Plowed with the M yesterday and have some questions

Hi, Plowed for a couple of rounds with the M pulling 3-16's. In some spots that were drier it pulled great but as it got wetter in spots I just spun to a stop which is not so good with a clutch lift plow. I didn't get in enough rounds to put a high polish on the bottoms, just to wet to get traction with no weight on the tractor. They had very little rust on them since I plowed with it last year just not enough to get a good polish then either. I gave up with the #8 and M and went home and got the Oliver with the 565 4-16 semi-mount. Plowed about 15 acres with it though muck and sometimes mud. Altogether I got about 9 hours of plowing in. It was a great day! Half mile pulls. 85 acres. Two tractors. Clover as green manure. I just wish I had more weight on the M. How much is needed as a rule for 3-16's and/or 4-14's? I also have a #8(?) hydraulic lift with 4-14's. Will the M pull that with enough weight? With you not knowing the soil types around here could you make a good guess? Thanks! ...Randy

Used 3 weights on the land wheel and 2 for the furrow. M and MD pulled 3-16, I think 4-14 would be to much of a load for our soil.

I think you answered your own question Randy.

Different conditions and soil types require different weight amounts.

You may never get enough weight for those wet spots.

Gary

If you had been able to get traction in those spots, you probably would not have had the power to pull the 3x16 plow. Stock M may not pull that much in a lot of conditions.

Randy,

If you have heavy black soils in your part of Iowa like we plowed in Grundy Co. years ago and you plowed thru "muck and sometimes mud" in the springtime, you are in for a hard year of farming that land, I'm afraid.

You might end up with a very hard, lumpy, cloddy field when it dries. Fall plowing always resulted in better soil conditions with those heavy soils.

Maybe check your plow for alignment; the rear landside should be running "off" the furrow wall about 1/4" to decrease friction. The trailing wheel can be adjusted for this; have someone drive the tractor slowly so you can walk alongside and watch the plow. Also, the bottom of the rear moldboard should not be leaving hard "skid marks" on the bottom of the furrow; you can adjust that with the verticle bolt on the tail wheel assembly. These adjustments made a great difference with my 2-16" #8; I pull it with an "H" and it was like giving the tractor extra power after those adjustments. The trailing wheel has a lot to do with proper performance. I got this advice from the #8 operator's manual I have.

With a properly adjusted plow, your M should pull 3-14" quite easily; with 3-16" it can be done if your soil is "fit" and you have fluid in the tires or at least one set of weights. You should be able to move along nicely in 2nd gear.

Forget about that 4-14"; your M is what is called a "Three plow tractor". Plowing is not just pulling a plow with brute force, it's pulling a plow that is adjusted for the task it is designed for.

Please don't take this as a lecture. Plowing with a properly adjusted plow in soil that is ready for plowing is a real pleasure. I always say "Listening to a 4 cylinder Farmall pulling a plow is like the singing of angels"

LA in WI

I liked LA in WI suggestions, used to have to almost have to fight with some farmers to get them to move their wheels on tractor and hitches on plow.

What your M will pull depends a LOT on the soil type and condition. Also depends a LOT on what's been done to that M. If the M was overhauled with the overbore M&W or IH Firecrater sleeve/piston set and the governor is really good, it may be putting out close to 50 hp if it's still in good shape.
We used to pull a 3-14 IH plow almost anywhere in 3rd gear with one wheelweight on each side and fluid in the rear tires. From time to time, I also hitched it to a 4/14 Moline plow and with two wheelweights, it would handle it anywhere in 2nd gear, some places in 3rd.
Soil types make a HUGE difference. A half-mile west of where I live a neighbor has a low-lying field where I didn't dare take the M with the 4-14 plow.

Hi, I'm hoping to get some weights soon. But plowing is over now for this year. ...Randy

Hi LA, The ground there isn't to heavy, it has a fair amount of sand in it and is within half a mile of the Cedar river. "Muck" might have been to severe a description of it. The wheels left deep imprints without breaking the edge of the bar pattern when driven over while not plowing. The farm is a organic farm. Don't know what difference that makes but the man that owns it plows the clover down in a two year rotation for different fields. Seems to work for him.

I have the very old style bottoms on this particular plow. New landsides. Old shares (QA style). No way to get them sharpened so far. I think it pulls fairly easy. It looks like it trails OK. It leaves a clean furrow wall at about 6" depth. Only problem I had was the depth lever was all the way down and it was plowing at 6". That plow must be set up to plow very deep! Or the tires are to short. I'm not one to just drag an implement around and hope for the best. I'm trying for the best furrows possible.

About the 4 bottom. I gotta try it as soon as I get the belly pump rebuilt! It's a all hydraulic plow, not a conversion. It might not be a #8. but the beam #'s are the same I think , I'll have to double check that statement. I have to know for sure that It's to much. Then I'll have a reason to sell it. It has plow chief bottoms on it.

My tractor has a muffler but it sounds good and runs very good. This wasn't a lecture it was pretty helpful. Thanks for the reply! ...Randy