Are they though. If you lift them say two inches then strictly speaking they are not, because you have to drill extra holes to be able to lift them, so not the manufactures intended position.
Tonym. I have no problem with it, just wish I could do it with mine. However when does it become illegal, some have multiple sets of holes, what's to stop a leg being lifted say six inches? Would anyone bother anyway?
I have a certain sympathy with what you say because anybody who lifted the leg that far would have great difficulty ploughing with it in any sensible fashion. The only reason for doing so would be to lift it out of the way therefore but the question is why do it? Of course you have to drill extra holes to lift it any significant distance distance, useful or otherwise and I have managed to get mine to a 20mm lift without the holes running into one another which is just about the limit.. Don`t drill the frame, drill the leg by the way but make sure to extend the machined area to stop the leg becoming angled out or in.
No need to drill extra holes in the plough or leg. Just weld a pair to the top of the beam! Done properly, it makes lifting the leg much less effort as well. Heres how. Slacken the rear leg to frame bolt, and remove the front one. Swing the leg up until the hole is above the beam, place the new hole on the bolt and nip up, allow to rest on the beam and weld.Remove the rear bolt and treat the same. Now when lifting the body, you will only have half the weight, and the holes will easily come into line.
Where is the wording, "manufactures intended position" in the rule book? Thank god they are not, if they were, only brand new ploughs could be used because as soon as a share or disk became worn its working edge would not comply!
The "Unmodified" class would have no entrants, other than the demonstrators.(and myself) There is no such thing as an unmodified plough, even replacing a square headed bolt with a hex, is a modification!Let’s not forget what we are all about on here. This is as much an art form as a showcase of practical ability. Surely the ultimate aim is a whole series of perfect furrows linked together by a perfect finish around a perfect rig / cop / start. Surely the aim is to see ploughing in its absolute best light - please correct me if my assumption is incorrect.
If needs must to achieve this then so be it - the engineers amongst us are guaranteed to keep improvements coming - might I also add - all within the rules. Like it or not these are all ‘as manufactured’ according to the current rule book as they are exactly as they were made regardless of who made them and when, ‘as manufactured’ being an unqualified statement.
The sport is in the quest is for the perfect furrow. Surely we all need to embrace that and move this whole thing forward. Luddite tendencies are nothing other than restrictive or destructive. With regard to leg lifting we are talking a whole imperial inch - 25mm in today’s currency. Any more is too much and is foolish. After the rule has been set, again unqualified, it is academic how much the ploughman elects to lift the leg as long as each body will plough a furrow, albeit one much deeper than the other, qualified by ‘in the ploughing position’
Don’t forget also shims in TS59 legs to gain odd half inch furrow widths. Ransomes never made these until the TS86, possibly the odd one in a Robin or its derivatives. Are they legal?
Before you all start shouting at me just take a step back and try to remember where all the rules in the vintage classes originated. By and large they were all written around a much modified TS63 - possibly still residing in a shed in Doncaster......Kverneland discs, Kverneland skimmers, adjustable wheel, lifting leg and on it goes. The general feeling at the time was that all these rules, whilst imposed or modified by stealth (take some time out and read Animal Farm) were done so to give one particular individual advantage over the rest. It undoubtably did at the time but on reflection I am forced to admit that, ultimately it has been for the greater good.
Take heart all you Luddites. Either get yourself a Fergy set up (make sure you have a bolted top link and U bolts on your cross shaft) or simply get your local match organisers to host an ‘Unmodified’ class. No issue then as participants in that class will be universally disadvantaged.
Please remember that whilst penalties may well be imposed for infringement of what’s allowed on a plough, by and large it will not affect the pecking order by making complainants better ploughmen. Dragging the best ploughmen back is counterproductive and not for the greater good - unless of course it’s a lower overall standard you are hoping to achieve.
Coming at it from t’other side, which is worse - modifications to a plough or getting your mates to whack points off good guys and bolster your general appearance by 10 or t”odd dozen points or so?
Just adding a few worms to the can. Surely the depth of ploughing should be at the discretion of the ploughman - not the rule book. Undoubtedly this would lead to better looking ploughing but would need policing by a much higher standard of judging. Depth standards have always been in place so that no ploughman can gain advantage by ploughing shallow. Comments please but please remember - it’s the overall standard we are trying to improve, not picking winners.
or simply holes? Are you using a welder or a 3D printer? 
Because the holes are not quite directly above each other it is just possible, but only just.
If you dont have a drill, you look around for a suitable sized bit of metal with the required hole in it. Cut out hole, and weld where you want oneOnly trouble is you have lifted the leg a minimum of 48mm which if you read the earlier posts is far too much. Forgive me for being a tad slow but the way your post reads you are welding a pair of holes on to the top of the plough beam - did you mean nuts drilled out to suit 3/4 bolts
Talking rules here Dave, not common sense! I had this conversation with a match organiser. We walked around the field, and there was not one standard plough there. Dont forget a spanner rack, a hex nut, left hand disk, tape measure hook, steel landside,marker disk, etc etc are all modifications.
Happy Christmas Harry and all who antagonise each other on here and a prosperous and successful new year. I agree with your comments about the unmodified ploughs and most of the people who spend their lives whingeing and carping wouldn`t recognise one if it hit them in the face. Most of them can`t set their poles up or drive straight so it matters not what sort of plough they use. Their all round practical skill level is fairly low but this is not a derogatory statement as we all have strengths and weaknesses. They should just accept that some can and some can`t and some never will. Happy Christmas all.
