I wanna plow !!!!! Need more help.(Super M#16 IH plow)

Hey,me AGAIN!

Getting closer to plow day here in Indiana.Is anyone on here going to the IHC chapter#7 event in October in Bunker Hill???

I have been reading my IH manual on my #16 McCormick plow.It seems like a REAL "geometry test" trying to figure it all out.I must be stupid,or something?

I know EVRYONE out there has their OWN take on how to set up a trailer plow.But from what I understand,I should be pulling on the centerline of the tractor to the centerline of the plow.

Adjusting the furrow wheel.I am thinking the inside of the furrow wheel should be in line with the inside of the furrow wheel on the plow?
(BTW,do I need to set my FRONT wheel on my wide front end to match my rear furrow wheel on my tractor???)

The furrow wheel should be to the outside edge of the heel of the first plowshare,as well???(Setting up the next row??)

I just REALLY want to learn what I am doing here!! I DO NOT like NOT knowing what I am doing!

I pull a 2 bottom 14 inch with my Super M and i pull it as far to the right(as sitting in the drivers seat) as I can. Your right tire needs to be in the furrow of the last pass. It will even out once you get your plow tire in that furrow too. BTW awesome looking plow and tractors. Looks great.

Simply put, the first moldboard and share should cut its full width. Share just inside the vertical wall of the furrow. The second and third will take care of themselves.
THe plow should be level in the ground with all shares cutting the same depth.
The tractor right wheel should be nice and tidy in the furrow such that its sidewall is rubbing gently against the vertical edge.
THe front wheel should be adjusted so that it stays in that location while it is also gently rubbing the vertical wall.
Hitching so the tractor is pulling from its center is good, but 1 or two inches won't matter much. The land tire should be adjusted the same amount out on the axle as the furrow tire so the tractor pulls evenly. That is the best I have. I plowed with H and M for several years successfully. One last point. The people at the plow day will share and help. Do not expect this information to make you able to argue with anybody. Setting up a plow to be efficient and turn over sod so it covers is an art, not a science. Listen closely to those with M tractors pulling similar plows!! As a plow's landslides and moldboards wear, the little adjustments to tweak it perfect will happen. Jim

Good lookin outfit!I pull a #39 "tumblebug" plow (2x14) with my SM.(sorry I dont have pics)Its a nice "divirsion"from the "big ones":>)

You know the Model # of the plow. Now You need the manual! I bet the information is in it. I bought a very good DVD at the Rantoul, IL Show the other day. 50 minutes long; It goes into the basic, & advanced fundamentals of plow, & tractor setup. It covers most models www.bedacompany.com. DVD is $20.

Yes, your front wheel needs to be in the furrow too. It doesn't have to be a specific distance from the wall, but it needs to be SOMEWHERE in the furrow.

If you want to do a good job of plowing, you do NOT want to leave tire marks anywhere on the plowed ground if you can possibly help it. Running down plowed ground as you're making the next pass is a big no-no.

Your next pass will tell you a lot.

(quoted from post at 23:35:10 08/29/11) You know the Model # of the plow. Now You need the manual! I bet the information is in it. I bought a very good DVD at the Rantoul, IL Show the other day. 50 minutes long; It goes into the basic, & advanced fundamentals of plow, & tractor setup. It covers most models www.bedacompany.com. DVD is $20.

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Exactly. The owners manual for that plow will give the exact measurments of where the right rear tractor tire needs to be, measured from the exact center of the tractor.

Dad had me plowing by myself in Indiana when I was 8 years old so here's what I think after looking at your picture. Measure from the center of the plow to your furrow tire, should be around 38 to 40 inches. Set the back tires of the tractor the same from center. I don't like the rear tire to rub the furrow as it will break it down and the 1st bottom will not cut as well. This will give you the best centered pull. You have to make the second pass to tell for sure, go a few hundred feet then get off the tractor and walk the furrow. Look at the tractor from the back about 50 feet away while it is in the furrow. You will see the alignment and if the ground is level.

Also, that's pretty heavy sod you are cutting there. Hard to fine tune the plow because the ground will turn over chunky. In a few weeks find a helpful neighbor that will let you plow some bean stubble ground, do it when the ground is dry. That's where you really need to dial in the plow.

Mike this is for a #8 but the basics are the same.


link to 6 more pages
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35315392@N08/sets/72157624158016850/

Also, are those stock rear tires and rims on your M? They look a little fat, that's Ok as it will help your traction but will make the furrow wheel alignment a little more critical. When centering measure to the center of the tires and adjust from there. I like the front wheel to be adjusted about 2 inches from the furrow wall to the inside edge of the tire. This will provide the best guide when steering straight and remember you still want to avoid knocking the furrow wall down.

Picture is worth a thousand words. My dad thought a 656 IH with a 4 bottom fast hitch plow was the greatest thing since sliced bread. A plow the same width as the tractor and you could control the front draft with the hydraulics. Imagine that.

They are 14.9 x 38,s on 12" rims Todd.

Well, the old worn out formula: 0.5*(3*14)+0.25*14=24.5 inches from furrow wall to point of draft (assuming you have a 14" plow). You cant get your tractor down to 49" inside to inside the rear tractor wheels without switching wheels side to side. I think you can get down to 56-58" if you slide them in all the way. You can't get the center of pull to line up with the center of draft on the plow like everyone says, and that's OK. But you do need to draw an imaginary line from the center of pull to the center of draft and make the clevis fall on that line. The diagram someone posted showing a two bottom makes this clear. The manual calls this "dividing the side draft" or some junk like that.

The way to diagnose this is if the front of the tractor pulls to the right, you need to move the clevis to the left, and if the front of the tractor pulls to the left, you need to move the clevis to the right. And you need to do this while getting the front bottom to cut the correct width also.

I usually set my front tractor wheels out an inch or two wider than the rear, so in your case with the rears at 56" inside to inside, you could set the front up at 58" inside to inside, or at least 24" from the inside of the right wheel to the center of the tractor. The rear wheel always drifts away from the furrow wall.

You could do all the measuring and eyballing in the world, but you'll just have to wait until you're in the field to adjust some things. And make sure all your adjustments are free and not rusted up.

Setting coulters is also related to your question. The procedure goes: set the rear coulter for a clean furrow wall (once you start plowing), set the 2nd coulter so the rear bottom takes the correct width (I assume 14"), then set the front coulter so the 2nd bottom is taking 14". Then you look at the hitch again and set the hitch so the front bottom is taking 14".

And one last thing, if your plow pops out and starts to pull to the left (to the unplowed ground), the problem is never your horizontal hitch setting, if you set it right to begin with. Everyone automatically starts monkeying with the hitch and moving it to the right. The problem can usually be sourced to improper vertical hitch (too high on the plow), dull plow shares, or worn landsides.

Happy Plowing!

I do have a 3 14 plow.

The formula is confusing to me,(Kind of a "hard learner" here.) My email is: [email protected].

Need a little more guidance.I will go ahead and move my rears all the way in,but STILL "dished out" like they already are. I am getting some good advise,but I am still a little lost on what I am doing???

It just needs a little clarification. First you find the middle of the plow, and that is 1/2 of the overall width, or .5 times 3 bottoms of 14 inches. The add 1/4 of a bottom because the first bottom can run a little further over to the left and give good results. Some say more like 2 inches, but I would never argue with a guy like IHCPloughman.

(quoted from post at 21:59:51 09/06/11) It just needs a little clarification. First you find the middle of the plow, and that is 1/2 of the overall width, or .5 times 3 bottoms of 14 inches. The add 1/4 of a bottom because the first bottom can run a little further over to the left and give good results. Some say more like 2 inches, but I would never argue with a guy like IHCPloughman.

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Weeelllllll, the 1/4 bottom isn't optional and the formula is for each bottom cutting the correct width. You know, all it is, is a way to express where the resultant soil force vector is on the plow. When you add up the individual soil force vectors of each bottom you get the resultant vector. I read a IH plowing book from 1952 and the formula was expressed a different way.

Here's my explanation: The soil force vector is located about 1/4 the width to the right of the shin, so 3/4*14=10.5" on the front bottom from the furrow wall in this case. The 2nd bottom would be at 10.5+14=24.5 and the third bottom would be at 24.5+14=38.5. Then you just average those numbers: a three bottom is easy, the center of those three vectors is at 24.5" from the furrow wall. For a two bottom it would be (10.5+24.5)/2=17.5" from the furrow wall. Or, 0.5(2*14)+0.25*14=17.5".

And, once again, this is a starting point. The actual resultant soil force vector, or point of load, will change depending on moldboard design, plowing depth, speed, and soil conditions.