How much HP to pull a plow bottom?? Look as see

Some of you, I think, think I am nuts when I say that we need around 30 HP per bottom to plow. Here is a video of a three bottom plow on a Caterpillar D8H. This is close to 80 HP per bottom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYRlcLOETek

We figure 25 to 35 horse per bottom in our irrigated ground.l pull 4x16 rollover with a 150 horse 1456.

Quite a plow.

Dean

It all depends on the soil and terrain. We pull 4-16s with a 56hp 730 for decades and did well.

I plowed literally thousands of acres sandy loam with an Oliver 1850 and 6x16 plow. The 1850 delivered 105 HP on the dyno which works out about 17-1/2 HP per bottom.

It had the tractor working right at its limit. And even with an extra 450# of ballast out front the steer axle often lifted off the ground. But it got the job done!

15 to 30 hp ..ive pulled 6/16 with a powershift 4020 in sand 7 inches deep but the same tractor had a load with 4/16 in clay

There was a formula that I learned in an ag engineering class at Cornell for calculating HP requirement to moldboard plow.. I can't remember it at the moment but should be able to find it someplace. Engine HP was not considered as rated PTO HP but was considered relative enough to it even though you obviously don't use the PTO to plow but measure via a dynamometer from that point. Anyhow, on the heavier soils here it takes 20 HP per 16" bottom. 24HP per 18" bottom going to maximum recommended depth. Engine HP is a more critical measure today as electrical, hydraulic, misc systems consume more HP versus a tractor made during the 1970's that may lack partial or full power shifting and air-conditioning plus system monitors.

Depends on the plow I guess.

Back in the day, it only took 1 real live horse. But the size of the bottom depended on the size of the horse.

Here is photo of my son pulling three 16” bottoms with a 35 hp tractor that weighs 8540lbs. He was not as deep as he should be, but the D2 did well in 3rd gear.

I pulled a 4x14 in low 4th at around 4.5 mph with an 856 Farmall putting out about 105 hp. Had to pull the TA back once in a while in tough spots.

Hope this helps. That figures to about 25 hp per bottom.

One big variable is the speed at which you're plowing. To simply pull the plow takes a certain amount of drawbar force which you then multiply by the speed to get the power requirement. This explains why steam engines could pull such large plows for their power ratings - there was plenty of weight for traction and they crawled along at a snail's pace. Modern tractors will go two to three times as fast which will require that much more power for the same size plow since you're doing proportionally more work per unit of time.

3x14 ior 3x16 is a good plow for 90 to 120 horsepower here . Down towards preston i can pull another bottom or go a gear sometime two faster at home its 3rd and 4th down there its 4th and 5th had one field i could go in 6th

X 2

Lots of bother to minimize headlands

Soil and speed. There is no magic formula.

My little M will pull anything my 40hp ford will just slower.

It's all going to depend on the soil type, desired depth and speed at which the individual wants to move the dirt. Modern plows are designed much differently than the type of 2-16 Case plow that I pulled over 100's of acres @ about 4mph with a less than 25 HP H Farmall. After I left for college, Dad bought a used 1953 SM factory LPG @ about 45HP. It would pull a 3-16 Case over the same ground at about 5 mph. We plowed about 5-6 inches deep. I still have both plows, both H's we used but not the SM.

I would say around 15 HP per plow bottom.

Easier to make a bigger headland and never stop

What is a headland?

2 or 3 hp. 2 mules can pull a 1 bottom plow and sometimes a 2 bottom plow. I suppose they are the equivalent of 3 horses.

In Michigan near Traverse City where the ground is sandy we use to pull two bottoms with a Ford 850 that had 35 hp. When we hit our black rich bottom lands it was all the tractor would do. That works out to 17.5 hp per bottom which is what the Oliver has with six bottoms. I am thinking that where I am now in East Tennessee with heavy clay soils my MF65 with 44 drawbar hp would only pull two bottoms. So 15 hp in loose sandy soils, 17-20 hp in good black soil in bottom lands, 22-25 hp in heavy clay. So I can believe that if you have really heavy clay soils and you are plowing deeper than 8 inches you will need 30 hp.

Our farm in west central MN, back in the 50s, we pulled 2/14s with our Case SC and 3/14s with our Case DC. My uncle next door was a red nut and his Farmall H compared to the SC and his M to the DC, biggest difference at that time waa the Cases had live power and hydraulics and the Farmalls did not. We're blessed here with Maryland loam soil and NO clay. Towards the east, gravel and rocks on a lot of the farms. My Case 830CK pulls my 4/16s nicely. We also have pretty high ground water around which is an issue by itself occasionally. Larry

Where you turn, and plow last usually one way.

A fancy way to say The ends of the field.

I need that dozer to till my vegetable garden.

We used to pull 4-16's with our D-4 cat and then one day I had the chance to pull our 6-16's with it after some work on it. It would pull the bigger plow in 2nd while the 4bottom was in 3rd. The bigger plow one gear slower would cover more ground in a day than the smaller plow a gear faster. With that considered I would think a D-8 would pull 8-16's like nobodies business. And I would think a D-2 would pull 4-16's pretty easily. D-4 and D-2 were almost the same power size about 40 HP. The difference was the roller frames. The d-2 has the roller frame held aligned by the bearings in front of the sprocket and the D-4 is held in under the back with a sort of wishbone looking arm and a bearing there. Dad always said the d-4 was the better set up. We also pulled the same 6-16's with our 806 and 930 case.

we call them end rows or turn rows

Im sure it depends on the soil and conditions but I agree with you at 30 HP per bottom in my soil & hills. A little more wouldn't hurt either.

You wouldnt pull 6x16 with an 806 here maybe down the road

Soil type , plow depth, and make and model plow will let you know how many bottoms . As a kid i spent many early spring weekends pulling 2x16 Oliver plows behind a O C 3 Oliver following a O C 6 with three bottom three points on it that was following a D 4 Cat pulling 5x16 John Deere . Then came the wheel tractors and first was a 560 Diesel then the 460 D was added and now with just two tractors we had 9 bottom in the same field with only two operators . four sixteens behind the 460 and 5 behind the 560 , both had the heavy tillage third . And both were tweaked a bit . New tractors and new plows , from drag to semi mounts . Mostly lighter soils . Then came the 806 and 706 and heavier plows . More Pony power but the tractors were way heavier and the plows were heavier , the new disc was way heavier and four foot wider . Never paid much attention to how certain model plows pulled till i went on my own . The first plow i bought were 4440 Oliver three bottoms behind a M D and they pulled nice and no problem pulling in third in heavier soil , Then the big up grade to a 450 D with fast hitch and a new to me set of plows and they were 3x14 311. My buddy had a 450 D also BUT he was pulling 4x14 semi mounts easier and faster . Both plows had super chief bottoms . One day i hooked to his four bottoms and found out that i could pull the four bottoms better then the mounted so the 311's went down the road and i found a set of 540's . When another friend's tractor went down i went up to help and hooked onto his Massey 880 four bottoms , same soil conditions but thought i was going to give the 450 a double hernia , god they pulled hard had to run second and kill lots of skeeters , Now i knew why his 560 with the turbo took a dump and i knew for a fact that my 450 could out pull his 560 as i beat him every tractor pull . tried a set of john Deere F145's and they pull hard , my first set of 710's that had the onland tail wheel pulled hard over the next set with the infurrow tail wheel and onland gauge wheel same bottoms just tail wheel location . The next big tractor i bought on impulse was a 1805 Massey and the next week i could not pass up a set of plows for it for 200 bucks . 225 Hp. four wheel drive duals all around and 8x18 's and dual Straight pipes , far cry from a 706 gasser and four bottoms and 75 Hp. It took every pony that tractor put out to drag four more bottoms at the same ground speed of five MPH . BUT what would have taken me a week of after hours farming to do it did it in one evening . One other thing that has changed in how many pony's it takes to drag a plow thru the fields is compaction , as our equipment has gotten much larger and heavier the ground has been getting harder , with the onset of the aid of four wheel drive we tend to push the limits of ground conditions like yea it's a BIT wet but i can get thru now that i have four wheel drive . And the size of stuff our silage wagons gone are the days of the 12 and 14 footers and being able to pull them with a old H & M farmall or john Deere A or B to now where they are to large for a 706 or 806 and tip the scales over 36000 lbs a load and that is not even stuff full. Run them over just lightly damp ground in the fall and come spring you will know where the wagons ran when the plow hits that spot . . I was watching a u tube vid on Big Bud , over 1100 Hp and weighs in at over 136000 lbs . It is amazing how far Ag has come in just my life time from when my uncle set me in the seat of that O C 3 to all the tonka toys i have been around in the 68 years i have been playen in the dirt . From what took three people to do in a long day to what just one can do .

Is about right. 3 bottom KV set at 18" will easily stop our Allis 7010 in its tracks in spots if you hook a few rocks at same time. Thats about 110 hp tractor with cast wheels, and a bunch of weight hung on it, around 14,000 lbs.

It easily stops our 85 hp mfwd Massey. Thats around 11,000 lb loader and mfwd.

The 105 hp Kubota M120 has cast wheels and loader, in 4wd it rarely spins out with the plow but it will slow down fast enough before plow trips to throw you out of the seat. Its cast wheels and loaded tires with loader, somewhere around 13,000-14,000 lb.

Plowing is the most enjoyable thing that I do on a tractor. If I had five acres of land to turn under every year I would do it just for the fun of it. I thought where I live here in Wilkes county N.C. That we had some pretty tough ground, but apparently nothing like what some of you have. Around here my Dad plows with an 8N pulling two 12 bottoms and it pulls them well. I can pull three 14s with my 3600. Anyway I hope my videos downloaded, and I hope yall enjoy them. Next to plowing myself, watching other people plow is my next favorite thing that involves tractors.

[video play=false:91d3321b15]https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/videos/mvvideo62749.mov[/video:91d3321b15]

Cant get my other vid to download, anyway heres a pick of plow depth. I was plowing from 6-8 inches deep, which is about right for a 14 inch plow.