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First time bottom plow use


rpickle

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Well, if I don't get rained-out, I will get to use my bottom plow today. A co-worker wants a 40x40 plot. I swapped on my bar tires and mounted the sleeve hitch. Was looking through here for the post that talked about setting-up the plow angle. Couldn't find the thread. Should work anyway. I think it is a 10" plow, how deep should it go? The ground is moist but not soggy.

Rick

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Rain out. Scheduled to go at it next Friday. Will give me a little more time to see if it is setup right. Do I need to run a bar and chain to the plow from the lift? Currently I have it connected to the sleeve hitch and the rod from the sleeve to the lift arm. Also, the pin holes on the plow receiver, which hole? I am guessing the left hole, as that would put the plow furthest to the right. Is that a reasonable guess?

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Not 100% sure on the float, will have to look at the manual. Hope to look over the rig between now and plow-time so I can fine-tune it. Your pics in show-n-tell Marty are great! I hope to have similar success!!

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My dads rule of thumb for plow depth was always half of the width of the plow....10 inch plow 5 inches deep, 8 inch plow 4 inches deep, 12 plow 6 inches deep...

Dan

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quote:Originally posted by PeppyDan

My dads rule of thumb for plow depth was always half of the width of the plow....10 inch plow 5 inches deep, 8 inch plow 4 inches deep, 12 plow 6 inches deep...Dan


id="quote">
id="quote">Yup......:D:D
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Fail..... Very disappointed with the results. I didn't even want to take pictures, shame..... But it may have been a wise idea so maybe I could have things corrected. I know I could use wheel weights. The ground was wetter than I had hoped, so more weight may not have helped. I wasn't getting deep enough. The lift cable seemed to be holding the plow up and not letting it go down enough even though the sleeve hitch was dropping below "level".

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Rick,

This is good reading. It shows how to weight the tractor, how to mount the plow, soil types, moisture content, etc.

http://brinly.com/graphics/manuals/PP_51BH.pdf

My first time plowing was a fail as well.

Part of the fun is learning what to do and when to do it.

When I attend a plow day, the soil almost always changes composition during the run. The plow penetrates a lot less when the soil is hard and dry than when it's wet. I often see some of the drivers adjusting the depth "on the fly".

You have plenty of help here in this forum. We'll steer you the right way. dOddOd

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Thanks Tim, good read. I see a few things I was doing wrong. First, the stabilizer bolts were tightened by me. Ground was way too wet and I was trying to go too fast. I will also recheck the plow setup. That is probably wrong. Appreciate the support!

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quote:Originally posted by rpickle

Fail..... Very disappointed with the results. I didn't even want to take pictures, shame..... But it may have been a wise idea so maybe I could have things corrected. I know I could use wheel weights. The ground was wetter than I had hoped, so more weight may not have helped. I wasn't getting deep enough. The lift cable seemed to be holding the plow up and not letting it go down enough even though the sleeve hitch was dropping below "level".


id="quote">
id="quote">There is absolutely no reason for any shame on this site...The value of the lessons learned by others is a BIG benefit to others who come here seeking help and info. Thanks for sharing your trials and tribulations!
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Make sure the bare metal on the moldboard is bright and shiny also, if it's not getting enough depth. It's surprising how removing the rust with a wire brush (or similar) will improve how they work...

I've had several people "pooh-pooh" that advice -- until they've tried it themselves...

You'd eventually wear that rust off plowing, but most people are plowing such small plots with these garden tractors that they never wear them clean...

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If possible roundup the site wait a couple weeks and scalp the weeds and grass off this will help from having too much trash buildup causing problems. Then start with the brinly guide. Makes sure your coulter is adjusted so it cuts the sod. A properly adjusted Plow will go down to the proper depth and hold it on its own. It will need no weight nor a wheel to keep the depth. I use a rod and chain for lift and make sure the chain is loose so it will float. I had a heck of a time keeping it in the ground until I wire brushed all the rust off the moldboard to make it shiny. I used a hand grinder with a wire brush. Before this the plow would stick and not roll the dirt nice and smooth causing the plow to pop out of the ground. I use tire chains and turf tires with no weight other then me on it. My chains are even 4 link and still work well. My ground is finally starting to stay loose with enough organic matter. Grab a handfull of dirt and try to make a strand like a piece of tape between your thumb and pointer finger , if you can make it longer the a couple inches the dirt is too wet.

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So, I do have a couple of questions, 1. the adjuster bolts on the sleeve hitch, are they screwed in towards the plow at all or not? 2. Does the hydro lift on my Sov. (CH18 Sovereign) have a float position? I am going to till the rest of his spot tomorrow. I probably won't get to use the plow again until the Ohio plow-day the Osenga is planning for next spring. But do want to be better prepared... The share will be shiny, thats for sure:)

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