Dowdeswell DP7 D2

[DrWazzock]

What’s the craic with these ploughs?What’s the D2 mean?
I swore I’d never have another DP7 after changing to a LB85 ….. until prices for worn out old kit went silly.
But now I’m looking for another plough for 135hp and DP7 look affordable.
And with Diwdeswell MA100, 120 etc what’s the number actually supposed to mean? You can never seem to get a straight answer on this.
Thanks.

 

[le bon paysan]

No idea what the letters and numbers mean but I had one. Always ploughed slightly off until we had a plough day with Sunny Smith and he said mole grip the frog on the legs, take the bolts out and weld the frog on. Won local ploughing matches after that. Never had any problems with the plough its self.
Just a straight 4 furrow.

 

[Lowland1]

It’s just model numbers DP 7 D 2 is a later model of the DP 7 with a different headstock etc. The MA 120 is a heavier version of the MA 100. I’ve got two MA 100s one is 4 furrow DD bodied one the other is a five furrow with Lemken slatted bodies and spring break backs. Same models but look totally different.

 

[solo]

Dp7 D2 here since mid 90,s. It is a 4 + 1 plough on ucn bodies. Still does a decent job when required. Min till has reduced its work by 90%. Pulled by a jd 6800 for most of its life.so far. 18” tyres work well. The turnover ram is mounted at the back of the headstock which was an improvement over the front ram earlier versions. Front furrow hydraulically adjustable. Depth wheel is less puncture prone than ma100 series in my opinion, but the skims are easier to adjust on the ma being pins and clips.

 

[clbarclay]

I'm pretty sure on those older dowdswell ploughs, the letter was the number of bodies on the main frame. So a dp7 D was 4 furrows and a DP7 E was 5 furrows. That is without extra furrows bolted on, so many D ploughs are 4+1 and many E ploughs would be 5+1

The 2 on the end meant version two. We had both a dp7 D1 and then a D2. The D1 had a weird sliding block arrangement on the turn over. The D2 had a more conventional looking turn over ram arrangement. The D1 either had an internal leak or no check valve and the headstock had often spun through 90 degrees when I came to hitch up. They also had different depth wheel change over mechanisms too. The D2 was probably the more reliable.

 

[Flat 10]

Dp7 D2 here since mid 90,s. It is a 4 + 1 plough on ucn bodies. Still does a decent job when required. Min till has reduced its work by 90%. Pulled by a jd 6800 for most of its life.so far. 18” tyres work well. The turnover ram is mounted at the back of the headstock which was an improvement over the front ram earlier versions. Front furrow hydraulically adjustable. Depth wheel is less puncture prone than ma100 series in my opinion, but the skims are easier to adjust on the ma being pins and clips.

Lots of MAs are old type ransome skimmers like on dp7s....
A 120 replaces a dp7 a 100 a dp8 (but is heavier than one).

 

[Welgerbaler]

Sorry to highjack thread here, Has anyone ever took the headstock off a dp7d2? Got one here that’s got play on the turnover shaft, turns over half way then goes back the way it came to often. Am guessing there’s bushes in there which are worn out? Can’t undo the nuts on the pin halfway up the beam tho

 

[Nearly]

The valve block will have a broken spring, or a weak spring.
It changes the direction of oil flow as it goes over centre.

 

[Lincsman]

The valve block will have a broken spring, or a weak spring.
It changes the direction of oil flow as it goes over centre.

Or try adjusting tractor flow rate to start with.

 

[clbarclay]

My experiance of a dp7d2 was that the change over valve could handle high flow rates from modern tractors, much better the splough frame anyway. I cracked the part between headstock and the beam a couple of times before turning down the flow rate on the first tractor we had with closed center hydraulics. It never cracked again after that.

The wear needs dealing with anyway, whether its the cause of change over problems or not. What's the matter with the nuts? Have you not got a socket on a long enough handle or is something wrong with them?

 

[Welgerbaler]

Socket and a long bar just bent the bar!! Heat needed I imagine, may be a winter job don’t want to get it in bits then find it’s actually dry enough to plough

 

[clbarclay]

If it is a T bar then get another pipe on the other side and a second person heaving on it. That effectively doubles the torque before it bends.

 

[Kidds]

I found you need 3/4" drive sockets and a proper bar. 1/2" and you are wasting your time.

 

[bobk]

DP7's are knackered now better with 120

 

[Massey_3115]

Sorry to jump on this thread. Looking to get a DP7.
Is the turnover ram behind the headstock (2) version the better one to go for ? As opposed to the push / pull ram in front of the headstock? I’ve got a ransomes tsr 109 with this set up and I’m not excited by the wear block arrangement !

 

[Nearly]

Behind the headstock is the younger version.

It may be time to 'miss out' the DP7 and go straight for the 120 if you have 120hp plus.
Lighter DP100 are idiot proof if the previous idiot has used the correct shear bolts.
5f be perfect on MF 3115.

 

[Massey_3115]

Does the newer behind the headstock have two adjustable stops for turnover adjustment for each way?

Im only 105 hp so thought a DP7 would be a good match

the dp8’s look a bit too light weight

 

[Nearly]

Yes, 2 stops.
I run dp100 5f on NH 8340 so very similar, but opened out to 16" on light land.
The adjustable width on dp100 makes it easy to match up on different tractors or wheel width.

 

[David.]

A standard later DP7 with rear mounted turnover ram is not very operator friendly in terms of fine tuning, eg; the front furrow width adjustment doesn't move the plough across the headstock, it tinkers with the alignment. They are nonetheless fairly bombproof if unabused.
Mine is a long clearance 4f 14", and the IH 956 2wd I had would not boss it.

 

[bobk]

A standard DP7 is not very operator friendly in terms of fine tuning, eg; the front furrow width adjustment doesn't move the plough across the headstock, it tinkers with the alignment. They are nonetheless fairly bombproof if unabused.

That's very nice of you , I thought the dp7 was a pile of shite .