ATTENTION ALL 300 350 UTILITY OWNERS

Gordo

Gordo

The plow your 300 will pull the easiest will be the 2x14 fast hitch, provided your tractor has the hitch depth control cylinder just under your brake pedals. Having your depth control working perfect is the key. That perfect depth control is exactly why I can pull 2x12, 8" deep in heavy clay. Now, I admit 130 and 140 don't have the external depth control cylinder, but the same principle is involved, controlling front end of that fast hitch.

Contrary to some of what your being told that early 2 point fast hitch has far better depth control than any mounted plow (all makes) up until 1963 and the days when IH introduced lower link sencing on it's 3 point hitch. These guys can talk draft control all they want, 300 just doesn't need it pulling 2x14. Now, if you were pulling 3x14 that would be a horse of a different color.

I pulled 3x16 trailer plow with my Farmall 300, tires loaded to the limit with chloride and one set of wheel weights. I also pulled 5x16 semi-mount with 656, no wheel weights or chloride, but that was lower link sencing draft control with excellent weight transfer to tractor. A lot of folks tend to think a plow is a very simple tool that you just hook on and go. On the contrary, plows have very complex adjustments, and unless you get them right your plow can pull awfully hard.

If when you get plowing pulling 2x14 with your 300 utility, no added weight, if you have problems pulling it, something is not adjusted properly. THOSE ARE COLD HARD FACTS.

Bear in mind also the plows we were getting here from after WW#2 to 1965 were different from the Canton Il built plows. Hamilton On IH works supplied all of Canada, parts of New England, Europe and Austrailia with tillage equipment. A great deal of it resembled US built but was not exactly the same. In that era the Hamilton plant was the 2nd largest IH plant world wide in dollar value production and they only produced 2 or 3 tractors, and those were very low production.

A second problem is the type of soil. I think that in an earlier post you said you have heavy clay; this will make plowing much more difficult than in lighter soils, and a smaller plow is indicated. The size of tillage implements you can use is very dependent upon your soil type.

Another issue is the 300U's "fixed Fast Hitch" - which doesn't include traction control or any way to adjust the angle of attack (or "suck") of a 2-point plow. If you go with a mounted or semi-mount plow, your best bet is a 3-point rather than a 2-point plow. The 3-point's top link will allow you to adjust the suck angle.

Finding wheel weights which fit also may be an adventure; the standard IH weights for the H/M, etc. don't fit. If you are really interested in plowing and other tillage with this tractor, you really need to put more weight on the rear end to aviod an exercise in frustration. Adding ballast to the rear tires might be the most practical idea. For heavy tillage here in Colorado clay, I'll typically have 1200-1500# of weight added to the rear of my 300U to keep the wheel spinning to a minimum.

Scratching the dirt with a chisel plow might also be a better short-term alternative to a moldboard plow which you might want to consider.

Good luck.

Gordo

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