Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo Auction Link (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Farmall & IHC Tractors Discussion Forum
:

How many furrows can a W4 pull?

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
Canadian Ken

05-09-2008 20:28:15




Report to Moderator

I have a straight W4, with loaded 13.6 X 26 tires. I saw a IH 2 furrow trail plow out for sale tonight, and I thought it would look good behind the W4. I expect that the tractor can handle 3 furrows in the right conditions? What size plows are used by fellow owners of W4's? I would like to change the back tires to 14.9's, but I don't want to spend the money right now.

Ken




[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
LenNH

05-18-2008 07:23:45




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
The Nebraska tests for H and W-4 show the belt and drawbar horsepowers as virtually the same (within a tiny fraction of a horsepower difference). I haven't used a W-4, but I spent a good 15 years on two Hs, one distillate model, and one meant for gas. The IHC sales literature (I'm looking at it right now) says the H "will pull two 14-inch bottoms in normal fields under any plowing conditions." Does not say how fast, but I can say for sure no faster than second gear. In fact, we used both our Hs to pull a 2-12" Little Genius, and that was "all she could do." Third gear? Almost never, except maybe in VERY light soil (in other words, no sod, like last years's wheat field). There might be a little difference in the traction of the H and W-4, due to the differences in tire sizes, but with the same horsepower, they can't be very different in what they will do.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
ihc49

05-11-2008 22:39:04




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
the w4 pulls 3 14s no problem. w6 3 16s no problem from experience.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
rich4

05-10-2008 16:24:23




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
Allways get a kick out of how big a plow a tractor can pull, when they were new an H or W-4 could pull 2-16" and 40+ years later they barely pull 2-12's or 2-14's. Now days a tractor has to pull a plow at least 5 or 6 mph or it is underpowered, years ago it was OK to use 2nd or 3rd. Noone wants to go slow anymore. Bigger tractors, faster moving is more efficient using a lighter load.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Hugh Mackay

05-10-2008 18:41:53




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to rich4, 05-10-2008 16:24:23  
Rich: They'd still be better off driving 4 mph. I pulled a 5x16 semi-mount with my 656 in 2nd gear, roughly 4mph on 16.9x38 tires. Had I dropped a bottom I probably could have plowed a bit faster, however a 5x16 at 4mph will plow more ground in a day than 4x16 at 5mph. Technically they should be the same, however the 5 bottom saves number of trips across the headlands



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Athol Carr

05-10-2008 14:36:03




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
My 1941 W-4 initially came with 11.25 x 24 tyres on the back. Still has the 24 inch 3 piece rims for Firestone tyres. On the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand a W-4 was usually able to pull 3 - 11 or 12 inch furrows, probably not too deep. A Farmall M would pull 4 furrows.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Eugene Beckham

05-10-2008 07:55:48




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
2-12s or 2-14s shallow on light ground.A w-4 & H has 152 cub's & an M has 248 an was a good 2 plow tractor in 3rd 0r 4th gear. 3plow was too much in heavy ground 2nd gear with slipage.This tractor had 4 in pistons. H stay with 2 bottom.Good luck Gene



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Vapet

05-10-2008 07:06:34




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
Like others have said two bottoms are just right for a W4. Myself think they look better with the larger tires. Wonder, which size tire sold the most on new W4's?



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Hugh Mackay

05-10-2008 09:36:15




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Vapet, 05-10-2008 07:06:34  
Vapet: A lot of the war time W4 tractors came on steel. My dad's came on steel plus the rims, but no tires. Don't know how wide spread that was but there several others right in my area. Dad bought his in 1942 and wasn't able to buy rubber until 1946.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Vapet

05-10-2008 10:07:00




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Hugh Mackay, 05-10-2008 09:36:15  
Very interesting Hugh. The rims, did they also have the cast centers? At least they had faith that the war would end and rubber would be availible again.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Hugh Mackay

05-10-2008 14:10:10




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Vapet, 05-10-2008 10:07:00  
Vapet: Yes, the rims came with factory cast centers. Both the cast centers and the steel were made to slide on the splined axle. Don't ask me what size rubber they put on the rims, I was only 9 when the W4 went down the road traded on an H in 51.

Actually I think there is a difference on dates when we couldn't get rubber compared to US. Canada being part of the British Empire was in the war from day one in 1939, whereas it would be 1941 for US. There are a couple of other factors, near as I can tell, IH were shipping tractors into Canada without rubber early as 1939. From there it was up to IH Canada and the Canadian Government to iron out how many tractors got rubber. Another factor was location, and this was probably true both sides of the border. I think if you were in one of the Provinces or States that had big agriculture, important agriculture production, then you stood a chance of getting rubber. I'm from Nova Scotia, thus we weren't very important to agriculture production.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
RustyFarmall

05-10-2008 06:29:45




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
The other guys are correct on the 2-14s, so I'll comment on the tires. I'm wondering if you might encounter a tire to fender clearance issue with the wider tire?



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
gene bender

05-10-2008 05:36:45




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
The 2-14s would be great for the W4.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Hugh Mackay

05-10-2008 02:33:56




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
Ken: 2x14 No.8 Tractor Plow was standard issue with a W4 in the 1940s. I don't think you'll pull 3 in very many soils.

My dad bought a new W4 and No. 8 plow in 1942. At that time he was doing some custom plowing. I never got to plow with the W4. In 51 he traded it off for an H. He liked the H much better for the added traction it got with 38" tires, especially on plowing and other tillage.

On our farm, I was the first to try 3 bottoms behind the Farmall 300. Based on that, I'd have to say no to a W4 pulling 3 bottoms, 300 didn't run away with 3, and I had some of the easiest plowing known to man.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Janicholson

05-09-2008 21:34:36




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
2-14s is on target in average to tough soil. Light loam and sand 3 14 will pull. JimN



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
John S-B

05-09-2008 20:43:31




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Canadian Ken, 05-09-2008 20:28:15  
Two furrows should be fine for that W4, maybe 3 in light soil.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
mark

05-10-2008 07:34:19




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to John S-B, 05-09-2008 20:43:31  
I just wonder how many of the commentators have any real experience with a W4, except for Hugh?

How is advice handed out? Based on what they read in a book? On what they think "looks right"? Or perhaps what they seen a neighbor use behind such a tractor?

In this neck of the woods, Farmall"s were once quite common, as a there was a local dealer and so many SA"s - 140"s were used to cultivate tobacco. But never once, have I laid eyes on a W4, dead or alive. I cannot count the Super A"s and C"s, the H"s and M"s and various hundred series....they seemed to be everywhere. On the other side of the County, there was a JD dealer.....so of course, that is what ruled in that area. I don"t think it was anything other than, what was locally available that determined the choice.

I still wonder how folks that never owned or operated a certain tractor, can hand out advice on what it is capable of.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Vapet

05-11-2008 11:13:59




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to mark, 05-10-2008 07:34:19  
Well Mark there is one sitting in my barn that I do use sometimes.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
mark

05-11-2008 15:25:48




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Vapet, 05-11-2008 11:13:59  
vapet,

well...that makes 2 out of 8 or 9, which is about 25% or thereabouts.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Hugh Mackay

05-10-2008 15:42:37




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to mark, 05-10-2008 07:34:19  
Mark: Actually my experience with the W4 is quite limited, dad traded it off for an H when I was 9 years old.

My first expereience with the W4 was pulling hay wagon with loose hay loader behind. The two guys building the loads of hay from the hayloader were complaining about my aging grandfather being just a bit too vicious on the clutch. One day in 1948 dad said to me, "Hugh you've got a job driving the W4 loading hay as long as those two guys on the load don't complain." His offer was a bit hollow, I don't think I made quite two years until I graduated to being one of the guys on the load and my brother became the tractor driver. I also operated the W4 a bit on a spring tooth cultivator. Not until he got the H in 51 did I get a chance to do any plowing, same 2x14 plow.

In our soil dad claimed the H pulled the plow and other tillage implements better than the W4. that was eastern Canada with 45" annual rainfall where the soil was relatively soft. The 38" wheel definitely has an advantage in that situation. I believe if you go to the great western plains where flotation and traction were not a problem, the W series tractors had a distinct advantage, that being the smaller diameter wheel giving the same engine more torque and greater pulling power.

Most folks will think of the W series as a great plains tractor, and the Farmall for row crops of the mid west. However as early as 1951 we were asking for wider tires on Farmalls, hoping to gain more flotation on our soft soils. It was common to see an H or M on duals. Two things changed, tile drainage and wider tires by 1957.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
mark

05-10-2008 18:10:51




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Hugh Mackay, 05-10-2008 15:42:37  
Hugh,

One thing about it, I know if it comes from you, it comes from the horses mouth....and not the other end!

I make a point to never comment on anything I am clueless about, and it annoys me when others freely expound their wisdom based on nothing but supposition. Parking your arse in the saddle of tractor will qualify a person to comment on it, otherwise, it"s mostly BS.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Hugh Mackay

05-10-2008 18:48:17




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to mark, 05-10-2008 18:10:51  
Mark: Amazing how a pan seat making contact with an arse, was able to instill such strong memories in the storage section of the brain.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
usetabesteve

05-10-2008 10:49:01




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to mark, 05-10-2008 07:34:19  
Mark, if you consider that the W-4 was very similar to an H, and the H was one of the most common tractors in the country for quite a few years, a bunch of the guys here would have a pretty good idea what a W-4 would do. Back in the day, even if your family didn't own an H, the neighbors might. Families worked together more back then, so you'd wind up driving the neighbor's H every once in a while.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Randy-IA

05-10-2008 10:37:32




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to mark, 05-10-2008 07:34:19  
Hi Mark , I'll call it extrapolation for lack of a better word . I'm not meaning to be a smarta$$ but with the knowledge of weights and horsepower coupled with experience on similar tractor sizes one can guess the ability of a different but similar tractor . I don't have to have the firsthand experience of cutting my finger off to know it's gonna hurt like the dickens . This type of question also begs me to wonder how somebody in Canada can give plowing advice to somebody in Texas or Georgia . But they do and they do a wonderful job at it . My point is that advice is just that - advice - take it or leave it . That's why it helps so much to have multiple answers to any given question . If a dozen answers from different parts of the country all point to the same conclusion , well you can almost take it to the bank that it's good advice . So , I don't see a problem with answering about something that I may not have firsthand experience with . I may be intelligent enough to do a mental comparison and extrapolate a reasonable assumption ( Yes I know what assuming does ! ) Take care ! ...Randy

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
mark

05-10-2008 11:46:10




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to Randy-IA, 05-10-2008 10:37:32  
Randy,

Well....I DID cut a finger off once upon a time and quite frankly....it didn"t hurt all that much. Sewing it back on, hurt like hell.

I cannot enumerate the Farmall H"s that were once prevalent in this area, they were as common as fleas on a hound. I never knew any of them to pull 3 plows. Mostly 2 -12"s or 2-14"s. I knew one farmer that had an 806 back in the sixties when it was new...4 16"s made the black smoke roll. I once knew a man that had an early Ford diesel..861 maybe? He thought that was a powerhouse and hooked 3 12"s to it. He just couldn"t figure out why it ate a clutch every other year. The first 3 bottom tractor I ever watched plow, was an Allis WD45. Three 14" bottoms were a handful and no speed contests could have been won. The first 5 bottom tractor I ever saw in action was an Allis D21 and for once, I got to see what a brute really was. This was all 40+ years ago. Since that time, big horsepower heavyweights have come along and relegated those old timers to the junk heap or as coveted collectors items. Funny thing...I never knew of anybody that collected mules when tractors displaced them.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
John S-B

05-10-2008 10:21:57




Report to Moderator
 Re: How many furrows can a W4 pull? in reply to mark, 05-10-2008 07:34:19  
I wonder how people can make assumptions about people they don't even know, and what kind of experiences that person has had.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy