Re: Re: Re: Opinions of a 1466

Posted by Hugh MacKay on February 21, 2004 at 14:08:00 from (64.228.11.124):

In Reply to: Re: Re: Opinions of a 1466 posted by farmerbill on February 21, 2004 at 10:06:07:

Bill: I farmed for a quite a number of years, and one thing I didn't mention in the earlier post was I also had a 100hp Deere with 8 speed power shift and a 1066, but I rarely ever plowed with them on my 5x16 semi-mount. Most of my tractor work was performed by hired help, thus the easiest way to keep them from breaking something was load them to the limit. The few times I let someone plow with the 1066 they always come back with something broken, usually coulters, but once he came back with a bottom tied on with a chain. The trip beams were working as I had checked them before he left the yard. For that reason and the fact the Deere and 1066 were usually busy with other work at plowing time, 656 with 16,9x38 tires, no solid or liquid weight other than front end weights for steering control on greasy headlands, pulled the 5 bottom plow.

I also owned a 20' disk with 20" blades and 25' vibra shank cultivator with crumblers. The Deere would always pull that disk in 3rd or 4th which is 3.5 and 4.5 mph respectively. Sure the 1066 would pull it at 5 to 6 mph, but like most farms I had the ocasional big rock. And you know something, the Deere never broke a disk blade, 1066 would. One day we were a bit short on help, and put a greenhorn on the 1066 with cultivator. I went to check on him and he was flying, 2 gear hi and hi on the TA. The cultivator was bouncing, thus leaving soil like waves on the ocean. I drove on it with the pickup and man, a guy would have gotten seasick planting corn behind him. Interesting part is it took three years for the waves to disappear. 1066 had duals another reason I didn't plow with it. He had only been going about 1/2 hour and already there were three broken shanks on the cultivator, the first ones I had broken in about 5 years since the cultivator was new.

No my friend speed is not the answer. I never needed a larger plow but if I had, it would have been an on land hitch and I would have plowed with duals. Contrary to what you claim on cost of operating plows, or for that matter disks or cultivators speed does not pay. Your breakage and wear costs will far out weigh any time you saved. Now I've just done some quick figures on 6 and 8 bottom plows. An 8 bottom plow at 3 mph will plow exactly the same ground per hour as a 6 bottom at 4 mph. If you step them each up 1 mph to 4 and 5 mph respectively the 8 bottom plow at 4 mph will plow roughly 10% more ground than the 6 bottom plow making 5 mph. Your fuel savings are also substancial per acre at these slower speeds. I like 4 mph for plows and disks and 5.5to 6 for cultivators. It doesn't bother me a whole lot if I have to go slower. I know the equipment industry is yelling high speed everything, but then they love to see us busting up equipment.

Remember I can plow in the heaviest of clay with my Farmall 130 and 2x12 fast hitch plow, 1st gear which is 2.3 mph and on lighter soils I get to 2nd quite easily and that is 3.7 mph. That is roughly 11.5 hp per 12" bottom, I stand by what I said in the earlier post. 20 hp should be just about right for an 18" bottom.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Opinions of a 1466 farmerbill 09:58:41 02/22/04 (1)
  • Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Opinions of a 1466 Hugh MacKay 13:36:58 02/22/04 (0)

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