Got motivated to try plowing again yesterday...

Was going to post this last night but I was too tired to get the pictures and vudei uploaded, lol. So I've had this tractor since like 1996 or so, but I've never plowed with it for more than like 30 minutes or an hour.

So yeah, first time I've even had the plow on in 2 years. I must have done a poor job of cleaning and greasing it.

Took some video of the occasion, as well. Plowing in 2nd gear, WOT. Video Link --> https://youtu.be/WmttfJdss8U

I may not have the plow adjusted quite right. I had to clean the plow for the first hour or two every pass with a shovel, and even at the end of five hours of plowing I still never got the trash boards really cleaned up (they wanted to cling the brown clay really well).







This is the most scoured up I've ever seen the plow, but I feel like I have many hours more of plowing to go before it's really where it should be. Before and after pics.





BONUS:

My actual motivation is because I stopped by a plow day near the Winchester IL river bottoms on 10/20. Here's a couple pics:

It looks like you're doing a fine job. Sometimes those cover boards never do shine up. Kinda depends how deep you are plowing. If plowing shallow the dirt may not even be hitting
the cover boards.

First thing, VERY glad to see you wearing ear protection. That tractor
looks really cute. The way I got a plow really well on the way to a
polish finish. Harbor freight has several types of wire wheels that
screw onto your angle grinder. Wear a set of goggles and a full face
shield useing this tool. You want to go in the direction the dirt will
flow as you clean the surfaces. Lots of elbow grease but the plow will
polish so much more easily. Never ever use sand paper or sandblasting
etc. One of those heavyduty wire wheels is the ticket. You want to
clean every nook and crany if you can. You want to remove as much
resistance as you can. When all done at the end of plowing clean it
immediately and grease it up really good. Don't paint it because you
need to wear the paint off again. Grease is messy but it works great
and cleans off the plow in twenty or thirty feet. Have fun.

Use soft black paint on the plow. It will last a long time and comes off easily. You can put gasoline on it to dissolve it. I used to get it from our John Deere dealer.

I paint mine every year with what ever color rustoleum I have sitting around. Much of it comes off in the first pass but the dirt slides off the remaining paint without a problem. Without a primer the paint isn't that hard to get off. I have my plows shined up real well before applying.

Maybe it is just the camera angle but that plow appears to me to have a much shallower cutting angle than most. Like maybe it is designed to pull more easily in very heavy soil. The shares appear to be in very good condition. For me the key to avoiding rust is to back up to the shop door and grab whatever partial can of paint I have and paint it before dismounting it. If I do this even if I plan to use it again later in the year, it is protected when my plans change.

great pictures!!!

If you have any old "soft" clay brick laying around, take one and rub it over each bottom, then plow. Some old boy taught us that trick and we took a plow in about the same condition as yours and after a couple of passes it was nice and shiny. Don't ask me how.

Also I use a product from the local farm store called till guard or something like that to spray on the bottoms when I'm done. Looks like spray paint but comes off with a simple rub of your finger and protects well.

Plow had cover boards on when we bought it and found out it worked better without them so junked them. And paint is better than the soft type as the paint will last 2 seasons if you do not use the plow, that soft stuff will be gone after the first heavy rain. And the paint will be gone in first 500'.

If it comes off with a simple rub of your finger it is only good if in an enclosed building. The snow we get here would wipe it right off in first snow, then rest of winter to rust if outside as I think his plow probably is.

Thanks for the replies all! Was hoping to get back out and plow again but its been raining here, but hope to get a few more hours on the plow to scout it some more before the snows hit in a month or two!

flying belgian / Leroy -- Yeah, the cover boards just want to plug up. Thinking about just taking them off. Are they made for plowing up like corn stalks and stuff?

jeffcat -- Indeed, I always wear my earmuffs when driving the tractor. Old girl is LOUD!! Grandpa left the old corn screen on the front and the cultivator brackets so I just left that and other pieces on as I think they look neat. I actually did use a knot cup brush on an angle grinder for several hours to try and get it ready for the first use and I think it helped a lot.

Jerry He / Charlie M -- Will cover it before I shed it for the year. I tried 140 wt oil one year (fail), grease another year (did better but sat too long).

showcrop -- Hmmm, not sure. I know I can drop it down low enough that the tractor can only pull it in first gear! But with a little bit of traction boost (about a thumb width up on the hydraulic lever) she'll pull in 2nd gear. Seems to cut thru the clay soil pretty good, but unsure about the share dimension. I can tell the tips have been welded back up at some point (probably stick weld).

larry@stinescorner -- Thanks!

Meangreen -- Oooh never heard that idea with soft clay brick. I think I've got a few so I could give that a try in the places where it isn't shined up well yet.

I use the same stuff Leroy and it works really good . Painted some moldboards last January when I finally got the plow home and it was still in September when I hooked the plow back on

(quoted from post at 00:58:27 10/28/18) I use the same stuff Leroy and it works really good . Painted some moldboards last January when I finally got the plow home and it was still in September when I hooked the plow back on

Click to expand...

Gonna try and plow again tomorrow afternoon if the weather holds, and then grease or paint the plow.

I have one plow with cover boards and it does the best job of plowing out of the 4 plows I use they realy help burry the trash and turn the sod .

Depends on how deep yoy are trying to plow. If deeper than the bottom was designed for possibly yes, if as deep as it was designed for no, the soil will not get up to the coverboard.