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New TC45DA and first impressions long

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tinkman
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 17 Eugene, OR
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2004-10-21          98925

Took delivery of my new TC45DA hydro w/FEL (w/quick couplers) last Saturday morning. It came from the dealer with a half tank of fuel and clean as a whistle. The salesman, who also was the guy who delivered the rig, gave me a brief, albiet thorough orientation, tossed me a couple of pins and a top link bolt, and left. I proceeded to hook-up a Ferguson double-bottom I borrowed and hit the field.

I only got a couple hours in before having to stop for other pursuits but was instantly gratified at how well and smoothly the tractor performed. I realized that by putting the hydro into low/low (turtle), and keeping the rpms in the 2000-2200 range, I could engage the cruise control and basically only have to steer. My pasture hasn't been worked for several years and the grass was thick, but we just purred along.

Sunday was a different story since it had rained overnight and was still raining lightly in the morning. We're about at the point in the Willamette Valley where we'll have more wet than dry days. However, I hopped on and picked up where I left off. As long as I had the two left wheels on unbroken grass, with the right wheels in the prior pass plow trough, she still just plugged along. There were maybe a few times, usually while turning, when the wheels started slipping but I just raised the plow a might and continued on, dropping it back immediately.

It's rained off and on since Sunday and I've been out for an hour or so the last three nights. There have been moments plowing on slope with the lights that I've wondered if I bit off more than I could chew, but never puckered up too much and by backing off on the pedal and turning the wheels and then reapplying power, I've recovered from all near misses without mishap.

I'm at nearly 9 hours on the meter, have coated the rig with dirt and clay and hosed it off each time. It feels tight, strong, and I couldn't be happier at this point with my selection of the Boomer.


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New TC45DA and first impressions long

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oneace
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1490 south central pa
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2004-10-22          99082

Glad to hear you are happy with your unit. Plowing and discing and a definite test for any unit. ....

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New TC45DA and first impressions long

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tinkman
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 17 Eugene, OR
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2004-10-26          99299

The discing has been more of a problem than the plowing. Pulling the double-bottom wasn't an issue at all. In fact, it may have worked TOO well in some soft soil, digging very deep and turning over deep furrows. I picked up a King Kutter 6 1/2 foot disc unit. While well-built, it could use some more heft. I probably need to rig up some additional weights. It was clogging with clay between the discs until I learned to keep my ground speed up. That meant losing fillings and anything else that wasn't screwed down. Did I mention it's been wet here lately?
May end up waiting till spring to effectively get the ground ready for planting. Such is life. ....

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New TC45DA and first impressions long

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-10-26          99302

Congrats.

If however, you're not experienced at field work, a few tips are in order. Most importantly, don't ever turn more than a slight course correction with the implement in the soil. This puts tremendous forces on the 3pth and mechanism way beyond what it is supposed to do. It is a very easy way to bend or break things.

Generally you plow to within a comfortable distance of the end of the field and lift the plow. Turn around and go back down the field doing the same tat the other end. When the field is all plowed you go back and plow the 'headlands', the parts at each end you left alone at first.

Best of luck. ....

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New TC45DA and first impressions long

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2004-10-26          99304

Don't know what your plans are but.... usually you Fall plow and you can do so when it is a little wet. Generally for farming purposes you wait till Spring to disc and finish work the soil. If you just plowed it when it was wet, undoubtedly it is still wet and very firm. That can shake your fillings out. If you gotta do it, disc at a diagonal to the direction that you plowed.

In northern climates, the freezing and thawing loosens the soil and it somewhat flakes apart in the Spring making discing allot easier or almost unnecessary. Leaving the plowed ground as is in Winter with rough surface of peaks and valleys helps to stop soil erosion from the heavy winds during the winter months. In spring wait till the soil is somewhat dry otherwise the clay content gets the soil like cement balls that will not break up all season. If you spring plow, you should wait atleast several weeks if you can to let the soil dry out. If you plow the ground and it is dry on top, what is 6-8" below is wet. Plowing brings this on top and you should let this dry somewhat.

If your plow is trying to go to deep, you can attach a depth gauge wheel to the side which stops it from going too deep. Possibly you don't have the plow set up correctly. When set up correctly and plowing to desired depth and with the right side in the previous furrow, the beam of the plow should be near to level. If the tips are point down too much that can cause it to try to pull too deep. ....

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2004-10-26          99306

P.S. The clogging of the clay on the disc means the soil is too wet. Let it dry out. You don't want to be going that fast across the plowed field unless you're trying out for the Baja. ....

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2004-10-26          99309

Doing as Murf has indicated is very important. You should also know that the 3 point hitch has some anti-sway bars at the lift arms. You should adjust the turn buckles such that the plow when in the up position can be wiggled sideways at the moldboards about 3 to 4". That makes the installation not so stiff that you can correct for steering adjustments.

Being that this can sway, every time you enter a new furrow the plow will sway that amount and your furrow will not be straight for long. To compensate for that when you begin to drop the plow, place the R front wheel in the furrow and the inside of the R rear tire on top of the furrow by about 3". After you drive a few feet the tire will drop in the furrow and you will have a straight start.

Us farm boys like absolutely straight furrows just like we like straight wheelmarks when mowing lawns. These tips are for the next time you plow since it sounds like you are already done for the year.

P.S. The looseness in the sway mechanism is also good for when you are discing. You could give yourself even more looseness than plowing. If you set it too loose, your lift arms may rub against the insides of the rear tires. You don't want to do that. Be careful about not putting too much of a sideload on the hitch. With a 3 point attached disc, I generally lift it on the corners to take most of the strain out of it but leave it engaged enough to cover your tracks. Don't drive over anything more often than necessary. You will find the tractor will compact the soil. You can also overwork it by doing it more often than necessary and excessively dryout the soil when working in the spring. ....

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plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 563 mo
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2004-10-27          99342

I have found that trying to work the ground when it's to wet really does more harm then good as others have stated,compacts it to much and leaves it very clumpy . then as it does dry they turn into almost rocks.and it's hard to get them broke up and smoothed out. I use the same disk you do and yes it's a bit on the light side weighing 540 lbs.I welded 300 extra pounds of steel to it (not a pretty site) but at 840lbs it's a whole new animal. works Great now. ....

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New TC45DA and first impressions long

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tinkman
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 17 Eugene, OR
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2004-11-02          99728

All good advice and appreciated. Some comes too late, but became pretty obvious as I was working the ground. Too wet is definitely a bad thing, but I had hoped to get some seed for a fall cover crop in, rather than waiting until next spring to plant.

Probably got away with a few too-sharp turns with the plow in the dirt, but since at that time is was damp but not soggy, the plow cut through with the greatest of ease. However, I definitely compacted down some areas driving over when disking. I may reploy that section but not worry about disking and planting that part this fall.

Besides taking a beating thus far with no parts falling off, there are two handy things about the TC45 that I like. The 3 pt arms have spring-loaded extension for helping with hookup that are pretty handy and having the gas filler cap on the back of the tractor makes refilling from cans alot easier than having to get on the deck and fill over the engine area like on some others I've used.

I'm grateful for all of the good input and only wish I'd posted sooner, but since I had the plow in the ground w/in 1/2 hour of getting the tractor, I didn't have the chance!
....

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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2004-11-11          100235

If you re-plow this section you will be "turning over" the previously un-plowed earth. If you were plowing pretty deep I am sure that your disk did not break up the "sod" that is 9" or more under the top. Better off to leave it till next spring or better yet, (buy a rototiller)
Plots1
The KK disk I bought was the box frame disk I believe it is around 850# cant remember exactly but even at that weight it is not the best but will eventually get the job done. I thought I heard somewhere that if you wanted a disk to be the right weight it would need 75-100 pounds per disk. Does this sound right? If so there is not a small disk on the market weighing like that.

Now I will ask a question since we are on the subject of plows. I am contimplating plowing up a acre this weekend myself. The last time I used this plow on previously unbroken earth (for atleat 6 years anyway) I had a problem of the sod falling back in the row grass side up? What adjustment can I make to change this? I thought I could play with the angle adjuster but thought you guys may have came acrossed this before and could help (Like right now! I am leaving at 5 am after strike duty tonight LOl Going to steal an hour from the union I need to beat the traffic when I drive thru Milwaukee. I love going thru there before 6am and cant stand the traffic if I dont make it thru drives me nuts!
Thanks guys and good luck on your tractor ....

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New TC45DA and first impressions long

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tinkman
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 17 Eugene, OR
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2004-11-11          100236

Pretty sure that the disc did not, in fact, get all the way down. Funny you mentioned tiller as I'm thinking that's what I'll use next spring to really get things broken up and ready for planting. The plow accomplished what I wanted, which was to make sure I didn't have a layer of hard pan below and to give me some channels for drainage and roots.

I'm looking forward to responses regarding your problem of plowed ground falling back into the furrows as I had that happen some myself.

Thought you'd be getting close to plowing frozen ground up there at this time of year. Good luck! ....

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plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 563 mo
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2004-11-11          100242

Ya Broken your right about that weight, think I heard that before. but it did make a big difference with the extra steel I added. What I really need is a much bigger disk, The dealer I bought my tractor from told me my new rig could pull a 10 footer fairly well,got over bidded at a auction on a 10 footer (wasn't paying attention)sold for 100 bucks. I think it has something to do with correct angle an speed on your bottom plow question but not for sure. surely Yooper or murf will know. ....

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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2004-11-11          100243

100 BUCKS!!! ()*&()&^ That was me slappin you!!! Ah what the heck there will be anouther one! I forgot you got that bigger tractor, Yep your new rig will handle that with no problem just buy yourself a GOOD disk dont go gettin one just to get it (ya know what I mean) we all have done that before. In our neck of the woods those larger disks and impliments seem to be easier to find than the smaller ones (for obvious reasons) FOOD PLOTS.
Tinkman
Me too and I am leaving in about 3 hours, I need to get a couple hours sleep now before I go in to work for 6 hours (WORK!! LOL) I had that problem only early last spring and dont know if it was cause it was a bit damp still or not. This 2 bottom I have may need just to be polished up a bit also. I am not a big time farm guy (but want to learn asap) although I do get by. My turnips this year are awesome!!!! again, deer are hammering them already.
Thanks guys ....

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New TC45DA and first impressions long

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2004-11-12          100259

There can be a number of reasons why your soil/sod isn't turning over good. Going faster helps. If you are plowing too shallow the sod isn't passing over the tail section of the moldboard. That tail section gives it that final flip. Some of the cheaper plows have a terrible moldboard design. Sometimes it is necessary to fabricate an extra wing that mounts on the end to give it that last roll. On the otherhand my cheap plow covers very good. I'm assuming that the plow is set up correctly and the plow frame is horizonal/level. Do you have a nice crisp cut on your furrow and a vertical wall? ....

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