moldboard plow adjustments

Just picked up a 2 bottom 12" moldboard plow, never used one before, want to try plowing, How do I set the adjustments ?

What tractor. Are the wheels adjustable.

Pull type, 3 bottom (I'd assume?), or something else?

--->Paul

Your learning curve will be very steep - but that's OK. You'll have better questions after you've scraped dirt for an hour.

The moldboards must be shiny (scoured) before any reasonable adjustment can be made. (Imagine trying to slice salami with a very dull knife). If they are not scoured, take it out in any field, drop it in the ground, and just move dirt until the rust if mostly gone.

Set the coulters about 3/4" toward the unplowed land from the edge of the frog, and about 2" higher than the tip of the share.

The inside of the right rear tractor wheel should be 15 to 18" from the tractor center. You probably won't be able to get the wheel this close, so you will need to have the drawbar offset to the right as a compromise.

Post back........

Maybe you would like to study this famous old English book on the subject, now available to read online.
Best regards,
Roy
Ransomes Guide To Good Ploughing

Roy, that cover illustration is one of my pet peeves. Anytime I see a plowing competition or some factory guy doing perfect plowing it's on stubble ground, dead level, perfect moisture. I'd like to see some of those guys try to do a great job on wet clay. with 15-20 years of sod on it and that's been rutted and torn up by tractors and livestock for all that time! Or have them try it when the grounds so hard you can hardly get a plow in the ground or alternating frozen and thawed ground.

Those guys just aren't dealing with the reality some of us have to deal with.

No offense to you, I appreciate the link. Just drives me nuts 'cuz I'll never do a picture perfect job I guess.

I copied this from a post I made three weeks ago or so. I think it fits. Jim
Make sure these things are set correctly:
The plow will have a specific cutting width per moldboard. This is measured from beam to beam at 90 degrees to the furrow. It will be 14" 16" or 18". This size is important when setting it up.
When plowing the second pass, the right front and rear wheels will be in the furrow made by the first pass (assumes a wide front end). Put the plow in the ground and the wheels in the furrow. go forward about 20 feet in the furrow. Stop the tractor with the plow in the ground, and shut it down for a few minutes.

Use a tape measure to measure between the left vertical edge of the furrow (behind the rear tire in the furrow) to the colter on the first mold board (disk like splitting unit in front of the shiny moldboard.) This measurement must be very close to the same as the plow size determined above. If it is way off wide, or narrow, it will be necessary to adjust the tractor wheel width to get it to the plow cut. Adjust the wheels (front and rear) in or out the difference of the measurements.

Next measure the depth of each of the two points from the surface of the ground, to the cutting tip of the plow point. they should be within 1/2 inch of each other and about 6 to 7 inches deep. You will need to dig them out to find them with a tile spade or hand trowel. If they are at different depths, the right rear three point link must be adjusted to make them level with the tractor in the furrow.

If these terms are unclear, you are going to need a helper on site that has plowed before. Then plowing is easy.

Best of luck, plow setting is not difficult if you already know how!!!

Jim

What the heck format of encoding is that?

--->Paul

I'll bet you're talking about the two levers...

The two levers on a trailer plow control depth. Each wheel is adjusted separately, to level the plow side-to-side.

The idea is for the bottom of the furrow to be level with respect to the surface of the ground.

For the first pass, you will generally have the right lever higher than you would under normal plowing conditions. This is because that right wheel, the furrow wheel, is running on top of the ground and not down in the furrow. On the second furrow, you need to bring that right lever down some so the plow cuts level.

There are many other adjustments that may or may not need to be made. You may need to change the angle of the hitch for side draft, so the plow isn't pulling the tractor sideways in the furrow.

A worn plow will not plow well, no matter how much you adjust. Unfortunately with these old plows it's pretty easy to end up with a worn out plow.

I could not agree more! to be honest with you I find ploughing matches a bit annoying . no one in the real world has time to mess about like that. crawling along in bottom gear, getting off to make adjustments every 5 minutes. The last one I went to it rained like crazy and to be honest with you, everyone"s plot looked as if they had decided to disk it up instead ! but the old book does have a few handy hints and tips for the novice.

Roy i compete and run ploughing matches every weekend from September to the next April. I plough in Notts, Lincs and Yorks arears and most of the money raised goes to charity. I am also one of the directors of the Society of Ploughmen and run the vintage display at the National Ploughing Championships. MJ

Yes and I certainly admire the skills of the ploughmen and the quality of work I see at ploughing matches.In fact I often wonder how on earth (no pun intended!)the judges manage to pick an overall winner at times. No way would I ever be as good as them. It is a bit like growing prize vegetables or a prize rose I guess, It just shows what CAN be done, given the time the skill and of course the patience.
A neighbour of mine employed a guy who treated every field as if he was competing in a ploughing match (Although to be honest with you, I don't think he ever did !) The quality of his ploughing was a sight for sore eyes, dead straight, no weeds or stubble showing. The problem was though, although he had a 4 furrow 14 inch plough , he never seemed to do more than about 4 or 5 acres in a day.

BTW, the washout I mentioned was The Epworth Festival of the Plough. It was a shame really, I have been going there for many years and it is the first time I have ever known it spoiled by the heavy rain. I remember one year it was totally the opposite, the land was so hard that nobody could hardly get there old ploughs to go into the ground and the wind caused what soil was been moved to be picked up and blown across the field and getting in everyone's eyes. You have got to love our wonderful weather haven't you?