Rollover Plow and Dead Furrow question?

Bill, Here is a picture of my IH 215 trip beam plow. I scrounged the colters (obvious, since the disks don't match). Too bad you didn't mention your interest earlier, a guy down the road just sold one in decent shape. That being said, they are actually pretty common. Usually run from $250-400. What is your email, I know at least one store and one or two guys that are selling them in the Piedmont area. Ramon

I've never seen a plow like that.

The coulter on the second bottom looks like a straight-ahead IH coulter, shank and clamp, but what is that yellow gizmo standing upright behind the hitch prong for?

Is it just strengthening for the hitch?

Also, those appear to be John Deere plow lathes? Sorry, just not to familiar with these types of plows.

Thanks,

Allan

To me, the field behind this tractor is what an old cornfield should look like before the plow is even pulled in the field.

Allan

Spinner plows operate the same way as conventional plows in every way except that they have the capability to work in both directions.

I think the confusion came when I made the statement about "leaving holes and mounds".

What I meant by that was, that on flood irrigated land, the operator cannot "go to sleep" and let that tractor "wander around" in the furrow while he is plowing, because this will leave an "uneven" texture to the plowed ground.

Likewise, the plow has to be setup correctly so that the finished product is as smooth as a tabletop (both directions) and the plowing must be done deep enough as to leave no trash on the surface as this would impede the water flow later on in the season.

I'm sure you have seen plowed ground that appears to have "rows". This uneven texture just doesn't work with flood irrigation without the ground first being leveled back out again. It is just simply easier to plow it correctly at the onset.

Sorry if I confused you,

Allan

scotty
PS The farmer down the road from me just rescently gave me a 6ft 4 gang disk harrow 3 pt hookup that I would like to use at some point in time.

You've got to remember that I'm an old guy and when I make these comments on here, I'm just speaking for the way that I do things. Be they right or be they wrong, it is the only way I know how to farm.

Okay, after that bit of lip service, what Andy says is true; once you've created a depression in the field, it is a major undertaking to get it back level again.

Those plows move a lot of real estate; more than you would think, and it is very tough to correct a dead furrow in the middle of an otherwise perfectly level field. Without the proper tools, that dead furrow can be seen for years afterward.

I never follow a plow with a disc. Never. I think that is a total waste of time. I use the disc to knock down prior crop cover and get the field ready to plow.

I use one of these outfits to follow the plow. They are called a "packer" and they leave an absolutely perfect seedbed behind a plow.

Allan

Packers are used around here but primarily in the finishing process of the seedbed. As you mentioned there are many variables in preparing a field for planting and soil type is key. Around here we have some pretty heavy clay soils that if plowed or worked too wet you have a terrible mess that takes a couple of winter freezing & thawing to undo.

There are many ways to prepare a field but some just seem to work better than others and some are a matter of choice. At present my fields are in pasture so I don't get to do the annual time on a tractor for plowing disking, packing, etc.

scotty

The plowed soil has all been moved away from the dead furrow and no reasonable amount of disking will move it all back.

A land leveller can move it, but we always tried to make last year's dead furrows our guideline for starting. You always have an area at the edge of the field to work one way and travel back but it helps keep the dirt in the field and the field level. On a wide field, we might have three or four dead furrows.

These discussions have been interesting to me because I always thought rollover plows were the oddball as we figured out how to use "regular" plows.

scotty

Ya learn as ya go. 'Taint nothin' wrong with that.

You will undoubtedly learn that there is more to plowing than just hookin' on to it and droppin' the thing in the ground.

Things like soil moisture (which is critical), sharpness of the lathes, suck of the points, wheel spacing and the set of the plow itself.

The important thing is that you are doing what ya wanna do. Most important factor of all, I'd say! :>)

Allan

Ramon, you're right the rollover or any two-way plow turns the first furrow on unplowed ground and leaves. With a one-way you end up with a double open furrow in the middle of the field (or land) or a double mound, depending which way you start. Of course, with a two-way you have to plow in the turn around areas on each end of the field.

Another thing, if you irrigate with furrow, you can plow with the furrow rather than plow across them, much smoother. IMO, two ways especially those mounted on the tractor are much more efficient in small fields. If you have large field and don't have to irrigate, a one-way might work as well. However, I'd probably want to use a two-way because one-ways never worked as well where I live.

Once you've been on 'em, ya can't do it any other way, can ya? :>)

I grit my teeth every time I see a field that has been turned with a one-way plow. Just doesn't seem natural, some how. :>)

Allan

I must been doing it wrong then. I would plow first. Then disk it twice.Had a 15"MH tandem with bar harrow.Also had a spring tooth and a spike tooth harrow to finish seed beds. Got maximum tractor time this way steveormary

When I get this farm up and running, I want you to come up here, 'cause you and I are gonna do some farming.

I know that putting the disc in front of the plow sounds plumb silly; dumb in fact. What kind of a fool notion is that, anyway?! Everyone knows that the disc follows the plow, for goodness sake!!!!

But, you would be amazed how nice a field of old cornstalks, wheat stubble or just plain ‘weeds’ will plow down when the remaining residue is only 6" long. :>)

We used the spring-tooth with 'harrow & leveler' approach too for many years (leveler being a 24' length of 6" well pipe). But, those darned tractor tracks were always still evident until well after the 4th of July. When these packers came out, that little headache was a thing of the past.

Get your suitcase ready, 'cause you and I are gonna do this thing. :>)

Allan

Thanks for the invite. My suitcase is about ready,but it is packed for Jakarta. Down on the equater. We are leaving next week to spend some time with our son and d.i.l. They work in the US Embassy there so keep your taxes paid up.

You all have a Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous 2005.

steveormary