Ploughing tips and help.

[JackoTS90]

I have a problem while ploughing. It leaves some grass half turned over. See pic
Why would this be? I understand it could be a number of variables but what could the main reasons be? I’m not a very experienced ploughman (ploughed less that 100ha)
Thanks

 

[DaveB]

Probably ploughing to deep, you will rarely be able to plough grassland and turn the furrow properly as deep as you can in arable land. Try ploughing more shallow and only set the skims as deep as needed to just take off the top cleanly.

 

[JackoTS90]

Thanks. Have tried all sorts. I found that and slowing down a little helped the furrow fold over rather that crack and it seemed to hold a furrow a bit better. This is unploughed ground that hasn’t been ploughed in 20 odd years. I think that is the reason that I get half cocked grass because the ground is very tight. Only ploughing a hand deep so I don’t think I am ploughing very deep at all.
thanks for the advice

 

[Two Tone]

It looks to me that your front furrow isn’t the same width as the rest of them. There must be an adjustment to make it the same as the rest.
Or you may need to alter the Tractor wheel to wheel width.
Make sure the top link runs straight and that the plough runs level front to back and vertically.

 

[JackoTS90]

Thanks. Yes got hydraulic front furrow and everything else hydraulic so it isn’t too hard to match up, providing everything set right. I didn’t have this issue when I started ploughing a month ago but as the ground has hardened the furrow is becoming harder and harder to turn. Is it common to have a “broken furrow” on unploughed land? In what conditions does ploughing hold a furrow?

 

[john432]

Your skimmer points look worn,not a sharp point, more worn on the front furrow, the skimmers are all you have to cut the furrows without discs, and will work ok on tough old grassland . Some plough bodies are far superior in turning over than others.

 

[JackoTS90]

Thanks.

 

[Will 1594]

It looks to me that your front furrow isn’t the same width as the rest of them. There must be an adjustment to make it the same as the rest.
Or you may need to alter the Tractor wheel to wheel width.
Make sure the top link runs straight and that the plough runs level front to back and vertically.

T t. Do you think his front furrow is too wide , and trying to push more across?
and as others say new points on skimmers , and if it’s hard put new mouldboard points on ,as maybe having to hold it in to bite and front running deeper
just had to plough a long thin field same way as combine , never plough as good when you can put a bit of an angle across it

 

[KB6930]

It'll seem strange but steer the tractor towards the ploughing a bit and run a slightly narrower front furrow I've never had a plough yet that could turn a front furrow properly as no landslide to hold it from breaking off before it's turned over properly

 

[john432]

To be fair, the ground looks very dry, twenty year old grassland should plough in an almost continuous furrow, not break up in lumps like that

 

[Bignor Farmer]

Good ploughing starts with a tape measure in the yard. Very difficult to start diagnosing issues until the boards are lined up, it’s square on the tractor and the plough is pulling straight, upright and the same depth both ways.

I really like this guide from Kverneland, well worth a read and well worth spending a wet morning with a tape measure to find out what’s going on, especially with a well used plough.

https://uk.kvernelandgroup.com/content/download/96770/868716/version/2/file/Ploughing+Guide+-+Single+Pages+2008.pdf

 

[Skimmer]

What size tyre and wheel widths, if the inside width is greater on the front the tractor will not sit square in the furrow, due to the geometry of the rear linkage this will make the front furrow seem to plough wide however you set it and cause more wear to the front of the plough. Given your experience I think your doing a very reasonable job.

 

[Bury the Trash]

looks to me like front furrow is not wide enough.
if you widen it and it then looks too big, shallow it out a bit. iyswim. do that by lifting the depth control up a bit. dont touch the depth wheel tho, and the toplink should be happy floating steady. trouble is in hard / tough ground thats not necesarily true sometimes..

if the ground is v. hard it is never the best to set a plough up on.even for someone experienced.

 

[JackoTS90]

Thanks all. Have somewhat improved but is still doing it. Talked to my boss about it who has done 20+ years of ploughing and he said I was doing a good job and that we are only ploughing for crops not match ploughing so if that’s the best we get it’s the best we get. There is quite a lot of material to bury aswell in most cases Which wouldn’t be helping.

 

[Two Tone]

 

[john432]

That's tidy ploughing, looks like a Kverneland leg and body? With an angle plate on the landslide to help keep the depth constant. Turns quite a wide furrow for horse ploughing. Just needs some grass skimmers. And reversable, quite a bit of thought gone in to building it.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Already been posted .

Can't beat releasing a bit of Carbon ...... cue sneaky emoji

thefarmingforum.co.uk

All adding a skim would do is add draft making harder for the horses on like you say on after all is already a wide furrow and on a semi digger body. ,It would also disrupt soil flow and spoil the packing as skims can do.
Trash board will catch anything untoward but i suspect that's on there for ploughing errish .

 

[2wheels]

to the op, try lengthening the top link slightly?

 

[bobk]

I have a problem while ploughing. It leaves some grass half turned over. See pic
Why would this be? I understand it could be a number of variables but what could the main reasons be? I’m not a very experienced ploughman (ploughed less that 100ha)
Thanks

Is it a kv ?

 

[Two Tone]

That's tidy ploughing, looks like a Kverneland leg and body? With an angle plate on the landslide to help keep the depth constant. Turns quite a wide furrow for horse ploughing. Just needs some grass skimmers. And reversable, quite a bit of thought gone in to building it.

Yes, I’d love to have a go with that rig myself. Bloody clever set up and a great demonstration of how to plough properly.