benny102030
Member
- Location
- northern ireland
What tractor and plough does everyone use? And what class?
Thanks, Ben
Thanks, Ben
Ploughing set up
- Thread starter benny102030
- Start date
rick_vandal
Member
- Location
- Soft South
Strange question! The rules state 6" minimum depth, so a 12" width base with 2 furrow favourite dictates 40" between 12" tyres, any tractor will do, just get a good plough. Start in Novice without a Q cab and progress to Classic. Avoid Grey Fergie, it's a minefield.
Fergie Ploughman
Member
- Location
- Cheshire, UK
Either decide your class and buy the right tractor/plough or decide the tractor/plough and choose the right class...
Are you trying to cause trouble again? Get a copy of the rules and attend a few well organised matches, then decide what class you want to plough in. Ask a few of the leading ploughmen. Hardly anybody ploughs 12" in either vintage or classic and for good reason.. Grey Fergie is perfectly OK as long as you read the rules carefully. This is strictly a "heritage " class and you have to be prepared to accept that some of the rules are strongly aimed at maintaining tradition.
- Location
- Cirencester
Fergie Class is not that complicated, great fun and very competitive. Easy to get around, cheap and very friendly and is very popular.
rick_vandal
Member
- Location
- Soft South
Whoa! Our Ben is a new member asking a sane question. Novice class accepts anything but Fergie doesn't. We don't know whether he has £500 or £10,000 to spend on a rig but my geometry stands. Ploughing is not exclusive; witness Surrey Raikes Farm training day when two old boys with half a jump start tractor each left happier than someone with a 25 board KV.
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
you think its a strange question? your answer beats it by many country miles with your strange reply
I have at times when reading your posts, wondered what your on about,
so maybe you can explain your above post a little better, as you have lost me,
how does a 2 furrow plough set a 12" fit in with your finish when you say "Dictates 40" between tyres" as above
also a classic class is minimum of 18cm or nearly 7" in old money, NOT 6" as you have stated
so please explain more
Ray996
Member
- Location
- North Scotland
Are you referring to a specific tractor and plough brand?
And if he wins the novice within the first few matches, then he starts again. Not a very structured approach methinks.
benny102030
Member
- Location
- northern ireland
Was thinking of using a dexta
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
is that a standard Dexta or a super Dexta?
benny102030
Member
- Location
- northern ireland
Super
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
that would mean it would go in to the classic class,
so you would be best looking for a ransomes TS59 plough, and fitted with TCN bodies if ploughing under SOP rules,
as your in Northern Ireland, I do not know what rules you run by locally, this might be something you need to find out,
no point getting the wrong plough now, only to have to get an other later on
All getting a bit too technical.
We all came at this by similar means, i.e. We had easy access to a tractor by virtue of either having it or getting it for the right money. Naturally the age of the tractor predetermined which Class it can be used in.
Secondly we had access to a plough by virtue of having it or getting it to match said tractor sat eagerly awaiting in our or somebody else's shed.
By and large it's all down to what we can afford. If on the other hand a family member or relation is already involved then this makes things that much easier.
My advice to any new starter is (hopefully you have the tackle to suit the class you ultimately want to plough in ie either vintage mounted or classic) then find either a novice or junior class which by and large will be open as to which tractor and plough to use. You will find a lot of judges/spectators willing to help novices, whereas this help is not always forthcoming in the scruffy classes. This is the important bit. Nobody will mind a novice being helped. It is an offence in the scruffy classes.......'by his own efforts'.... Get some wins under your belt, build your confidence, then it's time to show em' all how it's done.
So there you have it. Do what you can afford at the time until you can afford something better.
We all came at this by similar means, i.e. We had easy access to a tractor by virtue of either having it or getting it for the right money. Naturally the age of the tractor predetermined which Class it can be used in.
Secondly we had access to a plough by virtue of having it or getting it to match said tractor sat eagerly awaiting in our or somebody else's shed.
By and large it's all down to what we can afford. If on the other hand a family member or relation is already involved then this makes things that much easier.
My advice to any new starter is (hopefully you have the tackle to suit the class you ultimately want to plough in ie either vintage mounted or classic) then find either a novice or junior class which by and large will be open as to which tractor and plough to use. You will find a lot of judges/spectators willing to help novices, whereas this help is not always forthcoming in the scruffy classes. This is the important bit. Nobody will mind a novice being helped. It is an offence in the scruffy classes.......'by his own efforts'.... Get some wins under your belt, build your confidence, then it's time to show em' all how it's done.
So there you have it. Do what you can afford at the time until you can afford something better.
I understand what you are saying but it costs no more to match the plough to the tractor you have, or vice versa. To mismatch them and have to change later may be the more expensive option in the long run.
I guess I was lucky when I started with a grey Fergie and a Ransomes Robin plough, both of vintage classification. They had been in the family since 1959 but the plough had Epic bodies, which I had never liked, and so I made mistake number one and bought some YL frogs and pattern 183 boards. The boards were a disaster so I bought some new genuine YL165 boards. Things improved dramatically but I could still see room for improvement so I bought a TS 59 with genuine YL 183s , and though a bit rough I got it working well enough to win a lot of matches. I have to admit that we all make mistakes and I have enjoyed recognising them, with the help of others, and always looking for a new angle to improve performance. This is all part of the fun as far as I am concerned.
The fact that I had a good start was partly down to luck but also taking advice from the right sources and acting upon it.
The fact that I had a good start was partly down to luck but also taking advice from the right sources and acting upon it.
My suggestions for vintage mounted are :Tractors. Fergie T20, MF35 IHB275/250, Dexta. Ploughs. Ransomes TS54(Robin), TS59, both with YL 183 boards.
For Classic ( not really my class) : Tractors . IH B250,275,414,434,276, MF 35/35X, 135,148, DB 700 and 800 series. Nuffield 3 cylinder, Ford Dexta and Super Dexta, 2/3000. Ploughs: Ransomes TS59 with TCN bodies, TS86 with TCN or RWM.
These are all commonly available, with the exception of TS86 (RWM), the tractors and outfits are transportatable on suitable trailers with care and parts are reasonably available.
For Classic ( not really my class) : Tractors . IH B250,275,414,434,276, MF 35/35X, 135,148, DB 700 and 800 series. Nuffield 3 cylinder, Ford Dexta and Super Dexta, 2/3000. Ploughs: Ransomes TS59 with TCN bodies, TS86 with TCN or RWM.
These are all commonly available, with the exception of TS86 (RWM), the tractors and outfits are transportatable on suitable trailers with care and parts are reasonably available.
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
my suggestion for anyone starting would be an International B275, this would go into either Vintage or Classic, with the weight and diff lock makes a good ploughing tractor, yet is not to bad on the road for road runs, and weighing in at around 1600 kgs it's not over the top for moving about, and is better value for money than some other makes if on a budget
as for the plough a good straight TS59 with land wheel is a good place to start with whatever bodies it is on, as through time you will Alter the frame and so forth, also you will sort out and sort discs and skims, but through time as you decide what class you want to go in. You will only have to change my bodies to suit that class, in stead of starting all over again,
the above advice is only worth what you paid for it
as for the plough a good straight TS59 with land wheel is a good place to start with whatever bodies it is on, as through time you will Alter the frame and so forth, also you will sort out and sort discs and skims, but through time as you decide what class you want to go in. You will only have to change my bodies to suit that class, in stead of starting all over again,
the above advice is only worth what you paid for it