Hey there, new member. I'm a relatively new farmer and I'm starting on some new land. In the last year I bought a CaseIH 885 thinking it would be plenty to handle my 14 acres for plowing, disking, hay equipment, etc. I used a 5 shank chisel plow and a 10' wheeled disk so far and I'm a little disappointed at the performance. It struggled to pull the plow at a 8" deep and I have to keep the disk wheels down to gauge the depth or else the tractor just spins the tires. It was suggested that I fill the tires with fluid. Would this really help the situation? I also added 350lbs of weight to the front but it still seems light on the front end. I really thought 80hp would do more for me.
- Thread starter BidrDoc
- Start date
Janicholson
Well-known Member
A chisel plow on land that has been un-tilled for many years must be done in stages. And that means setting the plow at 3 inches, then 6 inches, then 8 inches.
But using it like a ripper at full depth won't work. Weight will help traction, but so will dual rear tires. The duals will also reduce compaction and keep
what you do till more mellow. The use of a 4 bottom moldboard plow at tepth will actually be best practice. Your tractor is fine for the acreage, just not a
one pass situation. Jim
But using it like a ripper at full depth won't work. Weight will help traction, but so will dual rear tires. The duals will also reduce compaction and keep
what you do till more mellow. The use of a 4 bottom moldboard plow at tepth will actually be best practice. Your tractor is fine for the acreage, just not a
one pass situation. Jim
the tractor vet
Well-known Member
Ypu are tryen to do tillage work with a Utility tractor first off and minimum HPfor a five shank for full depth in MOST ground would be 20 per shank with straight points then add a few more ponys for twisted shanks . Weight wise ya need to be in the 12000 lb range and up . Tire size has a lot to do with it also , on your tonka toy your tire size could be like and 18.4 x30 Nope not enough tire , it's that 30 inches part . My buddy and i have a five shank disk riper that according to the old DMI block man said we would never pull it with what we have . Well we can pull it at 14 inches deep on the flat ground where we have somewhat flat ground and it pulls it well DOWN HILL , BUT not UP HILL . We are pulling it with a 1066 that is weighted to over 18500 lbs and has the horse power that is way above factory spec. What we lack is TRACTION even with direct axle mount duals we spin out now that we have the tires holding to the rims , before we solved that problem we would spin the rim inside the tire ripping the valve stem off the tube . On your tonka toy loaded tires will help and a set of MATCHING DUALS will help for disking as they will hold the tractor up on top of the ground adding flotation and traction and weight , but keep in mind that it is a UTILITY tractor more suited for CHORE work then a Tillage tractor . IF you want to Chisel then ya need a bigger heavier ROW CROP . A moldboard plow is far better suited for breaking ground that has grass and weeds . You would do far better with a three bottom moldboard as there would be far less strain on the tractor .
It sounds like you are running out of traction, not hp?
Traction can be improved with weight on the rear, and or duals.
New ag bar tires can make a world of difference too, do you have ag tires on it and are they in good condition or worn down from road travel or long time field use.
Radical tires are Uber expensive but they do offer more traction, if you have bias ply tires on now.
Front weight doesnt help traction too much unless its front wheel assist. Sure it balances the tractor weight some but its not a big factor on a 2wd tractor.
Fluid is the classic way to add weight, if you can find the right cast wheel weights to bolt on of course weight is weight either way or both until you get to the weight they
recommend.
Old tractors were rated on pto horsepower that came from the Nebraska test. New tractors suddenly are rated on engine hp which is often about 20% more. Us old
guys always talk about pto ho when we talk about a tractors rating. Be sure you are in the right category. I guess Im not familiar with your tractor number or age, so Im
not sure what you have there.
An 80 pto hp tractor should pull those items tho you are on the lower side. You should have enough hp to make things go.
Disks are funny creatures, in fall on solid ground you can putter along in cornstalks in a high gear at half throttle, pulls easy. In spring in wet or worked fresh ground you
can stall out the same tractor in a low gear, so with the disk it kinda depends what you are trying to do, it might be an easy load and it might be a hard pull depending on
the season.
You need to look at the traction. Tire wear, weight, and duals, probably in that order.
Paul
Traction can be improved with weight on the rear, and or duals.
New ag bar tires can make a world of difference too, do you have ag tires on it and are they in good condition or worn down from road travel or long time field use.
Radical tires are Uber expensive but they do offer more traction, if you have bias ply tires on now.
Front weight doesnt help traction too much unless its front wheel assist. Sure it balances the tractor weight some but its not a big factor on a 2wd tractor.
Fluid is the classic way to add weight, if you can find the right cast wheel weights to bolt on of course weight is weight either way or both until you get to the weight they
recommend.
Old tractors were rated on pto horsepower that came from the Nebraska test. New tractors suddenly are rated on engine hp which is often about 20% more. Us old
guys always talk about pto ho when we talk about a tractors rating. Be sure you are in the right category. I guess Im not familiar with your tractor number or age, so Im
not sure what you have there.
An 80 pto hp tractor should pull those items tho you are on the lower side. You should have enough hp to make things go.
Disks are funny creatures, in fall on solid ground you can putter along in cornstalks in a high gear at half throttle, pulls easy. In spring in wet or worked fresh ground you
can stall out the same tractor in a low gear, so with the disk it kinda depends what you are trying to do, it might be an easy load and it might be a hard pull depending on
the season.
You need to look at the traction. Tire wear, weight, and duals, probably in that order.
Paul
rustred
Well-known Member
i dont know where they got that h. p. from . for example the old 660 international is over 80 h.p. and is 3 times the tractor. it will pull
5/16 plow and 14 ft deep tillage. if it was me i would get a bigger tractor. sure u can add fluid and weight it up but you will still
struggle. that is a tonka toy compared to a real 80 h.p. tractor. i think you have 80 shetland pony's. plus you dont need front weight . even
an old 560 will out pull your tractor.
5/16 plow and 14 ft deep tillage. if it was me i would get a bigger tractor. sure u can add fluid and weight it up but you will still
struggle. that is a tonka toy compared to a real 80 h.p. tractor. i think you have 80 shetland pony's. plus you dont need front weight . even
an old 560 will out pull your tractor.
used red MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Coon Rapids, MN
TV I was sure you were going to tell him he needed to shift into road gear ..lol..
ADB-Ia
Member
- Location
- New Sharon, IA
BD, welcome aboard. I see you learned right up front that we have all kinds here. lol. Your 884 should be a good fit for your operation. First I'd add some ballast weight to get more traction. You might consider dropping a shank off the chisel or 2-staging it as Jim recommended below. And it is normal to have to carry some weight on the wheels of the disc in some soil conditions. Matching tractors to implements isn't an exact science. You figure out what works for you and go with it. Sometimes smaller implements that the tractor can pull easier makes the job more pleasant and on a small operation the time consumed isn't a big factor. I don't know what your operation looks like, but life is good when you can eat eggs from your own chickens, drink milk from your own cow, eat meat from your own barnyard, and have veggies from your own garden. And it can be a whole lot of fun and rewarding doing it. Good luck!
Many good ideas,Your 885 should be plenty of tractor for your needs. traction sounds like the issue, how good are your tires? Good rubber will make a difference. what kind of ground are you working with? Hard clay, rocky ground will work much harder than a black loam soil. What kind of shovels does your chisel plow
have? many choices, narrow pointed ones pull much easier than wide twisted ones.Is your disk level from front to back? Getting the lines of draft from the tractor to your implements right helps a bunch.Maybe post a picture or two of what you are doing, it sounds like you have the right materials, have fun.
Mike
have? many choices, narrow pointed ones pull much easier than wide twisted ones.Is your disk level from front to back? Getting the lines of draft from the tractor to your implements right helps a bunch.Maybe post a picture or two of what you are doing, it sounds like you have the right materials, have fun.
Mike
Bruce from Can.
Well-known Member
- Location
- Woodville, Ontario, Canada
I had a 1987 CaseIH tractor, they were a 72 hp
tractor when new. I know that I couldnt have
handled that much chisel plough on my farm going
8 inches deep with one of those tractors. I could pull
4 , 14 inch 3 pth in Sandy light land, but only 3
bottoms in heavy ground. The type of soil you are in
makes a difference as well as how much
compaction has the ground had? Very difficult for
anyone to give a accurate answer about how strong
or weak the tractor is, without knowing the situation
completely. And as others have said, this tractor
needs to have fluid filled tires as these are a light
tractor.
tractor when new. I know that I couldnt have
handled that much chisel plough on my farm going
8 inches deep with one of those tractors. I could pull
4 , 14 inch 3 pth in Sandy light land, but only 3
bottoms in heavy ground. The type of soil you are in
makes a difference as well as how much
compaction has the ground had? Very difficult for
anyone to give a accurate answer about how strong
or weak the tractor is, without knowing the situation
completely. And as others have said, this tractor
needs to have fluid filled tires as these are a light
tractor.
So a 72hp in my frame of mind. I have a 60hp and an 85hp among others si I can see where you are at.
That is a little low for heavy chisel plowing, but on 15 acres you should be ok. Make it work.
Should pull the disk fine.
One thing I left out, how is your dirt? Too wet spins of course. Too dry also would trap the chisel plowing in concrete like conditions and the tractor spins on the hard
surface. Trying after a light rain would help that.
Heavy clay or black ground can pull harder dont know what you got.
That is a little low for heavy chisel plowing, but on 15 acres you should be ok. Make it work.
Should pull the disk fine.
One thing I left out, how is your dirt? Too wet spins of course. Too dry also would trap the chisel plowing in concrete like conditions and the tractor spins on the hard
surface. Trying after a light rain would help that.
Heavy clay or black ground can pull harder dont know what you got.
You have plenty enough tractor for 14 ac. Those are good tractors....it's just a matter of
traction. Add wt. (liquid or steel) Try working the ground down to the 8 depth you want.
Like going 5 on a pass then going to the 8 like you want. Working with 14 ac. will allow
you more trips over the ground w/o taking up a lot of time. Once you have it broken up it
will be easy to work in the future.
traction. Add wt. (liquid or steel) Try working the ground down to the 8 depth you want.
Like going 5 on a pass then going to the 8 like you want. Working with 14 ac. will allow
you more trips over the ground w/o taking up a lot of time. Once you have it broken up it
will be easy to work in the future.
That's a lot of good info here, thanks. Consensus is yes, I should add liquid fill to the tires. I don't know whether or not it's automatic for ag tires to have tubes in them. I don't know if it's a big deal or not. I'm just thinking about long term effects on rims rusting out if they're filled with water. Or maybe if it's antifreeze mix with corrosion inhibitors it's ok. I just don't have any experience with that subject.
As far as the chisel plow goes, I don't know what a "twisted thank" is. It's not a lightweight cultivator. It's pretty heavy with a rectangle tube frame, not an angle iron frame. Not an S-Tine either. I'd say the chisels are 2" wide.
As far as the chisel plow goes, I don't know what a "twisted thank" is. It's not a lightweight cultivator. It's pretty heavy with a rectangle tube frame, not an angle iron frame. Not an S-Tine either. I'd say the chisels are 2" wide.
495man
Well-known Member
I am assuming this is an open station 2wd, they are fairly light compared to a 4wd XL cab one.
CaseIH 885 is a decent tractor and perfect size, you have a powerful enough tractor, you just need traction. Those would play with a 3x16 plow in clay.
Is the ground too wet and you are slipping? I can pull a harrow almost anywhere when it's dry, same ground too wet I'll spin out. On plowed ground I like seeing a bit of dust rolling.
I have a little disk, a 2wd 40 HP will play with it when it's dry, I had it behind a 70 HP 4wd and struggled to pull it on way too wet ground.
Load the tires and put duals on it. Put a new tube in before loading. Have a tractor here that had tubes and fluid since new, put new tires and tubes on it a few years back and the rims were still brand new inside.
BushogPapa
Well-known Member
Those look like Rice Tires...Great traction potential
but loading them (or using Duals) each has its
benefits...probably both..!-
Many soil conditions vary....you cannot just drop
that disc fully down in loose plowed ground, you
have to choose a depth adjustment to control your
load...
Of course, Duals will reduce the wheel slippage by
maybe over 75%
No need to have loaded Duals...
I like the Clamp on Duals..pretty easy to handle
and put on...-
RobCons
Well-known Member
- Location
- Central Alabama
Welcome! Your equipment is plenty big for just 14 acres. Lots of people use smaller items for larger plots of land. Just take your time and do multiple passes increasing depth each pass. No need to run out and buy lots more equipment. What are the plans for the land? Row crops like peanuts, hay, or just a yard?
BarnyardEngineering
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rochester, NY
It used to be common to fill the tractor tires with a saturated solution of calcuim chloride and water, both to maximize weight and prevent the fluid from fully freezing during cold weather. The CaCl solution will turn to slush in extreme cold but never completely freeze.
As long as the fluid stays in the tube, nothing can rust out. The problems arise when one day you come out and find the tire flat. Not wanting to mess with it, you air it up and it HOLDS! Well, some or all of your fluid is now on the outside of the tube and the tire really needs to be broken down and the tube replaced. Instead people tend to ignore it and years later, big surprise, the rim is rusted out!
Yes, it takes YEARS for the process to occur. It's not "CaCl touches metal, BAM! now it's dust."
As long as the fluid stays in the tube, nothing can rust out. The problems arise when one day you come out and find the tire flat. Not wanting to mess with it, you air it up and it HOLDS! Well, some or all of your fluid is now on the outside of the tube and the tire really needs to be broken down and the tube replaced. Instead people tend to ignore it and years later, big surprise, the rim is rusted out!
Yes, it takes YEARS for the process to occur. It's not "CaCl touches metal, BAM! now it's dust."
chuck from neb
Member
the case 885 is not enough tractor weight
wise to pull 3 bottom plow in clay 8
inches as some have mentioned on here its
a utility tractor and not heavy enough.
wise to pull 3 bottom plow in clay 8
inches as some have mentioned on here its
a utility tractor and not heavy enough.
495man
Well-known Member
Case 885 (40 HP) won't pull a 3x16 8" in clay
Case IH 885 (80 HP) will if ballasted properly and field conditions are right. I pulled a 3x12 6" deep in clay on a 50HP tractor in that series and could pull it as fast as I wanted to go, i.e. high range 5 MPH + if the ground was right. Too wet was traction issues on a 2wd.
RobCons
Well-known Member
- Location
- Central Alabama
Bahia is pretty tough. Basically you can scuff up the land good, apply seed and fertilizer per the soil test report from Auburn, and go. Watch your seed depth. It doesnt take much to cover the seed.
fixerupper
Well-known Member
For one thing, welcome to YT. We have a few chest thumpers on here but most of the guys are pretty level headed. We used to farm 240 acres with a tractor a lot smaller than yours. If you are going to grow hay you don't need to worry about ripping it deep. There is no need to rip it deep. Ripping will leave little trenches in the soil that will remain rough forever after you seed it down. If you rip it deep at all kinds of directions your soil will end up as dry as the desert if you don't get plenty of rain. A moldboard plow will turn under whatever residue you have on top and it won't leave lines in the soil like a ripper. Then after plowing a disk and spring tooth harrow and drag harrow to get the surface nice and smooth. For 14 acres you might not want to mess with adding weight because you do not want the tractor heavy and making deep packed down tracks if it is to be seeded down and not worked again for years and you don't need a heavy tractor driving on your hay ground when you are cutting and baling later on. Again, you want your hay ground smooth. If you can find duals to put on the tractor that will give you a little more traction plus floatation to keep the soil compaction at a minimum.
Yeah. I was waiting for someone to say take it out of road gear and shift into low. lol
Sorry Bidrdoc, some of us can't resist making a little joke and having some fun here. No harm intended, no foul. Have a good day and a laugh helps with the sanity except for guys like me who lost it all already.
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