I need an education on plows.

Along with fish, barns and keeping it all together, I'm looking for a plow.


I've got my 641 workmaster and realize it is to fast for a rotary tiller but I want to keep it just the same.

I want to plant some corn this season and eventually my garden will be close to an acre for everything.

After looking at the fine job El Toro's single moldboard plow did, I realized I'd be better off if I asked here first before I wasted any money.

I see several kinds of plows for sale around my area. I figured on a disc plow but not sure if that would be the best.

I'm all ears.

The Fords do a good job with a 3 point plow- good draft control, and 3 point is much better than tag-a-long in close quarters. I'd just get a single bottom 3 point for a hundred bucks or so, and go after it. 3 point disc will also work well, then a spike tooth harrow, and you're ready to plant.

my opinion,a disc plow does good in rocky /rooty soil ,and also does a good job in sandy soils.it doesnt do so well in clay simply because it does rely on weight to a certain extent. a moldboard plow is the thing to use there.I personaly use both,both mounted and trail types,and quite honestly for overall use i myself would prefer a trail type moldbord plow 90% of the time.Once you have one set for your tractor its easier for me to operate and in my opinon does a better job than a three point type. Of course a three point with draft control takes much less user input,so it probably would be a better setup if youve never plowed before.Your 641, though I'm not familiar with it, would probably handle 3 14's pretty good i would think. Theres kind of a difference in the results also with the two types of plows.A moldboard seems to me to bury trash deeper which is an advantage if you have weeds,corn borers etc.A disc plow leaves more residue on the surface which helps hold moisture.Its sort of a thing where you need to decide what result you want and go from there. if your in one of the drought areas a disc plow may be to an advantage to help save moisture.

2 bottom 3pt will work well with your 641. Should be able to find one at auction for $200-250.

I agree. A Dearborn is common to put behind a Ford. 3 pt mounted can be found a lot of places in 2 and 3 bottom configs. A 3 bottom is as far as I would go with that tractor.

IF you want simple... go with a 1 bottom. Very little monkeying around is needed. You need to adjust your arms so they hold it level when one wheel is in a rut and one is on the unplowed ground. Your right lift arm has a crank on it that can be raised or lowered to do this. Make sure its in good order. I had a Jubilee that had the threads shot and had to get replaced before I could go further.

Ok, I'm pretty ignorant of this stuff. Is the plow in El Toro's garden post a single bottom mold board plow?

I've got fine sandy loam.

A dearborn double like this, or a single.

I's a single bottom moldboard plow. Hal

Alright, I'm on track now.

By the way, that's one clean machine Hal. Nice!

Yes it is with a sleeve hitch used on garden tractors and the one above your post is a 2 bottom plow 3point hitch which would fit on your 641.
setting up your plow

Maybe you should hire this crew :lol:

I recommended a single because of ease of setup, and he's only doing about an acre- don't want to get done TOO fast, need to get some "seat time".

A number of things to think about as for what size to get is soil conditions. In my area Missouri we have heavy clay and a 2-16 is all my 841 wants and it is a good bit bigger then your 641. I would say look for a 2-14 3 point plow if you do not have the heavy clay I have. If you do go with a 2-12 or maybe even a single bottom plow. I learned a long time ago with plows bigger is not always better. Sometimes it is better to buy a smaller one and be able to use a higher gear

No expert at it, single works well on an 850, some variables to consider. I like the 2 bottom for the larger areas, needs shares. Single is nice for the garden areas, makes a nice ditch too.
Plow discussion

Hal. Is that the biggest tractor you have? Don't you have something bigger to pull that with?

There is a reason that disc plows are not very plentiful, they do poor work except in certain conditions like roots. I doubt you are going to raise a garden in new ground. A 2 bottom 2-12 or 14 will work well with a 641. I have a 640 with a 2-14 Massey Ferguson 3 point trip plow and it works very well for small plot primary tillage.

Joe

That plow was off a Viking G walk behind garden tractor that was rated at 3hp. It didn't have a problem pulling it. When I sold the Viking I kept the plow. That plow is at least 76 years old. The Viking was made in 1936. My Wards tractor has plenty of power to pull the plow even with wheel weights, chains and me on it will spin at times. Don't need anything bigger for plowing a garden. I used it for making furrows for my potatoes too. Hal

I had a Farmall A with the 16-inch plow and a Super C with the 2-bottom fasthitch plow, but I sold them. Both did a fine job plowing. Since I'm retired I'm not in a hurry to get the garden plowed. Hal

I have a old Dearborn 10-1?? I think it is, double bottom,
works great on my ford 1720 4x4. That should work on ur
tractor.

Also, a 3 bottom will get closer to the left edge of the tractor which makes a big difference if you are trying to plow close to a fence. That tractor will pull a three in first gear easy and it isn't like you are plowing a hundred acres.

When you fellas talk about "3 14s" "2 12s" and a one ten, i figure the first number the number of blades and the second is the size of blade?

(quoted from post at 18:33:09 02/23/12) Along with fish, barns and keeping it all together, I'm looking for a plow.


I've got my 641 workmaster and realize it is to fast for a rotary tiller but I want to keep it just the same.

I want to plant some corn this season and eventually my garden will be close to an acre for everything.

After looking at the fine job El Toro's single moldboard plow did, I realized I'd be better off if I asked here first before I wasted any money.

I see several kinds of plows for sale around my area. I figured on a disc plow but not sure if that would be the best.

I'm all ears.

Click to expand...

I read the other responses and will add my 2 cents.

A two bottom 12 or 14 inch plow will probably be easier to find than a single. Your 642 will handle a two bottom easily, but unless your soil is quite soft or sandy, a three is too much for that tractor.

The Ford plow book referenced in the other thread mentioned is an excellent manual to help you set it up.

http://www.wfmfiles.com/download/Ford_Plow_Book.pdf

Myron

(quoted from post at 22:23:33 02/23/12) When you fellas talk about "3 14s" "2 12s" and a one ten, i figure the first number the number of blades and the second is the size of blade?

Click to expand...

ave, I'm near Emory, TX........just like you, fine sandy loam.......forget the moldboards, plows, etc. .....a simple disc will be best in that soil.....it will go as deep as you can pull and leave a much better planting surface. If you are really stuck on a two bottom mold board, I have one that I abandoned in favor of the disc many years ago...hardly ever used, if you want it....priced right.

You do have a nice redo on that tractor... great looking machine !

I'm having a bit of a problem now that you mention the plow being from a walk behind. and trying to understand how the lift mechanism works to do the actual lifting ...or is the blue between the hitch only control the depth? I dont see a top rockshaft type lift.like the brindly lifts.

Yes. When some one calls a plow a "3-14" it means it has three moldboards that turn 14" each at a time.

Dave

I had a problem getting this plow to work on my Ward's tractor. To make a long story short I made a template of the handles on the Viking walk behind garden tractor using thin cardboard
and made a frame to look similar to the Viking's drawbar. I have a picture of just the frame I made. The handle you see in the picture
tilts the plow point and it is bolted to the drawbar on the frame.

When I first installed the plow frame on the sleeve hitch I drilled and tapped the face of the sleeve hitch with (4) 3/8-NF holes. I also drilled 4 holes in face of that frame and used 4 cap screws to fasten the frame to the sleeve hitch. This worked fine for plowing, but it was a pain to install on the sleeve hitch and remove. I had a piece of 1/4" flat stock bent to just fit over the sleeve hitch. I measured closely to where to drill the hole in this bracket. I wanted the bracket to fit tight so the plow wouldn't sway. I then bolted this bracket to the 4 holes already in the frame using
4 flathead bolts that the heads were countersunk
into the bracket. I now only one pin and 2 cap screws to mount the plow on the frame. The lever for tilting the point stays on the frame and I hang it in my mini barn on the wall. Hal
PS: Here's that frame I made so the plow would work on my tractor.

Once any implement is installed on the sleeve hitch the hydraulic cylinder on the tractor will lift and lower the implement. Hal

That lever on the plow controls the plow depth and also the hydraulic lift. The plow and the bracket weigh about 80 pounds. I bought the Viking walk behind tractor in 1960 for $15.00 and that included the plow, disk and cultivators.
I do have a spare plow point, but I'll probably never need it. That plow has plowed a lot of gardens. I plowed my parents garden for years until they died. Hal

I keep seeing people recommending Dearborn plows. Parts have not been available for those plows for some time, unless someone knows of a source I haven't seen. Buying a worn out Dearborn with no hope of repairing it is wasted money.

JMOR, I sent you an email. I'm over here in Eureka and not far away, and I'm thinking we was going to be out that way anyway for Canton's first monday next weekend.


As far as old dearborn plows go, even if something breaks, a fella with a stick welder ought to be able to mend most of anything on them right?

I made an H bracket to fit the sleeve hitch. I needed this to pull my lawn cart for hauling leaves and firewood when I used firewood. I also
had a log splitter I built in 1982. I could have the hitch ball on one side of the H bracket
so I could pull the splitter or flip over bracket
when needing the lawn cart. Here's a picture of that H bracket. Hal

technicaly no,in practice yes.LOL you would be amazed at the cobbled up messes ive seen folks plowing with over the years, and doing a good job of it!.plowing quite honestly,once you get your plow set right,is one of the simplest things you can do.My advice,would be to look for a three bottom economy type plow,modern enough you can buy parts for. I say a three bottom because quite honestly,around here anyway you can buy one in pretty good shape for a fourth the price of a two bottom.The reason is food plots.All three bottom and four bottom type equipment is selling for scrap prices here,simply because its too big for the food plot/wannabes and its too small for the real farmers who need to run as economically as possible.If your grounds too hard to plow six or seven inches deep,plow it four,wait a month and plow it again.once youve got it broke out its not near as hard to keep it broken.The reason why there is not as many disc plows in your area is simply there wasnt so many made to start with.It wasnt at all unusual for a dealer selling a new tractor to throw in the plow with it,especialy on a tractor that at the time had a oddball hitch. And a moldboard plow is simply more versitile in lots of conditions and farmers were used to using them and understood them.BUT consider this,the disc plow,or disc tiller was made expressly for turning a lot of ground,and doing the minimum amount of tillage,it breaks up the ground more letting you very often skip the first discing folks did ,and many times the second also.My grandad had exactly one tillage implement on his farm for as long as i remember,that was a five bottom disc plow,all his tillage was done with one pass,he simply drug a harrow behind it and drilled .thats it.nothing more at all.your sandy loam is well suited for this and in fact is just exactly what a disc plow/tiller was made for.when you think about it realistically,lets figure it.Everyone says gas is going to $5 a gallon,dust laws are being pushed through,add in the fact that were in the largest drought since the dust bowl with no signs of relief,and a disc plows ability to turn the ground and leave a lot of cover on the surface to help conserve moisture,I certainly wouldnt rule one out by any means .I guarantee you thats what i'm using .If i want more seat time i'll make a road trip.