don't like half-donkey operation.

karl f

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TomTex

04-01-2008 09:33:34

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to TomTex, 04-01-2008 09:25:44

Forgot to tell you. Nearly all those plows came with the "furrow sheel and scraper" attached. When the bushing wend bad from not greasing, some folks just took off the whole assembly. It will plow MUCH BETTER with the furrow wheel. Quote from manual: "The furrow sheel ... is the loating type... it will follow the extreme bottom of the furrow while the pan wheel maintains constant pressure against the furrow wall. This pan has been redesigned to provide more bearing area on the furrow wall which gives better lateral stability to the Plow while in field operation."
You should e able to pick up another plow for parts and fit the furrow wheel to your plow. Tom

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MF Poor

04-01-2008 08:36:23

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to karl f, 03-31-2008 22:55:07

Your 3rd landslide should be on the rear. The rest are usually about an inch or so longer than where the frog ends. Those 1" holes are (were) where the tailwheel used to attach. I've seen a couple 74's without tailwheels. I had a 74 parts manual that listed a "heel" for the rear bottom, but let the manual go with a plow I sold some time back. It wasn't uncommon to see plows with 3rd or 4th bottoms added later as the owner upgraded tractors. Parts "kits" were available to add them. Or, someone may have just pirated a few parts off of another plow to add that 4th bottom. It's not uncommon to see plows used without the tailwheel, but they sure work BETTER with them. You may be able to adapt a heel from a Ford 101 rear landslide, OR use a wear plate to add to the thickness of that rear landslide.

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MF Poor

04-01-2008 09:51:39

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to MF Poor, 04-01-2008 08:36:23

Here's the only MF plow I currently have here. It's a Model #66 CAT I. Smaller, but essentially the same design. See how the tailwheel attaches to the rear landslide. They plow better MOST of the time with a tailwheel, but in SOME cases, better without. If a plow is set RIGHT, there is minimal pressure against the tailwheel.

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MF Poor

04-01-2008 09:55:52

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to MF Poor, 04-01-2008 09:51:39

With this picture, you can see the difference in the front landslide and the rear. On a plow with more than 2 bottoms, all except the rear use that shorter landslide.

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MF Poor

04-01-2008 10:04:07

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Re: 74 plow again in reply to MF Poor, 04-01-2008 09:55:52

With a lot of plows nowdays, ORIGINAL parts are getting hard to come by. Replacement parts, while they work, aren't always the same exact piece as was original equipment. In that case, it takes a little imagination and a good understanding of how each part of a plow functions. With that, you can SOMETIMES substitute parts from another plow in order to make yours work.

This one is ALL new OEM MF wear parts. It took quite a while to track everything down. And the cost was ridiculous.

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