field plowing

R

RedBess

Active member
I have a '53 cub with hydraulics and a single moldboard plow with a manual depth control and last year I set my mind to plowing under a field of grass and light brush. I stopped about a third of the way into the job last year and finished it this last Saturday, all told maybe a little less than an acre, plowed in one direction which meant I did a lot of traveling back to the start line. I'd say the ground was not heavily wet, we haven't had much precipitation in the last six weeks, it didn't clump or stick to the equipment. It did leave a somewhat shininess to the dirt as if came off the moldboard. I don't have a camera to show you the results, but what you'd see is parts where the sod flopped upside down to rest on the prior furrow and many instances when the sod stands on end. I experimented with the depth control, but it didn't seem conclusive, the depth control tips the angle of the plow to point steeper into the earth but it didn't always dig in. If for instance the depth control lever set to the rear, the plow was left pretty level, the furrows I got were wide enough that I could choose to follow the left side, the middle, or the right side with the front wheel, I'd guess a little over a foot flat across the furrow, consequently the sod was upside down. If the lever was put all the way forward the plow was tipped to angle steeper, the furrows were narrower, but not deeper, without much choice for the front wheel to be left or right and the cut sod had a tendency to stand on end, or worse flopping back into it original place. I am pretty sure the chain from the hydraulic lift to the plow was slack so I don't think that was restricting the depth. Where my plowing overlapped with an already prepared garden the plow didn't bite in there, just scored a drag mark until it got to the grass. I've spent time on line to see examples of plowing, but they're on previously prepared soil and not any explanation about setting up.
My questions are many, but what I'd like to know is can anyone give me a primer on plowing basics or links? As simple as it looks there is a lot I don't understand.
 
I just picked up a fasthitch single bottom plow and can't wait to try it out. The frost and moisture needs to leave the ground first however,.

I hope you have some responses to your questions because it will be helpfull to me in setting up my plow.

Is you soil heavy or sandy?
 
I am in no way a plowing expert, and my plow is a disc plow and not a moldboard, but what you describe sounds just like the new grass area I plowed up for a garden previously. I think what you have is normal.

If you let it dry, disc it many times to break up the large clumps and plow it again (then disc it again) it should be fine and work easier every time you plow/disc it. There may be a hard-pan deeper that limits your plowing so you may need someone with a larger tractor to subsoil, or use a bigger plow to get deeper at least once. I've also heard of folks using some type of late-summer radishes with a deep root system to break through a hard-pan. Good luck.

Todd
 
The beauty of a 193 moldboard plow is there's not much to set up. Flip the drawbar, bolt on the plow, attach the chain, and go. On the other hand, a fast hitch plow is much more involved due to all the adjustments you can make.

A worn plow with a dull point will not penetrate the soil. An old-time blacksmith can draw out and sharpen the point if it's not worn down too much.

Maybe a little on the extreme, but my grandfather used to weld pieces of truck spring on the points of the plows for beter penetration.
 
highway":vkjboawx said:
I just picked up a fasthitch single bottom plow and can't wait to try it out. The frost and moisture needs to leave the ground first however,.

I hope you have some responses to your questions because it will be helpful to me in setting up my plow.

Is you soil heavy or sandy?
Click to expand...

Ed,
Welcome to the forum.
The link that BigDog referenced, How to Set Up Cub Moldboard Plows is for a "How to" by our very own Bill Hudson, a fantastic teacher and all around fine gentleman.
His primary focus in this article is on the LF-194 Fast-Hitch Plow though most of the principals apply equally as well to the 193 Plow.
One of the first things you will want to do when you get your plow is to look at the condition of the point. Depending on which version of the LF-194 you have, i.e. Super Chief or Plow Chief, the point is either part of the share (Super Chief) or a separate point and share (Plow Chief). In both versions these parts are available.
This is a Plow Chief LF-194;
normal_tractor_parts_030.jpg

This is a Super Chief LF-194;
s_Plow.jpg


Post some pictures of your Cub - we like pics!

Peter
 
Folks,

Thanks for the kind words and healthy endorsement.

As for your problem, Redbess, I would start with the plow share/point. If the point is severely worn, it will be hard to get the plow to enter the soil. If you could get, and post, some pics of the plow and some of you plowing we may be better able to help you.

Bill
 
are the part numbers stamped on the parts valid for ordering parts?

Whered o you get them.Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere.

I am a newbie :)
 
Thank you Don.

Agri supply is not a company in the Northeast I assume? Never heard of it.

I will Google it.

This is a great place to share info, Thanks for all your help:)
 
Howdy Highway

The others have you set up on the plow point.

I loved the pictures of the horse logging and sleigh :{_}: You have a beautiful place there :!:

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IMG_1056.JPG


Billy
 
I may be the source of the ugly rumor that AgriServices has the Plow Chief share... They used to, anyway, but that was over a year ago now.

It would be nice if the Chinese would start making Plow Chief parts. There's a HUGE market for affordable replacement wear parts for old plows. Crescent Forge was simply too expensive, and their intended clientelle too low budget.
 
Matt,
I've bought the Plow Chief Point from Agri-Supply (Part #18990). I cannot find the Plow Chief Share on their website however finding the point was not the easiest either. I will be giving the point a good testing in 6 weeks at ConnectiCubFest. The soil at Zagray Farm is about as boney as it gets. Plowing at ConnectiCubFest
Don McCombs has stated that ASC carries the share however he may have been basing that on 2nd hand info. Don't know.
CaseIH carries the share. I don't have current pricing from either Carter & Grunewald (Ken Updike) or Columbia Tractor or Messicks.

I'd like to find an alternative to CaseIH for the share.

Peter
 
I did see the share on Agri-Supply's web site, but that was over a year ago. Obviously something has changed. Might be worth a call to them to verify that it truly no longer available.

BTW, the Agri Supply number for the share is/was 18991.
 
From the pictures the share looks totally worn out but I thought the point was OK. Maybe with a new share the point will look worse.
 
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