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Help me with plowing advise with my Super M and #16 plow!!!

M

mike1972chev

Well-known Member
I am sure I will start some controversy here !!!
I have a 53 Super M with a GOOD strong engine.It has a single set of wheel weights on each rear,tires are 14.9x 38 and have about 40-50% tread and have NO fluid.I have 6 suitcase weights on the front.I am considering buying new/good used 15.5x38 and new 14" rims for the rear????(Dont know if bigger tires will cause issues with "furrow tire"???)

I have a #16 McCormick 3x14" plow I will be be pulling.The plow shares are are in good shape.

OK,The question is:
#1 Will the big 15.5 tires be an issue?

#2 Should I add fluid to them if I use either the 14.9s or the 15.5s ???

#3 Any suggestions on how to plow well??? NEVER been to "plow day" ever! :)
 
Probably not much difference in total effect, but the larger tires will croud the furrow.
In either case the plow is OK for the tractor.
With it in the ground, all colters should cut 14" wide strips. Adjust the furrow wheel to make this happen. Depth should be equal on all bottoms, and the colters cutting to the left of the frog some but not more than 5/8"
Check the landslides to be sure they are not woen such that the plow pulls crooked. (tapering to the rear of each is not desirable). I would use the smaller tires, as plowing is not done with wet ground. The traction will be fine. Used or new windshield wasser fluid, or Rimguard (beet juice) will not rot the rims, and is a good ides. Jim
 
have you tried to plow with it? may not even need extra weight. i plow 2-14's with an H one set of wheel weights. Also try and stay away from fluid as it can eat away at rims and be an overall pain with handling them. do a google search for "tractor plowing at it's best" you can print off a copy at archive dot something its an old ih publication. it will get you started
 
Calcium chloride will only eat the rims if the tubes or valves leak.The John Deere G i bought in 1986 had fluid in the tires when I bought it and it is still in.I have only put 1000 hours on it since I restored it in 1987 so it is not a high use tractor
 
You will probably need 2 or 3 sets of weights to get enought traction if the ground is tough at all. If you go with fluid look for an alternative to the corrosive type unless you like buying rims. Find yourself someone who will help you with plow setup, and then have some fun with your stuff!
 
Lots of concern and effort and dollars to go to maybe, one plow day every year. Why the fixation on plowing? No one really does it anymore.

Maybe focus on uswing your tractor at home or parades and shows.
 
We bought a new SM in '54 & pulled a 3x14" # 16 plow behind it until the mid '60s. Weight required will depend on soil type,& plowing depth. WE ran 2 sets of weights on the landside wheel + a dual with cast iron wheel, 6-8 weights on the furrow wheel & fluid in both rear tires. Always plowed 9-10" deep in 2nd gear & once in awhile had to drop to 1st. Our soils are Sable & Ipava loams, both heavy,black soils that tend to be poorly drained. Rear tires were the qvivalent of todays 13.6 x38s

If tire diameter is greater with the 15.5s over the 14.9s I think the 15.5s would hurt your tractor's performance. You'd definetely have to drop a gear. A good friend of mine tells the story of having a SMTA with 13x38 tires & when plowing along with his dad on an M he would outrun his dad. He had 14.9s pput on his SMTA & said his dad would outrun him with the M because he had to drop a gear so traded th 14.9s for a set of 13.6s.

I wouldn't worry too uch about the 15.5s causing problems because of width. I have plowed several thopusand acres with tractors with either 15.5s or 18.4 ties pulling 14" plows & never had a bit problem.

AS far as setting the plow, do pretty much as would said on the coulters, make sure landslides, shins, & shares are good. plow is level side to side & front to back when plowing and drafts in a straight line. We always set our hitch / furrow wheel so that the front bottom cut 2" more than the moleboard width of cut - 16" in your case. That way you didn't have to run the rear tire aginst the furrow sidewall to get a full width of cut. But at the same time don't drive too far to the right & get an undercut with the front bottom. When done the field should look like it was plowed by one big plow. NO ridges or valleys where the front bottom throws against the last bottom of the previous pass.
 
I would consider installing a dual wheel on the land side, or use two wheel weights on the land side, and one wheel weight on the furrow side.
This will help in moist conditions as the land wheel gets the least traction.

All the fluid, weights & tires won't help much until you get the plow set up correctly.
http://ytforums.ytmag.com/viewtopic.php?t=769643

Once you get the plow set up correctly, and lube all the grease fitting liberally, go a round or two with it set shallow, and run as fast as you can (fourth gear compared to third) to get the bottoms shined up, stop often & clean the dirt from the shares with a stiff putty knife, once dirt does not stick to the shares you have it shined up & ready to do some good work, it will then pull much easier.
I beleive you will do just fine with a single wheel weight on each side & use the tires you have now, the trick is to get the plow set up for the conditions. My experience has been most plow days are set way in advance with little consideration for soil conditions. This is common and you just have to learn to do the best you can with what you have to work with.

ps. Sorry Joe, looks like we posted our replies at exactly the same time, great minds think alike.
 
14.9s and 15.5s are practically the same tire. It isn't like going from a 13.6 to a 14.9. Actually, the rolling circumfance/height of a 14.9 is greater than a 15.5. Put those 14.9s on some 14" rims and you are GOOD TO GO!!! BTW, your not going to find used 14" rims very easy. They are a pretty modern invention from what I am seeing. Everybody was on to double bevel rims when that big of tires were being used. Maybe you can find them on different brands of tractors???
 
Have used 13.6 on 11 inch rims, 14.9 on 12 inch and 15.5 on 14 inch with a 3-14 plow. Some soils the 15.5 seemed a little wide in the furrow for ideal furrows.
 
Here in the furrow irrigated country,we plow every thing-every year.Have to to get a clean surface for waqter to run.
 
Save your money,use the tires you have-unless you just gotta have new tires.Like theOther guys have said,put 2-3 wts on the land wheel,0-1 wt on the furrow wheel.You gotta have some slippage(10% is idael).The plow is a good match.Now get after it and plow!Have fun!(Yes,I have plowed 100s/1000s acres with a SM,706,1256,etc.kinda know what I'm talkin about!)
 
Either tire will be fine, as far as weight, as long as your plow is set up and working properly, and you have it hitched correctly it will depend on the type of ground and weather conditions: The question you should ask yourself is do you plan on working/using the tractor or showing/parading/pulling it more? If you are going to use it and not tow it around, or change weight classes at a pull, or spend lotsa time in road gear on rides and such, then loading the tires may be the way to go...it's hard to beat liquid for traction purposes as it not only utilizes the weight, but a little centrifugal force comes into play once you are moving (I use windshield washer fluid as opposed to calcium chloride as it is non corrosive.) If you are going to be doing the other things I would just get 3-4 sets of weights and throw a cpl sets on when you plow. More if it's wet: this spring was wet here in the Southern Tier of NY and the IH's that generally do plow day with one set of weights were slippin' alot (our SH with 2-16s, my buddy's SM with 3-14s...)but almost all the tractors except the N Fords and horizontal 2 cyl Johnnies.
As far as plowing well...there are a couple of excellent plowing books out there, your IH plow manual will help alot, ask the guys that already know, and just keep plowin' and adjustin' you'll be an old hand before ya know it!
 
Why is everyone so hung up on "furrow crowd?"

Dad's been plowing with 20.8x38 tires in 16" furrows for 30 years. Works fine. Before that, it was 18.4x34 tires in 14" furrows. Worked fine.
 
Just got done with a plowing bee here in Central IA a couple weekends ago. Took the '53 SM with 14.9x38 tires (no fluid) and 1 set wheel weights with a No.8 3x14 trip plow. Now mine is a little easier to pull as it has slat bottoms but it seems to be a great set up! Had no problems pulling it and things actually worked out great that I took the slat bottom because everybody else was plugging up in the wet, sticky soil. Either one of your tire choices would work just fine. I would throw anywhere from 1 to 3 sets of wheel weight on it and go. Your SM will have no problems with a 3x14 plow regardless of how the tractor is set up as long as it has a little rear end weight. Just my opinion though...
a46503.jpg
 
Cool set up !!!

Here is what I will be taking.(SOME modifications are not complete yet.Please forgive the overspray on the tire sidewalls.I will have to take paint stripper to the tires.The "slime" I used to mask the paint DID NOT work very well !!!!)
 
You hitched DIRECTLYto the U bar with your clevis,or are you using the swinging drawbar ofset one way or the other ???
a46515.jpg
 
Here's a pic of my plowing set-up. '54 SMTA, 2 sets of wheel weights, about #700 of front weights, 15.5 rear tires. 3point I fabricated. Jd 4200 3-16 rollover plow. Works like a charm.

Ben
a46518.jpg

a46519.jpg
 
do you keep any spare axles around? we had fasthitch on our SMTA, used mounted 3 bottom, and field cultivator. Broke 3 over the years. Gets your attention when it happens.
 
Mabie not where you live, South Dakota I assume. Alot of farmers still use moldboard plow around here. They usually do it when the are going from sod to corn. Not saying it's right or wrong, just saying. : >)..
 
Same here, always two way plows. My favorite is my Super C with mounted single 16 two way. Beautiful job and fun. That tractor really changed life on this old farm in 1953.
 
I'm definately no expert on plowing so I had it hooked to the swinging drawbar with it on center. Everything seemed to work pretty good. You have a very nice setup! Hopefully I will get my SM and plow painted here pretty soon.
 
If your are using a trailer plow set the rear wheels as narrow as you can, offset the tractor drawbar to the right stop, offset the plow tongue to the left as needed for a straight pull which will put both rear tractor on land where they are supposed to be.

This will give you a smooth level ride and you won't come home with one cheek bigger than the other.

Dell

(Now, that's what I call controversy :)
 
I have a very strong super m that i pull 3/16's with, oliver plow 4340 never even has hesitation pulling it about 8-10 inches deep in real heavy clay dirt here in central ohio. i only have old style hubs for duals on each wheel and they arent loaded with calcium either. I have 13.6 38's on the back also. dynoed the tractor a week ago and have 54 hp on the pto
 
Thanks,Was looking for a #16 McCormick plow for several years !!!The paint will only be staying on the TOP side of the plow !!!! I am ready to work this thing !!!!
 
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