The Perfect Plow Tractor?

[rbeem]

Huh, that's well put. Thank You Mr. Plow.
I would like to see an official "Plow Police" tractor complete with lights and siren though.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Mike Horn with his depth gauge from WFM Spring Tillage Day 2003.

 

[sblunier]

Plow Police Tractor.......would need an overdrive and high HP to be a true plow "interceptor"......

 

[digger]

 

[jstertz]

That is one of the unique things about this hobby, the variety--both of tractors and opinions. I love the way people outfit their tractors differently. Some are bone stock and others are heavily modified. I really do think that the GT plowing is part of our hobby that could/will continue to blossom and gain interest. In the rural areas of MN, WI, IA, IL, MI, etc, people are used to seeing tractors plowing fields. However, the average person has never even thought of the possibility of plowing a field with a "lawn mower". It is an amazing novelty really and a great testament to the build quality of the tractors that can/do plow for an extended period of time in conditions fit for a tractor five to ten times their size. Impressive! As I mentioned earlier, I love watching Steve Bluniers awesome 20 hp Super plowing with his custom 2 bottom plow but I also love watching Steve Shaff's nearly stock 73 plowing. The cool thing is that both are equally fun to use. Charlie hit the nail on the in general when he said,
"The PERFECT plow tractor is the one that you butt sets on at any given point in time!
Kinda like a car or truck, if my butt doesn't feel good settin in it, I ain't buying it!"

I don't deny that statement at all. I have only been plowing with GT's for three years now and I have enjoyed the seat time that I've got on any GT I've been able to use for this purpose. This thread is not designed to condemn the little stock tractors or the big modified ones. The idea is to give folks some positive thoughts on things that make a good plow tractor better and a good plow tractor great. You guys have shared so much helpful information already, it will take me awhile to "digest" it all.

So, now that we've identified that we ALL enjoy plowing, that like any hobby, there are a few things we'd like to change, and we have had a very informative discussion on GD tractors, I'd like to discuss hydros for a little while. I'm hoping that Marlin is following this thread and will be willing to chime in. The Sundstrand 15U is one of the toughest hydros to be placed in a GT ever. They have stood up to an unbelievable amount of abuse over the last nearly 50 years. However, I don't understand a whole lot about how a hydrostatic pump works but it seems pretty important to keep it as cool as possible. Would it be beneficial to put an inline electric fan style tranny cooler on a hydro pump? Are there any modifications that are simple that could be done to the hydro that would help it run cooler, pull harder, hold up longer? It never ceases to amaze me how hot these things get and the way they whine when plowing hard, yet let them cool and they are back at it. What are some of the advantages that you guys have seen plowing with a hydro?

 

[cfolk]

Steve, that was very well said. I could just turn my son loose behind your son and I wouldn't have to watch him like a hawk even though he did pretty well for 5 years old. He thinks he needs a 2 bottom but I said the 12" works just fine lol.

 

[vthomley]

Pics are always good

Perfect Plow tractor, the Plow Special.

Here's a few perfect plow tractors.

Here's a perfect fall day pick, may be the furrows were not quite perfect.

Perfect shirt for plowing in front of those JD 430s, etc.

 

[jstertz]

Vincent--thanks for the great photos. IMHO any time on any solid running GT plowing is a good time. (Of course I'm partial to Cubs!) Like I said elsewhere on the forum, plowing makes me want to do more plowing! Love the shirt!

Charlie--I can see it now. Charlie Proctor--"Home of the Correct Plow Police Special"

. That is classic picture!

 

[sblunier]

Hydros:

Not too much to do to them, other than the basics...

1) Correct, clean oil (Hy-Tran) and filter.
2) Correct engine speed
3) Good check/relief valves
4) Good trunion/centering springs
5) Correct charge pressure

Tricks:

Verify charge pressure and implement lift relief set point if plow won't lift when hot.

Install 1/4" washer between centering spring button and large spring on one or both ends of the trunion to keep the springs from "backing off" the swash plates under a hard pull. Note: This will make your hydro MUCH more jerky for other light duty uses and it takes the "dampener" out of the linkage.

 

[sblunier]

Generic tip:

Consider 26" rubber on your dedicated plow rig. Ground clearance is greatly improved and you won't lean in the furrow as much.

....and yes, you can pull 10" and 12" bottoms with 26" tires and not have an issue...the tires snuggle right down in the furrow.

This is where the "high wheel" Case GT's have a nice advantage......

 

[aaytay]

I'll echo Steve's comments. The key to running a good PD seems to be many open furrows, and lots of "self policing" by the participants.

I've been to PDs where there were "10hp and under" sections. Not only did it remind me of being seated at the "little kids table" but it was also boring because all of the action was in the other sections of the field. Adding insult to injury, when the main field ran out of ground, all of the big-dogs came over and started riding my back-side the rest of the afternoon.

When you have plenty of unmarked, open furrows, guys figure out real quickly where they belong. Hey, it can be boring enough driving an Original with the slow 2nd gear, it must be REALLY boring riding behind one on a 2X-capable plow-tractor.

Said another way, it only takes one L-O-N-G furrow behind me to make some "nutbag from Alaska" with a 24hp JD to head to the other side of the field.

Vince-
Nice pics!

 

[sblunier]

...Art, didn't I already apologize for crowding you at the WFM PD????

You must not have been too mad, since you let me take a round on Plow Special

BTW....and a blast from the past.....Who remembers the night Big Steve threatened "Plow Special" with the cordless impact????

 

[sblunier]

BTW, that's Little Steven on Wyatt's lap....and he's 13 now.....we've been at this longer than we all realize!!!!!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Steve, I do!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Many may not recognize the people in Steve's kitchen photo from the Friday evening before Plow Day V4:

Clockwise starting with Little Steve Blunier, Wyatt Compton, Art Aytay, Robb Kruger, Chris Engelking, Big Steve Blunier, Travis Schweizer, Kraig McConaughey, Middle Steve Blunier (Standing), Keith Ehrecke, and William DeTurck.

 

[kmcconaughey]

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>quote:</font>

By Steve Blunier "Mr. Plow" (Central IL) (Sblunier) on Thursday, November 06, 2014 - 07:23 pm:

...Art, didn't I already apologize for crowding you at the WFM PD????

You must not have been too mad, since you let me take a round on Plow Special

<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>

 

[jstertz]

Wow! More great pics. Thanks for sharing them. How many of those guys were there this year besides you Bluniers? I can't believe that is little Steve! I also appreciate your experience on the "self policing" aspect of a large plow day. I hadn't looked at it that way and I appreciate the thoughts of men who have been there and done that. I guess I'm looking for helpful hints myself and hopefully in the process it will be a help to others. I also enjoy plowing enough that I want it to continue and grow. My hope is that others won't get discouraged and quit if they can't afford or don't desire the biggest, fastest, baddest machine in the field. We have already well established that you can have fun on any GT capable of pulling a plow. Art and Steve thanks for the perspective.

Back to the Plow tractors---can 26" tires be run on most cubs w/o adding spacers between the fenders and frame? Is there enough clearance? I have a Deutz Ultima that I took in trade for a project I did. It has been fun to play with and I'll likely sell it next spring. It is pretty much a simplicity Sunstar with green paint. It has the same rear end as the 300 series JD's. It has the 15U Sundstrand mated to the peerless rear axle. What's intriguing to me is that it has a very large circular oil cooler to cool the hydro fluid on its return. That is what got me thinking about a cooler in conjunction with the existing setup on our Cubs. I don't know how much that would help while working them hard plowing.

 

[aaytay]

Steve-
I'll never forget the fear in my mind when Big Steve tickled the trigger on that cordless impact! LOL Another blast from the past, remember that first night at your farm when I had to follow Robb on his 140 so he could see with some REAL headlights?

Steve/Kraig-
GREAT pics!!! (Thanks for posting those)

 

[pbell]

The type of dirt/soil will also have a lot to do with how deep you plow or how fast. This stock 7hp original buried its self faster than I could push the clutch in. That is me with my back to the camera along with middle Steve discussing how to get it out. I think we took the plow off and picked the tractor up out of the holes it dug. I don't remember where this was, Indiana I think, but Steve may recognize the area.

This one was taken at a Cub-Arama in Fredericktown, MO. It was a plowing demo. The area had been home sites that were in a flood plain and the city bought up and developed into a park. I can tell you that when a 100 running wide open in 2nd gear (19 tooth) and the plow hangs a tree root, the tractor stops much faster than the driver does. Last time I tried plowing up sod. The guy with the camers is Oscar "Hank" Will.

 

[sblunier]

Paul,

Good memories!!!!

That was Jonathan Lucky's Plow Day near Ft. Wayne IN in 2002 IIRC.

70% sand and 30% clay.......plowed like a dream with square furrow walls and no plow "point", but don't dare spin a tire.

You weren't the only on who did that. I followed a HS kid (can't remember his name...Matt Schwartz maybe?) who did that 3 time in a row in front of me...he kept spinning the high side tire, losing traction, and then digging a hole down to the frame. My exact quote was "Get you skinny butt out over that left fender, put it in 2nd, and push in the clutch the second you spin....'cause I aint lifting that 100 out of another hole!"

That was also the PD that Bryan brought the 1450 with the cab on it......