Is it cheaper to run a bigger plough?

[Rowland]

Only in the short term, when you do need to re-metal wearing parts you have 10 times the amount to buy. But on the other hand you will do the field in a tenth of the time, so save on your time.

You will do the 10 acers in less than a tenth of the time as you will have a lot less turns which take time up . Long thin fields are quicker to work in than fat short fields

 

[Clive]

Certainly is but for a given size of area, a larger working width machine will be subject to less wear per m

but why does that matter ? wear per acre costs the same and therefore so is the cost

all that changes is how often yo have to get your wallet out and change the metal

it's an odd thread / question really ?

 

[Scribus]

Im turning a 3 furrow into a 4 furrow, and as I don't really get out much, I started thinking of this...

If I had a 10 acre field, and a single furrow plough, that plough body plough's ten acres

Next year, I add a furrow, so each body plough's five acres

The year after, I go mad and buy a 10 furrow plough, so, each body plough's 1 acre

Does this actually apply in practice, does anyone find that running bigger plough's cheaper on wearing parts?

Going slower will decrease the wear rate and reduce drag. The latter is not insignificant, if you double the speed of a car you actually need 8 times the energy to overcome the increased air resistance as drag increases as the cube of velocity. I should imagine much the same is true of pulling steel through soil.

 

[Matt L]

but why does that matter ? wear per acre costs the same and therefore so is the cost

all that changes is how often yo have to get your wallet out and change the metal

it's an odd thread / question really ?

Couldn’t agree with you more. Only makes a real difference if you replace before you need to re metal.

 

[Clive]

Couldn’t agree with you more. Only makes a real difference if you replace before you need to re metal.

i've heard some extravagant replacement policies in my time but changing a plough because it needs new points really would be the ultimate !

......... I did once come across a farmer who used to call the dealer when he needed wearing metal changing or his drill calibrating however (Im not joking !)

 

[Hilly]

i've heard some extravagant replacement policies in my time but changing a plough because it needs new points really would be the ultimate !

......... I did once come across a farmer who used to call the dealer when he needed wearing metal changing or his drill calibrating however (Im not joking !)

Iv seen haybobs in main dealers for tines and springs !

 

[Drillman]

Only way to reduce wear is to take a bigger slice with each furrow.

We bought a new to us 10 year old 5 furrow plough about 13 yers ago. As tractors have got bigger we’ve opened it up over the years from 14 inch furrows to 18 furrows an inch at a time.

Wearing parts wear out in the same timescale but we’re now covering an extra 20 inch per pass so overall wear rates are lower.

 

[Richard98]

The metal cost overall will probably be about the same-changing less often but more to change when you do. The time saving from more furrows must make it cheaper though. Changing the metal less often will save time, as doing an extra furrow while you’re at it anyway doesn’t take many minutes. You still have to get the air gun and socket out, find the bolts and the metal etc whether you’ve got 2 furrows or 5 to do. And obviously less time actually spent ploughing with a bigger plough. important to value time spent doing a job-easy to forget unless you’re paying someone by the hour.

 

[AndrewM]

not strictly wearing parts, but we keep thinking about removing the extra furrow on our plough to take it from 5 back down to original 4 furrows.
we suffer alot of wear and damage on the head stock, and due to extra front weights to keep tractor nose on ground we also suffer wear on front axles, seals ect. slower job, but might end up being cheaper

 

[Farma Parma]

i've heard some extravagant replacement policies in my time but changing a plough because it needs new points really would be the ultimate !

......... I did once come across a farmer who used to call the dealer when he needed wearing metal changing or his drill calibrating however (Im not joking !)

ive heard of ploughs getting changed when the original moldboards are worn out..... some people need to wake up......

 

[mo!]

ive heard of ploughs getting changed when the original moldboards are worn out..... some people need to wake up......

I expect my plough will have rusted away before the mouldboards are worn out, it all depends on the land. Five years and still on the first set of points.

Our neighbour swapped his Disco because it needed new tyres...

 

[Farma Parma]

I expect my plough will have rusted away before the mouldboards are worn out, it all depends on the land. Five years and still on the first set of points.

Our neighbour swapped his Disco because it needed new tyres...

takes all sorts eh..
4 fr here new in 1994 & still does around 75/100ac poss slightly less every year. owes me nowt.
5 fr done 4 seasons & rear edges off boards now, might do this backend n i'll treat it to new ones !!!
the plough will serve me a long time.
Run sum vehicles till there no longer able to be maintained, which could be 20+ years who knows!

 

[e3120]

......... I did once come across a farmer who used to call the dealer when he needed wearing metal changing

I also heard of a farmer that called his dealer every time his tractor needed its oil changed

 

[nick...]

i've heard some extravagant replacement policies in my time but changing a plough because it needs new points really would be the ultimate !

......... I did once come across a farmer who used to call the dealer when he needed wearing metal changing or his drill calibrating however (Im not joking !)

Beleive this is more common than you think,or defiantly was in the past.i also know of people doing this
Nick...

 

[Finn farmer]

Iv seen haybobs in main dealers for tines and springs !

I've seen 5 furrow ploughs swapped in because the points were in need of replacement. There are many farmers that plough 300 to 600 ac a year and swap ploughs every 1 to 2 years.

 

[Clive]

I've seen 5 furrow ploughs swapped in because the points were in need of replacement. There are many farmers that plough 300 to 600 ac a year and swap ploughs every 1 to 2 years.

Subsidy and inheritance has a lot to answer for ........................

 

[bravheart]

Know someone who never bought new mouldboards, always chopped plough in when worn, did change the points though.

 

[A Trebor]

Think I have only ever bought one replacement mouldboard and that was when we hit a root and cracked one but they do need changing soon, it is all down to soil type and dryness of soil. As a comparison how long do points last can easily get 600 acre out of mine before turning (4 furrow)

 

[D14]

Im turning a 3 furrow into a 4 furrow, and as I don't really get out much, I started thinking of this...

If I had a 10 acre field, and a single furrow plough, that plough body plough's ten acres

Next year, I add a furrow, so each body plough's five acres

The year after, I go mad and buy a 10 furrow plough, so, each body plough's 1 acre

Does this actually apply in practice, does anyone find that running bigger plough's cheaper on wearing parts?

Big used equipment is cheap so if you can buy something bigger for the right price and can already pull it then over all it will will cost less as you will do the job much quicker.

 

[Drillman]

Think I have only ever bought one replacement mouldboard and that was when we hit a root and cracked one but they do need changing soon, it is all down to soil type and dryness of soil. As a comparison how long do points last can easily get 600 acre out of mine before turning (4 furrow)

Was wearing points out in 5 yes 5 hours last back end.

Turn em round for another 4-5 hours then throw em in the scrap