Width of corn rows for cultivation

I have a Ford 8 n and wanted to cultivate rows instead of spraying , whats best width to plant rows for safe cultivation , 36 rows fit the tractor well , is that best choice , thank you for advise

30" has been the standard width for a while

I would repost this up in tractor talk as I am not sure a 8N can be narrowed up for 30 inch rows. You want either 36-38 or 30's as that is standard row spacing. The 30's are better as the corn will shade the ground faster to help hold back weeds. Tom

You can t narrow it up enough to fit a single 36 inch row but it can be widened out enough to straddle 2 36 inch rows
So it won t be as wide for straddling 2 30 inch rows

I'm almost certain you can narrow one up enough for 30 inch rows. My Oliver Suoer 55 will, so an 8N should. If you aren't going the spray, you want the rows as narrow as you can get them so the crop canopies to shade out the weeds as soon as possible.

Thanks for advice Im planting bloody butcher corn , gets 10-
12 ft was told to use wide row for tall corn Im use to planting
30 though

Im planting bloody butcher said it gets 10-12 ft high , I dont think I can make wheels more narrow by turning rims around never tried that

I looked over the wheels I cannot adjust them in or out , I have 53 tight on back wheels dont know if theres anything else I can do

Do you have a manual to show you how to adjust the wheel spacing? You need 60 inches center to center for 30 inch rows.

Are you measuring inside of tire to inside of other tire or center fo thread to center of thread
Inside to inside will get you about 64 inches center to center and that pretty good for straddling two 30 rows
If 53 center to center your to wide for a single row, but if you reverse the wheels you ll be spread out to around 72 inches which is a good spread to straddle 36 inch rows

I have 53 inches outside to outside rear wheels

I have the spec book for engine trans but says nothing about wheel spacing I have 63 inches tight outside to outside to fit in row Ill send pic of my tractor

Are you trying to use a one row cultivator or two? It's set right for a two row 30 inch just the way it is. If you want to use a one row, you're out of luck.

53 inside and 63 outside gives you a 58 inch track center to center
Optimum track for straddling two 30 inch rows is 60 inches, so you re within an inch each side of being perfect

Leave the tractor like it is, find a two row cultivator if you don t have one and get the job done in half the time

30 inch corn will be the standard these days and will work with open pollinated corn. I would want to do this if possible. You can probably make 28-32 inch fit in a 30 inch harvester if you need those spacings - 2 row harvester.

If you are using an old machine to harvest they might be easier to find in 38 inch wide, then you would need to use that. You pretty much need to match your harvester machine. 36-40 inches are wide row.

Row crop tractors all let you set the wheel spacing, you flip the rims, you put the rim and maybe spacers inside or outside the wheel rim, the rim has 2 sides to it, to have many different options on wheel spacing.

Unless you have a wheat land machine, those are less flexible. You dont have a wheat land with a Ford.....

Paul

Most cultivators are about infinitely adjustable so that is the least of your worries. Forgot to answer on the implement you asked about!

30 inch if you can, 38 inch if you have to, an oddball size will give you headaches someday trying to get help with harvest.

Paul

Wheel tread is always measured from center to center of tire, This is same even if you havs small tire on one side and larger on other, Only thing not measured like that would be back axle of a dual wheel truck. And on your tractor it is even inches devided by 4 as the spacing is changed for each setting by 4 inches, 2 inches to each side. So you tractor wheel spacing will be 48 inches, hardly ever used. 52 inch normal and what it takes for your plow, Next setting is 56 inches, so go up one more setting to 60 inches and that is what you want for 30 inch rows. That will be same if you have a 10 inch or a 20 inch wide tire because it will keep the row on each side of tire same distance from tire. Now if for some reason you would need a 36 inch, 38 inch or 40 in row for that varity of corn due to its size then you would need to go up to the 72 inch tread width as the tractor will only adjust to that width. Not the 80 inch as a lot of tractors could be adjusted to. Come May my Ford will have been with me for 79 years, it is a 44 model 2N Ford but I also have a 41 9N Ford tractor. And I have cultivated a lot of corn in 40 inch, 36 inch and 30 inch rows with it. And also the 2 bottom plow that came same day as the 2N tractor. As far as seed you just have to buy what you can get and try fitting the corn to your plates and if it does not fit, Round seed and flat seed will not work in same plate buy s new set of the closest size to the largest seed .of either a flat or a round kernel. If only mixed flat and round you might have to set at table and sort the flat kernels from the round kernels And might have to use a flat plate in one box and a round plate in the other. 60+ years ago I had to learn all this. You can do it as well.

You cannot get a 58 inch track with that tractor unless you have one wheel set 2 inches farther out than the other. The Fords are not like other tractors So a> 12.4 tire that you should have, 1 inch bigger than it came from factory with would give you a 47 inch between side walls or 73 inches to outside of side walls. And the belly of the Ford tractor is not high enough off the ground to cultivate a single row at a time. And as narrow as it could be set the tire on the outside to next row would only be 23 inches to the next row, too close, if trying to plant 28 inch rows that would be only 22 inches to next row.

Like the choice of bloody butcher, got some (small) seeds of that to try also