Colter to Shin Distance?

Glenn F. · Jun 26, 2015

How close should the Colter be to the shin on a moldboard plow?

Thanks,
Glenn F.

Curt Cooke · Jun 26, 2015

That would depend on what you're plowing. Usually your plow will have at least 2 fixed point options for the placement of the colter. Close to the plow for sod or further ahead of the plow for trash, like heavy corn stalks and such. If your options are infinite, keep it close to the plow, maybe 2" ahead of the colter, for a clean short sod. If you have trouble with plugging, move the colter further ahead of the plow. I could have that backwards but you get my point.

Eric in IL · Jun 26, 2015

If you're talking left/right I think the coulter needs to run about 1/2 inch away from the shin.

Janicholson · Jun 26, 2015

We adjusted them to 1/4 inch to 1/2" toward the land side, away from the plowed ground. and 3 inches above the point. Jim

jCarroll · Jun 26, 2015

You won't believe this, but the deeper the coulter runs, the harder the plow pulls, so set it as shallow as you can and still cut whatever trash is on top.
3/4" to the land side of the shin.

Glenn F. · Jun 26, 2015

Good information. How about front to back?

MJ in the UK · Jun 26, 2015

I am a ploughing match competitor and that is just how I set them Jim. MJ

mjbrown · Jun 26, 2015

You've got it right. If the coulter is close to the shin trash will ball up between them. I used to move them as far forward as they would go. Then the trash will roll a bit in front of the shin and get sucked through into the furrow and covered up.

Hotflashjr · Jun 26, 2015

Fought with this the other weekend trying to teach my wife how to plow and set up the coulter on our John Deere MT. The sod was thick and had not been plowed in 40+ years so it was pretty tough. Got half an acre plowed but fought it every step of the way.

Jason S. · Jun 26, 2015

(quoted from post at 14:59:35 06/26/15) How close should the Colter be to the shin on a moldboard plow?

Thanks,
Glenn F.

Ferguson recommended two fingers width above the share and 1/2" to 3/4" to the left away from the moldboard.

pete 23 · Jun 26, 2015

I remember we sold a new tractor and plow to a customer. He calls and says, plow won't go in the ground. I go out there, (I'm a mechanic, not a farmer) and adjust his hitch so it goes down farther. My brother in law (farmer) rode along out with me. He says, who ever set this plow up has the coulters way too far down. Raised them up where he figured they should be and plowed away. Hard ground of course but it would just not penetrate.

Janicholson · Jun 26, 2015

In my opinion it matters little. As long as it doesn't touch when cutting. I also like Lantz coulters that cover trash and stalks better. Jim

Allan in NE · Jun 26, 2015

Throw those silly things away. They're nothing but a huge PIA.

Allan

chuck from neb · Jun 26, 2015

If you don't have heavy trash to worry about don't use them

Janicholson · Jun 26, 2015

In your neck of the woods, and many others, I agree. In many locations (especially with corn picked from the stalk) the plow will go about 100 ft. before it is jammed full of trash. Jim

chucksoliver77 · Jun 26, 2015

I agree with Allen, at our spring plow day I had trouble plugging noticed 2 other guys had no trouble with no coulters, took mine off and no more plugging. Must be why dad never had a set on the home farm. Guess Father knows best LOL, Chuck

Allan in NE · Jun 26, 2015

Only a very lame plow would plug.

Allan

BushogPapa · Jun 26, 2015

Front-to-back is in any manual...usually around 2" in front of the plow Share Point, up to the Center of the Coulter axle..

That should be at the point where it takes very little force to slice the soil...like a knife, when you are holding a piece of fabric tight, as you cut it..

The Coulter then acts like an efficient "Rolling Shear"..

If a plow won't go into the ground, either the Shares are worn-out or it is very badly adjusted (and Rusty??).

Ron..

BushogPapa · Jun 26, 2015

If the old sod is free of Vines (Poison Ive & Grape Vines), the sod should have rolled over very nicely..

But then, I do KNOW that my AC plow on my WD-45 will roll sod in un-broken ribbons for 1/2 mile or more and our JD plow never did that..
Sure makes a difference when working plowed ground...!!

We always went over plowed ground first with a Soil Surgeon, then Disked and harrowed it..

Ron.

Glenn F. · Jun 26, 2015

That's exactly what my dairy farming brother says.

Glenn F.

Janicholson · Jun 26, 2015

We tried to plow (admittedly a Plowchief IH) with one colter missing. Stopping to pull out stalks twice a round in a picked corn field was not reasonable. Jim

Allan in NE · Jun 27, 2015

Did you disc first to cut up the stalks?

I can't even remember how many thousands of acres of corn stalks I've plowed over the years.

Allan

Janicholson · Jun 27, 2015

Running colters was cheaper than predisking the field. Our clay would assist in making clods that mimic ceramic. Disking immediately (or during) plowing) limited clods to much smaller sizes that could be planted in. The current operator no tills successfully. without modern practices (consistently above 160bpa)the land produced 60bpa in the 60s. (we thought that was good). Jim

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