Plow issue

I have a 55 Oliver super 55 and an Oliver 3241 plow that I just can't get to plow. I have leveled the plow but when I use the plow it tracks to the left side so much that it rubs the tire side wall with the three point arms. I can't get the center of draft to pull center of the tractor. The plow came as 16 bottoms but I have adjusted the plow to be 14 bottoms per the manual. I tried to plow this evening but the plow pulled so hard to the left the chain link bolt broke and I was without another where I was. It sits at the end of the field waiting for me to get another. Bolt was bad to begin with so I don't think the pull was so hard to break it but it sure doesn't track at all. If anyone can give me some advice on this I would greatly appreciate the help. Thanks

Landsides worn out or gone?

Do you have a book for the plow? How do you have your wheels set?

Sounds like Teddy is right, landsides are gone. That or the furrow wheel is missing or needs adjusted. Also you might make double sure plow is leveled both front to back and side to side.

Mac

There is a problem somewhere obviously because it shouldn't plow like that. If the plow points, landslides, etc. seem to be in good condition then it must be the way it is adjusted on the tractor. Try adjusting the center link and the crank on the leveling arm in different positions to see if you can get it to track like it is supposed to. Are the points worn out? That can cause one to track to the side as well as one being out of adjustment on the tractor. Keep playing with it and see if you can figure it out. Good luck.

I'd take a close look at the wheel setting of the tractor tire that is in the furrow. Many years ago I struggled with a 3-14" Allis mounted plow that behaved like that. . The WD-45 had spin-out rims on it, and the furrow wheel had to be all the way "in" to get it to plow right. The plow didn't have a tail wheel on it, but once we had the center of pull on the tractor moved over with the rear wheel setting, the plow pulled easier, and did a much better job. We didn't have to change the setting on the rear wheel that wasn't in the furrow. I later discovered that information was in the manual if I would have read a little further.

Thanks guys. I'l have to say I can't tell you if the land sides are warn or not as I quite frankly wouldn't have the foggiest on what to look for. But as a rookie I could say no holes no warn out areas that would point to them being warn out. The plow when I bought it was just used and the prior owner didn't look to have any issue. So what, guys, am I to be looking for that would tell me bad landslides? As to a manual I haven't one. None with the plow when I got it. I did find on line the plow setup for converting it from 16 to 14 bottoms and did it to that. I'd have to check on the wheel spacing I have when I get back to the tractor. Maybe then I can figure this out.

I don't think that plow has a furrow wheel so it must have the extra long landside on rear bottom to hold against furrow wall to keep straight. Probably broken or worn out or wrong one on it. Should be at least 2'long or so.

The hook up for the plow relevant to the three point hitch arms, is there a crank on the plow that will change the tilt of the three point hitch hook up to the plow? If the plow will not trail behind the tractor properly, you should be able to adjust the cross piece of the plow that your three point hitch fastens to. As you would turn that cross piece it will allow the plow to be pulled favouring one way or the other. You may be able to have the plow pull properly and follow the tractor properly by adjusting the pitch of what is essentially a bit of a goose neck, which is the iron that the three point hitch of what your tractor connects to on the plow.

You will find that Teddy has it right. Three things will cause A plow to pull that hard to the left, worn out landsides or the shares are worn so bad that it must be tipped up on the points to get it to go in the ground. The last thing is ground conditions. The tougher conditions are the better condition your wear parts must be in to work decently. Fact is that when the wear parts are up to snuff the plow will pull straight no matter how it is hitched, meaning with in the relm of reason. It will pull harder when the hitch isn't right but it's going to pull straight and do a decent job of plowing. Post some pics of the shares and landsides.

I had that happen with a Farmall H and a JD 2-14 plow and a 3rd-party 3-point hitch. Finally invented a big turn-buckle that I installed from the right-side lift arm, over to the plow, and held the plow exactly 14 inches from the inside of the right wheel. Works perfect. Have to drill a hold in the turn-buckle and install pin to keep it from unwinding. Works prefect.

The wheel settings,center of pull need to be set first.

Landside picture.

Are you using stabilizer bars ? Sounds like if your breaking the stabilizer chain that may be the problem

Extra hard ground? Plow not scoured? Would be interesting to see pictures of what you're dealing with.

I'll bet that if you hook the plow to the tractor on flat ground, and gently lower it to the ground then stand behind the about 10 ft behind the plow and look at it you will find the plow is pointed to the left instead of straight ahead. Your problem is in the cross bar that the lift arms hook to, There are several different ways to adjust that bar depending on the brand of the plow so without a picture of the plow or at least a brand name I can't tell you how. If your lucky it's a vertical lever that just turns the crossbar. None of these methods include moving that cross bar from side to side, You should be able to adjust that plow to run correctly without any stabilizer bars or any other Rube Goldberg tricks
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larbear has got the answer Your handle implies you are in central NY so am I . If your not to far from Sherburne
contact me

I found a picture of the plow on the internet, The adjustment for that plow is the 2 bolts where the lift arm hooks to the plow on the right side. You need to move that side towards the front of the plow a little of maybe a lot. The plow must sit level side to side and front to back when it's in the ground also

Dave, are you talking about the bar where the three point arms hook? There is a pivot pin on the left and a adjustment on the right side. This is the site I found with the manual for the plow and it shows the hook points have some adjustments I could make.
Untitled URL Link

first you have to make sure your plow shares are in good shape with a good point ...next the plow should be level with the ground when the tractor wheel is in the dead furrow. It sounds like the plow wont penetrate the ground good enough to me. Landslides wont cause this big of a problem

One thing that no body mentioned. Do you have coulters and if so what kind? Flat blade or disk blade type as in Yetter? For the Yetter types is not perfectly set will do that and the orignal blades were 16" disk blades. If wore to 15" they work better. When I had to put new blades on I put on 18" blades and could not do anything because of that side pull, put new 16" on and problem went away. And That was on a 3 bottom plow like yours is. Anouther thing is they used 3 different bottoms on that frame, a 12", 14" & 16". I had 14" bottoms set on the 16" spacing. You can go smaller bottoms to larger spacing OK but I think if your bottoms are the 16" from the setting when you got it and moved setting down to 14" then your bottoms just might be too big for it to work OK, If that is what it is your only option is to go back to the 16" spacing or find 14" bottoms. The moldboard on the 16" would be longer so trying to run a narrower spacing it would be making too much side push with that moldboard. Wev only found out ours were 14" bottoms when we had a boldboard break and looking in a parts yard found the correct moldboard but it was on an older non adjustable pull type plow that was a 14" cut. I also had a different plow that was non adjustable 12" frame pull type and the moldboards were shaped different. The shares will fit onall 3 size bottoms so you cannot go to bottom size from share size. Take a 16" bottom and put on a 16" share and you would have what is called a full cut share, now put on the full vut share from a 14" bottom and you have what is called a narrow cut unit That is ment to be used in easy turning over soil as it is supposed to pull easier but also used in hard to roll over soil that has deep rooted plants so it does not cut all the roots off so a few hold the furrow slab fast to help with turning over as it will not just let the slab slide to the right. And make sure those moldboards are mirrow shiney bright enough for to shave with them, not being like that will make it want to pull to left. Sounds like you may have 2 or 3 problems as well as the cross bar not adjusted correctly. And it fit just correctly when we got it with a 60# wheel tread on the larger Ford but your tractor should be set on a 52" wheel tread same as the N series Fords used for plowing.

That's the bar, the one the 3pt arms hook to. The first page of that manual shows the adjustment. You should be able to adjust that bar and make that plow follow the tractor without stabilizer bars no matter what the condition of the landslides and the only difference dull points will make is whether the plow will go in the ground. Pay attention to the wheel spacing in the manual. It's a shame more farmers don't understand that adjustment. Once the plow is in the ground,about 8 inches make sure the plow is level front to back and side to side.

Thanks Dave, the points aren't an issue. I have to back the three point so not to go to deep. I know what warn point do and this plow is good there with near fresh ones. I'll have a look at the wheel tread width and the adjustment point on the plow and see if I can get this old plow to turn some soil. Got behind with the rain we've had this spring and with Cub scouts and work I am booked up. Need to get turning and planting, hay is just around the corner.

Dave I'm in Cortland so not to far from Sherburne.

Another method for this adjustment

http://photos.yesterdaystractors.com/gallery/uptest/a160610.jpg

Is the fourteenth going as deep as the first?

Just wanted to let you know what the issue resolved itself to be. The hitch point where the three point arms attach to the plow had gotten out of angle and was causing the plow to ride way left. I adjusted it to be more in line and it came back behind the plow. I then though the pivot point was wrong so I changed it to another hole put is back straight across the plow and it was back to worse. I went back to the first set up and back it came around to behind the plow. There is still some set up to get it where it ought to be but it's back where it should be. It isn't pulling on the chains nor are the three point stabilizer bars needed. A good cleaning up of the plow will get it to run even smoother. It was shinned up pretty good but could be better. It pulls now behind the plow and with much less effort unlike before from the tractor.