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Marion and Kent, I took both of you guys’ advise. Freed up the coulter, swung it around and raised it, jacked up the tractor and adjusted everything. Then I was off to my plow test area. It was better, but I could still only cut about 4” deep. Added 40 lbs. of weight and that did the trick..! But only for a few feet, then I ran out of traction. Time to buy those AG tires (new seat too). Thanks for the help. Oh, the only thing I didn’t do was sand the rust off the plow. I figured a few test runs would take care of most of that. Kent, did your dad give you that job to do when you got out from behind the mule..? My dad used to give me jobs like that too. I guess it prepares you for the military (dig a hole and fill it back in). Thanks again......... http://home.att.net/~herb.niewender/plow-test-seq.jpg
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Dutch, Looks like you have about an extra foot of adaptor and length there that a factory set-up would not have. No idea if that is a good, bad, or moot point. I have ag tires on both my 7018 and 7119 and use them 99% for mowing. They will cut up the yard if you spin and leave bird track in soft yard, but I wouldn't trade em even for turf tires. I used old 14" mag wheels (and car radials with good tread) on my 3310V and it would spin in any sort of wet grass and get stuck at the drop of a hat (in light mud). Sure had more ground clearance tho. Haven't used it for two years, the bevel gearbox crapped out. bobjack
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Herb, have you tried putting your tire chains on as a "quick fix" until you can get ag tires? I used to use them for tilling and had pretty good results... As far as the rust removal goes -- it's really true the difference it'll make -- let me tell you, when you're working with two literal HP any little bit of extra drag is noticable... and when it's you that's the manual lift to pick the plow up and turn it at the end of every row, you won't go looking an additional 50 lbs to put on it to "force it" into the ground... My dad was so fussy about these things that he really hated to break a plow point, since it took time to wear all the paint off a brand new one, and "season it" to where it worked good... He claimed that the "set" on a plow was just as important as the "temper" on an ax... Check this excerpt from the Simplicity Gardening Supplement to the Owner's Manual (from the Walkers section): " How to Plow with A Garden Tractor " 1. Make sure plowshare and moldboard are free from rust. Remove varnish from new plow with sandpaper. Place two wheel weights on left wheel and attach counterweight to front of tractor. " 2. Step off about 15 feet from one side and place a stake at each end ...." Yes, there were certainly a lot of things my dad had me do that I questioned at the time, even if not verbally, but it's kinda strange that the older I get, the wiser he was.... My thoughts about mules haven't changed much though! I tell my wife that they taught me patience, and she says that they taught me stubbornness... we may both be right on that one! 8o) Kent [A href='http://www.simpletractors.com/walkers/preparation.htm']http://www.simpletractors.com/walkers/preparation.htm[/a]
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Kent, Okay, you convinced me a polished plow is important. I'll have brand new sand paper ready for the grandkids' next visit. You know the shinier the plow, the bigger the punkins grow. Thanks for the link. That'll teach me not to skip over the walker section. So, where do tillers fit into the picture..? Do they replace plows, discs, and harrows..? Funny thing about fathers. I remember mine's words and believe he is still getting smarter, even though he passed away years ago. Shhh...... about the chains. I convinced the wife I need AGs.
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Bobjack, Good point about the extra length created by the adapter. The only thing it helps is me not having to make extra yokes. But, it hasn't prevented any implement from being lifted "yet".
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Dutch, I think that the one thing that a plow can do that a tiller cannot is actually deep plow the soil and 'turn' it over (thus the 'turning plow'). If I remember correctly, they were supposed to be especially superior when you were plowing under manure and other fertilizer like that. I also seem to remember something about when you were preparing the soil at the end of season for the winter rest. like we say, my 2 cents... Clayton
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Dutch, When your done plowing, cover all "shiny" surfaces you end up with, with a light coating of grease from your grease gun. This will keep all it as shiny as when you quit plowing until the next time. We did that with all our plows on the farm. Marion Kerr
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Kent and Herb, Your discussion about your fathers wisdom reminds me of the story my uncle once told me. A disgruntled young man yearning for independence leaves home at the age of 18 to find his way in the world. When he comes back home ten years later, his first thought is "Wow, has dad ever changed. He thinks just like I do now!" Pat
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Plowing has some distinct advantages: 1) It turns the soil layers upside down, sending any manure or plants (called green manure by composters) deep in the ground to decompose. Smart farmers in the old days used a rotation system, planting a different crop (different crops consume different nutrients) each year on a given plot, usually letting the field lie "fallow" every 4th year with a cover crop of red clover, crown vetch, buckwheat or something grown just to turn in and decompose. (Note that legumes like clover or vetch actually put nitrogen from the air into the soil.) You essentially grew your own ogranic material to enrich the soil and improve its tilth -- you didn't go buy truck loads of peat moss packaged in plastic bags.... Similarly, they would often grow an additional "cover crop" in the late fall after the 1st harvest, if possible, for the same purpose. In the late winter or early spring, you spread the year's accumulation of horse or cow manure on the whole thing and turned it all under to rot, which takes about 3 weeks or so.... The turning plow put this organic material down deep at root level. 2) Tilling, if overdone, will pulverize the soil and turn it all into dust that crusts over easily helping to prevent water from soaking in, and once wet, will dry out to form hard clods like clay. You can destroy the natural "tilth" of the soil, and then you'll need to add both sand and organic material to restore it... (Sand is the natural "spacer" between soil particles, just like the white beads in potting soil.) Tillers chop and grind the soil, while turning plows slice it and gently lay it over on its side.... 3) Tilling is very hard on earthworms, nematodes, and other beneficial microorganisms that naturally live in good organic soil... plows are not. 4) Some say that after years of consistent tilling, the tillers will actually pound and compress the soil down at the bottom of their cutting depth to where it forms a hardpan layer down 8-10" below the surface. This hardpan prevents water from soaking down or percolating up through it. Water levels, moving up and down in the soil, are what move the nutrients from one level to another, especially trace nuttients (zinc, etc.) that may be down very deep.... Plows will not form this hardpan and will break up one if it is there. An occasional very deep plowing of a garden that is normally tilled is a good thing.... Given the choice of having only one or the other -- I'd certainly take the tiller. Ideally, I'd have both, which is why I'm still looking for a bargain plow in my area....
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