Serious Plowing - Hope The WH Don't Break!!!!

[leeave96 490]

OK - I'm laying plans for a garden this year, it's been several since I've had one.  I've got one 520-H and my mighty 314-8 equipped with a clevis hitches.  Got another 520-H that will get a clevis hitch shortly too.

 

Three Wheelhorse tractors ready to pull the moldboard plow.

 

What I got is two, maybe 3 garden spots that may get plowed.  Only one of them has been plowed in the last year, the others have been a few years and they might as well be virgin sod.

 

I'm throwing caution out the window.  Lowering the plow and full speed ahead!!!!!!  High range for the 314-8!!!

 

Hope nothing breaks...          

[Jeremy Watson 22]

Good luck! Slow and steady might be another way to go! Show us the pictures when you break ground.

Jeremy

[Wheel-N-It 2,976]

Bill, do you think you would be better off using a tiller? Do you have access to a tiller? ( for your wheel horse)

Edited February 22, 2013 by Wheel-N-It

[GlenPettit 1,717]

Important to plow on the right kind of day; with just the right moisture = best soil conditions.
Your plow can go 8" deep or more in just one pass, IF the soil is right. The objective is completely turn the
very top surface (with the grass, weeds & seeds) down, 8" deep so they can't make it up to surface this summer.
If the soil is dry or not moist deep enough, you may only turn over the top 2-3", and weeds will quickly grow up.
• Watch the nearby farmers when most of them plow, they know best.
• Farmers will usually spray the weeds to kill them a week before plowing.
A tiller is best for soil that has already been worked, turned over, or was a garden; virgin soil is hard for a tiller and may take several passes, still leaving the weeds & seeds near the surface to grow quickly.
• But the tiller leaves the surface a perfect smooth soil, just exactly right for planting.
• With a plow, you still need to work the surface to break it down to a fairly smooth surface (drag, disk, culipack).

•   A suggeston: when plowing & tilling, weight is everything; both on the front and the rear wheels, the more the better -- that's the reason those big tractors have those suitcase weights hanging on the front, for steering, and you'll need it too.

Good Luck,.

[leeave96 490]

Over the years, I've been pretty gentle with the WH and plowing, but in doing so, I'm generally not getting enough speed to roll the soil with my plow.  The results have been mixed.

 

My Brethern with their IH Cub Cadets are plowing full speed ahead and with the gear drives, 2nd gear in what amounts to high range (i.e. no creeper gear box present).  I've got a couple of these tractors and one thing I am pretty sure is that you can't damage them with a plow or most any other pulling/jerking chore.

 

I posted some topics/questions in the past year or so along the lines of - 4 vs 8 pinion and plowing, broken boss at the back of the tractor, etc., and got a LOT of very positive feedback.  With that input, I feel confident it will be hard to break the tractor and so I'm now ready to get serious about putting the WH's to work!  If I break something, well, it's broke.  I ain't going to abuse anything, but these are ground engaging tractors with cast iron tranny's, etc. and the gloves are coming off!  If I do break an otherwise great tractor, after I gather myself-up, I'll buy a sleeve hitch for the IHCC's....

 

I don't think I'll have any problems, we'll see!

 

Thanks!

Bill

[jeremi3210 742]

You wont break anything. U plowed mine last year with a gt1800 and a 12 inch plow.

[wh500special 2,277]

Bill,

 

I don't plow a garden anymore, but I used to use a 500 special and a dinky little David Bradly plow and it always did fine with the old 3-speed and little 6hp tecumseh.  I was light back then (150 lbs max) and I didn't even bother with weights.  Just chains on the original snow type tires.

 

Weight would defintately have been a boon to the performance of the thing since the overall performance was largely traction limited.  There were a few occasions where something would hang the plow up and the tractor would either rear up in the front or the engine would stall.  But generally it did amazingly well with even the lightweight setup.

 

The soil I had was very heavy and dense.  But it wasn't clay.  Once the furrow got started, the tractor would chug along really fine in 2nd gear.  It seemed to take several feet for the plow to dive to full depth, but through the middle of the garden the depth seemed pretty consistent.  Sometimes when lifting the plow I'd have to stop the tractor and back up a few inches to keep the front end on the ground.

 

I would think the transaxle would hold up to plowing quite well as long as you're not over ballasted and something can slip.  The boss for the hitch cast into the case ought to be robust enough under this loading condition.  I've seen them break from big drawbar (vertical) loads since it puts the boss into bending/shear.  In tension, it is very strong.

 

I plowed a few times with a 16-Auto and didn't get as good of results.  The rear tires were wider than the furrow they needed to ride in so the tractor was a bit harder to guide along in a straight line.  I never bothered, but I assumed switching out the chubby tires for older style narrow tires would have been the ticket.

 

If your plow is adjustable laterally, you'll want to offset the thing to the right such that the coulter wheel is inline with the inside face of the right rear tire.  Depth and pitch adjustments will depend on your soil and how deep you want to go.

 

It's not terribly efficient to plow in a small garden.  The tractor works best if you have a fairly long straight line to drive.  Otherwise you spend a lot of realestate getting the plow to dive to depth and waste a lot of time turning around.

 

I've tried plowing from both sides of the garden and closing up to the center, but the spacing for the last furrow or two never works out right unless you're really lucky.  You'll either end up with an unplowed strip down the middle or a big hump from tossing two strips of soil into the same path.  It seems to work better if you just start on one edge of the garden and worh your way inward to the left on successive passes.  WH did offer a 2 way plow for the D250, but it's not common and not applicable to your fleet anyway.

 

Plowing is crazy, silly fun.  It might be even more enjoyable than pushing snow.

 

Have fun, get more done.

 

Steve

[wh500special 2,277]

I forgot to mention something about depth adjustment...

 

If your plow has an adjustable land wheel behind the moldboard, that's the best way to control depth.  That way you're not putting huge strain on the lift cable the entire time the plow is in the ground.

 

I can't remember exactly what I used to do, but I'm pretty sure my plow never really bottomed out against the lift cable even when I tried to go deep.  If yours does, maybe one of the other guys will have some advice.

 

Those lift cables can break...guess how I know.

 

Steve

[rexman72 210]

wow already talking about a garden and we have more storms coming to maine

[pfrederi 18,703]

wow already talking about a garden and we have more storms coming to maine

 

 

It is snowing outside right now...when I saw the topic I assumed snowplowing....

[IthacaJeff 151]

I've only used the 10" moldboard a couple of times, but it and my 310-8 took some abuse

without missing a beat. Heavy clay soil, lotsa rocks. Sliced up the virgin soil like butter.

 

It is the lift cable that you need to worry about, if anything.

 

Like Steve said, hugely fun.

 

Jeff

[leeave96 490]

OK time for an update:

 

I thought I'd try a slot hitch instead of the clevis hitch on my tractor.  Two thoughts/goals with this approach.

 

1.  I don't think the slot hitch get's in the way of the drawbar as much as the clevis hitch - we'll see.

 

2.  I'm hopeful the slot hitch will pitch the plow up more by viture of it's geometry vs the clevis hitch.

 

So tonight I installed the slot hitch on my '92 year 520H and a slot to clevis hitch adapter - both of which I bought from fellow members - thanks!

 

Below are some pics of my plow set-up, the slot hitch and slot to clevis hitch adapter.  At first glance, it looks like I would get a little more lift and depth as the plow sets about 1.5 to 2 inches further out from the tractor than the clevis hitch arrangement.  I just hope the plow doesn't move to far to the side and bust the mounting boss at the base of the tranny off the housing!

 

When I set my moldboard plow, I use 4 x 4 pieces of lumber and put one side of the tractor on it, then adjust the depth to that.  I've done this for years and have read a lot of others with these old iron tractors do the same.

 

If the weather cooperates, I'll be plowing!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks!

Bill

 

 

 

 

 

[Wheel-N-It 2,976]

Looks good Bill. I would really like to see a video of you plowing if at all possible.

[6wheeler 669]

Looks good Bill. Don't forget to put the backing bolts in the hitch to keep the plow straight. I have never broken a boss plowing. I believe there is a better chance of breaking the crosspin or the hitch instead. But that won't happen either. I pull a wheelhorse 12 inch plow with a land wheel on it. I pull it with either the 520 or the 165 neither of which have any trouble with it. My ground is clay/gumbo and usually wet. I plow about 3/4 of an acre every year with no trouble. If it ever stops snowing here, I will be plowing soon as well. If there is a weak area on this setup? It is the hitch on the plow itself. Where the flat iron is welded to the hitch itself tends to bend. I welded a brace on mine. But outside if that? No problems. On the C-165? I plow in high range 2nd gear and she handles it with no complaints. With the 520h I just try to go approximately the same speed. I don't use lug tires (although it would probably work better). I am stubborn and as both tractors get lawn duty as well, I don't want to tear up the grass ( my wife thinks I am just a bit whiney about that, she may be right). I do put 50 to 100 pounds of suitcase weights on the front ends, so I can keep them on the ground and steer (it does tend to get "light" if the going gets tough) and stay in the furrow.For me? Spring plowing works the best. I end up with a relatively weed free garden as all of the weed seeds end up too deep to germinate. Moldboard plowing IS way more fun than snowplowing. There is just something about green/brown weeds and trash from last years garden in front of you when driving, Turning black behind you when plowing. Its just Too Much Fun     . Enjoy.....

[953 nut 60,220]

That little crank thingie is what will set your plowing depth, the further you tilt it forward ( point going down ) the deeder it will want to go. In the fall I cover the garden spot with ground up leaves and plow then under. In the spring I plow in one direction, come back in two weeks and replow the other way, 90 degrees from what i had done the first time; then disk and rake out the stones and clay clumps; then disk again.

 

This may seem like a lot of work, but look at all the seat time I get!         

[squonk 43,899]

I just put the disc on my Power King. I'll drive it on down. Look for me on the Interstate

[leeave96 490]

OK - just got back from plowing and it was at best a mixed bag.  The garden I am working is one I use to work several years ago and so basically what I was looking at was turning virgin sod for all practical purposes.  I've tried to plow heavy sod this with the Wheelhorse in years past and found it to be difficult.  Since this plowing was more about having fun and seat time, I plowed the garden and disc'd it up with my fine 51 year old Massey Ferguson Model 50 Diesel.  Today's effort was to turn things again to help break-up what's left of the sod.

 

I found no advantage to using the slot hitch vs the clevis hitch.  Given the ground had been previously worked, the landside of the plow really didn't have solid ground to hold the plow from moving from side to side and sometimes it swayed more than desired.  I know you can use the bolts on the sleeve hitch to stabilize the plow, but my understanding is that this shouldn't be used on a moldboard plow and I've never done it or needed to - until maybe today.  Another problem I had was there were still some substantial size chunks of sod and they would get under the plow and not let it go to depth - sometimes frustrating, but hey,  a bad day of plowing with a Wheelhorse is better than a good day at work - right? 

 

I used my 520H tractor with Matt's foot control kit.  Prior to going out I made some needed adjustment to it so I was truly stopping when my foot was off the pedal.  Prior to this, the tractor wanted to creep backwards.  The foot control worked GREAT!!!!!!!  In years past, it was a handful to look back at the plow and keep a hand on the hydro lever.  Not a problem today.  Also, traction was never a problem with my old hard warn ag tires w/ wheel weights.

 

My final frustration of the day - and the one that made me put the tractor on the trailer for the trip home, was about 3/4 of the way through plowing the garden, the tractor started surging - like it was starving for gas.  Sure enough, I looked at the fuel filter and it was almost bone dry with only a tad of fuel dribbling into it.  I scooted the tractor as quickly as i could to the trailer and called it a day.

 

Don't know if I'm going back to this garden with the plow or just till it in and get stuff planted, but I've still got a small garden I'm going to plow at my house, so I'll try things again later this week.

 

I'll post some pics later tonight.

 

Thanks!

Bill

[leeave96 490]

A few pics:

 

 

 

 

 

[WH nut 553]

^{Looks like a fun day}

[Trouty56 567]

Maybe the ground is a bit dry....but what do I know.....my raised bed gardens are so small I have to use a shovel...would be nice to try a plow....

[wh5208speed 646]

Working a garden is about the most fun you can have on a Wheel Horse. Here is a photos of C-121 tearing it up with moldboard in the fall, followed by 520-8 with the tiller in the spring.

 

Thad (Ohio)

[leeave96 490]

Working a garden is about the most fun you can have on a Wheel Horse. Here is a photos of C-121 tearing it up with moldboard in the fall, followed by 520-8 with the tiller in the spring.

 

Thad (Ohio)

 

Do you have your lift chain hooked to the plow vs the clevis hitch?

[wh5208speed 646]

The chain is hooked to the clevis. It just looks like it is hooked to the plow because of the angle of the photo.

Thad

[Parrothead Al 17]

It does look like fun, I hope by next year I'll have the equipment and know how to try that.