r356c 375 #1 Posted October 26, 2016 Two years of Wheel Horse fun ... chasing parts ... chasing horses ... obsessively checking CL for implements ... watching YouTube video's ... The, day, has, arrived. Presenting, (drum roll please) my first furrow. I now own a garden tractor instead of a garden lawn mower. Don't laugh! Practice will make perfect one day! 13 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 38,842 #2 Posted October 26, 2016 Nothing wrong with that. I'm in the club too. Problem is no place to plow! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ol550 825 #3 Posted October 26, 2016 Looks like a good gator run. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheel-N-It 2,967 #4 Posted October 26, 2016 Cool, good work! What tractor were you using to pull the plow? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 46,677 #5 Posted October 26, 2016 No laughing here ...you should have seen my first furrow!! 30 minutes ago, Wheel-N-It said: What tractor were you using to pull the plow Van means 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheel-N-It 2,967 #6 Posted October 26, 2016 5 minutes ago, WHX8 said: No laughing here ...you should have seen my first furrow!! Van means That is correct!!! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
r356c 375 #7 Posted October 26, 2016 Thanks guys! My new to me Classic GT/314-8 performed the pulling. Without a complaint at 1400 hours on the clock. It's a keeper! Florida is an ancient sand bar. Fossilized shark teeth are commonly found in fresh water springs in the middle of the state. Yes, that really is beach sand that has been turned over under the pasture bahiagrass. No rocks here! July, August and September are our "stay inside" months. How people lived in Florida before air conditioning is beyond me. It is just starting to cool down enough to work outside and get some beds ready for an early January planting. We never had a frost day last year, so the timing seems like a safe bet. I also scored a Brinly CC 500 row crop cultivator with the plow. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevasaurus 22,229 #8 Posted October 26, 2016 I like it. Try lowering that colter to within about an 1" of the plow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 46,677 #9 Posted October 26, 2016 (edited) Ah...good old sandy dirt, that explains why some of rolls flipped back over into the furrow. Also the roots of the grass have a tendency to pull it back in. Try running in 2nd gear and going faster to get a better roll, your 314 will have no problem with that. Traction might be an issue tho, ags & weights are a must. It is an art form to setting up the plow correctly as well. Brinly's got some good read on it but one of these days the plow master himself @PeacemakerJack should do an instructionall on setting one up! Edited October 26, 2016 by WHX8 spell 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,670 #10 Posted October 26, 2016 @r356c that is awesome! Congrats for joining the "furrow dogs"! It's humble beginnings but I fondly remember the first time I plowed. It was no where near as clean as your first furrow but boy was I having fun. If @WHX8 keeps after me, I'll put together a thread on the things that I've learned over the years plowing with the "pint sized" tractors. Although similar to full size tractor plowing, there are many differences too. I'm glad you are "in the club". I would like to see pics of the rest of the plowing if you have them. A pic of your tractor stationary in the middle of the garden/food plot/field. A back shot especially including the heel of the plow in relation to the bottom of the furrow and the land side of the furrow. Also how it is setting in relationship to plumb and the tractor. If you were having to much fun to snap pics, I understand. I've been there too! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C-101plowerpower 1,605 #11 Posted October 26, 2016 ooh sandy soil, make my shear shine. next time on the opening furrow, dont go full depth, half depth first and going back, open the same forrow as if it was two forrows wide, then, going more towards full depth go back over the last furrow you plowed then the first one, after that either go round or make some more furrow at the end of your plot and work inwards. and as alwas have fun, if you dont your plowing will show it 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
r356c 375 #12 Posted October 28, 2016 @PeacemakerJack, a thread on the finer points of garden tractor plowing would be great! Our dry season is under way. My dry fine sterile sand falling back in after opening is going to make reading the furrow for landside fine adjustments worthless for about 5 months. It's always something... to hot, too cold, too dry, too wet, too many bugs, raccoons, deer. A can of Del Monte green beans are cheap enough... I'll remind myself that it is the taste of kitchen garden grown food that makes it worth the effort. Nothing compares. The Wheel Horse and Brinly moldboard plow can create an amazing amount of linear row crop feet in short order. I have trenched in that bahiagrass with a shovel for an irrigation line. It is tough stuff. Those opening furrows took less than 5 minutes with the Wheel Horse. It would have taken a full day at least with a shovel. GO ! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,337 #13 Posted October 28, 2016 I started a series of articles for Green Tractor Talk about plowing. First you have to choose the right tractor. There was a post on here from a member who asked about whether his Lawn Ranger would be a good choice. So first step is choosing a garden tractor. Second, what hitch can that tractor take? Sleeve hitch attachments, 3 point attachments, etc. What lift system does the tractor have? Hydraulic works the best, but will limit you on what tractor. Next, after choosing the tractor and hitch system, it's time to find a plow. 8 inch and 10 inch works better for the smaller hp tractors, while you need more hp to run a 12 inch. Plus, your hitch system determines what plow you have, sleeve hitch, slot hitch, or 3 point hitch. That also determines how you set up and adjust your tractor and plow. As you see, a lot of factors play into plowing a good furrow. I haven't even gotten into how to set up your plow nor the conditions of the soil. You may find that depending on soil and ground, you may have to do some minor adjustments for each field you plow. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gt4 196 #14 Posted November 4, 2016 hey that's good stuff, I'm glad you found a plow. I'm still looking for one so I can join you guys at some plow days. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
