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Moldboard Plow Question...How "Shallow" Can I Be?


Kent

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Everyone: Thanks for the responses so far. I agree, now that you explain what the 10" dimension means--I thought it meant the plow could go down 10", not that it was 10" wide. I would like to disturb less lawn, if I could, than an 8 or 10" wide swath. Kent: Can you link me to a pic showing a "chisel point," or is this something I would fab? I was thinking of the little "boom" that dlcent made for the sleeve hitch on his 700, but mounted upside down and curved to clear the tranny and reach the gound.... I could drill multiple holes in it, to pin it above and below the sleeve hitch, for height adjustment, and raise it the little bit the L/H lift lever would allow, for travel. Has anybody got any idea what type of steel I would get (and where?) to make this bar? I have torches, and assume I can get this steel red hot and bend it by slipping a pipe over it. Has anybody bent steel this big, (solid) by hand? I haven't. Dutch: you're probably right, the simplest solution might be a bolt through the cart hitch, but I wouldn't be able to raise it, right? So I'd be getting hung up crossing the driveway, curbs, etc.... Arnold: thanks for the anecdote re: the radio fence. Gives me pause. Anyone else got radio fence stories? Thanks again, Peter
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The pic below shows a "chisel point" on the front of the cultivator. They're available at a farm supply store relatively inexpensively, and in several sizes.... When one end gets dull, you simply loosen the bolt and turn it over. I'd suggest you try to find the 1" steel rod used in an old set of barbells. I picked one up at the dump for free, because the "set-screw" on the bracket on one end was broken... http://www.simpletractors.com/images/b_attachments_images/cult_spec2_small.jpg
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If you don't want to get off the tractor when you come to a curb, check out the different shaped implements in the Walker Section. Sounds like you something like a Middle Buster or Sub-Soiler. [A href='http://www.simpletractors.com/walkers/walkers.htm'][img src='http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/250183_lg.jpg'][/a]
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Another possibility is a used anhydrous ammonia applicator blade. It is only about 1/2" wide and has a small tube running down the back to feed a wire through.
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Pete, been thinking the proper use of a pick ax would be to make a hitch on one instead of a handle, mount it to the rear drawbar and raise it lower it with the rear lift. I'd have to try a rod instead of chain for down pressure..MPH
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I've also seen the chisel points used with just a metal loop on the back of the downshaft for the cable to pass down through. I've seen them at least as narrow as 1-1/2" and perhaps even narrower. We used 2" ones (I think that's correct) on the horse-drawn "3-foot" plows to cultivate with, twice per "middle", once in each direction and the staggered plows put fresh dirt up against the row of plants. We also had a "double shovel" with two wider chisel points, but didn't use it much. If you'd heat and bend the solid 1" rod in a "fishhook" shape, you could put it directly in your rear lift. Drill one hole in the top for the pin, and another hole in the bottom to bolt on the plow point -- then put a metal loop (like a chain link) on the back of that same bottom bolt to pass the wire through....
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I had a friend who used the edge of a box blade for his invisible fence. The best system out there is "DogWatch" brand. It costs more but blows the others out of the water. You'll want to just slice the ground so it eventually seals back up. Or you could drive back over it with your tire. I used a middle bust once and it took me longer to fill in the ditch then if I just dropped a shovel edge in the ground. Beamer
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Use a lawn edger works great.You can rent them cheep.and it does go prety fast.Not as easy as just riding but does not make to much of a cut.Just my pennys worth
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Everyone: My 6 mo. old Golden Retriever is being true to the breed, and rambunctious as all get-out. I am interested in a "radio fence," and understand I need to bury the wire just a few inches under the surface of the lawn. If I were to purchase a single-bottom plow, could I set it high enough to scratch this minor trench in my yard? We have .85 acre, and I will probably go around the driveway, so I anticipate laying approx. 1,500' of wire or more. Also, has anyone had any experience, good, bad or indifferent, with exercising "radio control" over their beasts? Lastly, I will need one of these plows, and while I know I should post in the "Wanted" ads, I just want to mention this here, as it's related to the thread. Anyone got a plow? My W.B. 700 has the rear lift manual mech. or "sleeve hitch." Would I need anything else, besides practice/skill? Thanks in advance, Peter
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Peter, Unless you have another use for the plow, you may want to consider some kind of a "chisel point" instead of the moldboard (i.e. turning) plow. I've seen lots of people laying TV cable with just a chisel point that's either 2" or 3" wide... a 10" plow cuts a 10" furrow through your lawn. My 2 cents... I want to try plowing out a furrow with my plow to run drain lines from my gutters' downspouts, but I'll be burying a 5" pipe, not just a wire, like you need to do. Kent
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had a friend who just buzzed a line in the lawn with a weedwhacker, made a bunch of 'staples' out of bent wire to hold the signal wire down snug, now the lawn's grown back over it.
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I've made cuts for landscape edging with a moldboard plow and had reasonable results. A thought for using a plow with the "Pizza Cutter" wheel in front of the moldboard, would be to use only the cutter wheel and rig a piece of steel tube like brake line to swivel with the wheel and lay the wire into the bottom ot the cut. As far as expeiance with the fence, every other week a dog from around the corner rips up my garbage. He is supposed to be fenced in with one of those collars. Regards
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Wow: More great ideas! MPH, b/w the stories of the "ultra thin cutting-type" implements and your pickaxe suggestion, along w/ Kent's Giant Fishook idea, I think I like the following: A common axe head welded onto the front (inside) curve of Kent's Giant Fishook, which is inserted through the sleeve hitch. That way, I might even be able to "shear" small roots as I roar along in first gear. I will of course have to drill through the 1" thick fishook (weight lifting bar sounds good!), so I can pin it to keep it from rotating up out of the ground. Dutch, you helped me think of a very short chain from the cart tow eye to a link welded onto the fishook, say 6" above the axe head, to keep the hook from bending, when I hit the water mains. Beamer--thanks for the tip on the Dogwatch. Gotta check it out yet. Re: the edger/wacker solutions--they sound a heck of a lot easier, in some respects, but the whole thing is, I gotta make the tractor look like the hero here, for the one with all the money. Comments, please!
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My two dogs are trained on the electric fence. It works great. Unless the dogs are on the lease, they will not cross the wire. You have to train the dogs but it does work great.
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I like Bob's (ka9bxg) edger idea the best. Get the job done fast and use the saved time to play with tractor.
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Rick: Great! Please tell me the radio fence story, i.e., brand, model, cost, how long have you had it, etc..., if you don't mind. I'm sure other dog lovers will be interested (I hope). Thanks again. Peter
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I got my electric fence from a company called fosters and smith. (www.drsfostersmith.com) The fence was made my innotek. I got the one for up to 25 acres. I only had to train one of my dogs for 15 minutes. After that she knew what to do. I currently have about 7 acres "fenced" in with no trouble. In some places I buried the wire, in other places the wire is laid on top of the ground held in place with a wire bent into a U shape. The wire even is buried under my driveway. No matter what system you get, I would recommend you get something to protect against lighting strikes. I lost two control units untill Innotek suggest I get the lighting strike system. It is a simple box that the wire goes through. Even the 110 volt plug goes through the box. Neither of my two dogs will chase anything off the property. Not birds, squires, or larger animals. Once the dogs approach the wire they stop.
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Rick: Thank you! That's what I wanted to hear...that it works! Not that I'm not interested in negative experiences, I just like knowing it can be done right, as you obviously have. I will check them out, along w/ Dogwatch and whatever else I can find. I was particularly curious about the squirrel situation, as they are definitely making incursions here.... Thanks again. Peter
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I think all dogs should wear a radio fence collar. Then I could install a radio fence and keep them OUT! I don't like doggie doo splattered all over my tractors when mowing. Brent
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