What is the Right Plow for M7060

[cyoung]

Hi All,

New to the group. I have an M7060HD and am interested in getting a plow primarily for putting in food plots. Ive been doing a bit of research and am leaning towards a 3 bottom plow with 14". Im new at all of this and not sure where to start to educate myself on what to look for so i make the right purchase the first time. Ill be plowing river bottom that is pretty loose soil currently covered in fescue. Ive been seeing a lot of terms im not familiar with like Cat 1 and Cat 2 Shafts and lift pins. What are these and how do i know what i currently have.

Thanks in advance for all of the help.

 

[SidecarFlip]

5 or 6 foot disc time, CAT 1 or CAT 2 which is the pin diameter. You don't want or need a moldboard plow.

 

[Tx Jim]

Welcome to OTT
If M7060 operators manual is similar to my M7040 it will have a section stating what size implements are recommended for your tractor. My M7040 operators manual states either 7 or 8 ft 3 pt disk harrow or 3-16'' or 3-14'' moldboard. Cat l hitch has 7/8'' dia lower attaching pins while Cat ll has 1-1/8'' dia lower attaching pins(see photo below). 3 pt hitch on M7060 has capability of either Cat l or Cat ll by utilizing bushings & the adjustable sway bars. I agree with SidecarFlip about not getting a moldboard I'd chose a small chisel(tiller tool) or rotary tiller over a MB plow.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I've used a 60 year old 3 furrow, 14" moldboard plow for past 20 years in the wife's 1 acre veggie garden. I don't know what 'food plot' means though. If it's to feed deer and such, and the ground is easy to 'chew up', then maybe a disc is OK ? If it's virgin land, I'd plow it. The garden here was grass,so even the first plowing was 'low and slow'. How you till the soil does depend on what you're going to plant, crop rotation, soil conditions.
A LOT of real farmers up here are finding out that 'no-till' has created problems. Some now 'deep till ( use a real plow)', every 5 years or so.

 

[SDT]

Hi All,

New to the group. I have an M7060HD and am interested in getting a plow primarily for putting in food plots. Ive been doing a bit of research and am leaning towards a 3 bottom plow with 14". Im new at all of this and not sure where to start to educate myself on what to look for so i make the right purchase the first time. Ill be plowing river bottom that is pretty loose soil currently covered in fescue. Ive been seeing a lot of terms im not familiar with like Cat 1 and Cat 2 Shafts and lift pins. What are these and how do i know what i currently have.

Thanks in advance for all of the help.

As others have already said, what you really need is a good disc, which you will need, plow or otherwise.

That said, plows are inexpensive and a 3X14 or 3X16 plow should be about right for your 7060. I would look for a 3X14, myself, especially if your tires are not loaded and/or you have no front weights.

Get a Cat 2 plow.

SDT

 

[BigG]

I find it interesting that a 3 point disk is recommended over and over. Transporting a 3 point disk will make the front end very light. Often the people that are asking questions are new to tractors and they get information from more experienced people. This is often good advice if the experience is given but you can not share the experience.

A larger heavy 3 point disk can cause a roll over very easily when in the transport mode. For example going up a small rise, with some speed, can give enough lift to the front end along with the associated drop of the disk to lift the front end over. Wisdom will tell you to approach the rise with caution, but that comes from experience which many now days do not have.

That heavy weigh from the disk hanging behind a tractor can also start to swing back and forth when traveling at high speeds on a roadway. With the front end lighter then normal this could lead to problems.

I admire the OP for having the nerve to ask the questions that he did as these questions show his lack of experience.


If his food plots are for hunting then he does not need to plow the areas. A good heavy disk, such as a Rome Plow (there are several brands), is much better at prepping the soil for seed. It is a tag along that might be easier to hook up and pulls like a trailer.

 

[243ackley]

I have a 7060 and I run a tuffline hd 20-22 8 foot disk. It is 3 point hitch.

If I had it to do over I would buy a bigger pull type plow. My dirt gets hard and sometimes the disk I have will not bust through.

Get the heaviest one you can handle and it will save you a lot of time.

I have a 12 foot do all and my 7060 will pull it as long as I don’t lower the implement all the way down. It is a pull type.

 

[Tx Jim]

A larger heavy 3 point disk can cause a roll over very easily when in the transport mode. For example going up a small rise, with some speed, can give enough lift to the front end along with the associated drop of the disk to lift the front end over. Wisdom will tell you to approach the rise with caution, but that comes from experience which many now days do not have.

BigG
I seriously doubt even a heavy 3 pt disk will cause the frt of to "lift over" PLUS that's 1 reason frt weights were introduced many yrs ago. The disk extending out behind tractor should stop frt end from rising if & when disk touched the ground. Normally food plots aren't very large so maneuvering a towed implement vs 3 pt implement in food plot would be more difficult. Also necessity for frt end counterbalance weight will most likely be outlined in operator's manual. Although I agree with you that most towed implements are easier to attach to tractor than 3 pt plus perform much better.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

BigG is 100% correct, a heavy disc WILL cause the front end to lift when transporting down the road, especially if you hit a bump or whoop-whoop ! BTDT, it aint' fun to say the least !!! It's the main reason I sold it, safety.

Plowing the virgin fields into food plot, puts a lot of goodness in,reduces weeds. After 3-4 days, then I would run discs and drag harrows, 2 days later, run the seed drill.

If you just use disc, then run N-S, then E-W, several times. After each pair of passes,increase the angle of the discs. You need to slowly chop the existing vegatation up to kill it , turning into 'green compost'.

 

[BigG]

BigG
I seriously doubt even a heavy 3 pt disk will cause the frt of to "lift over" PLUS that's 1 reason frt weights were introduced many yrs ago. The disk extending out behind tractor should stop frt end from rising if & when disk touched the ground. Normally food plots aren't very large so maneuvering a towed implement vs 3 pt implement in food plot would be more difficult. Also necessity for frt end counterbalance weight will most likely be outlined in operator's manual. Although I agree with you that most towed implements are easier to attach to tractor than 3 pt plus perform much better.

I come from a rural area of SE Ohio. Some very steep and long hills that were farmed every year. A lot of these hills feed their families and I would wager there are a lot of these hills several people would not even drive a tractor on. Experience allows these hills to be farmed and for the most part farmed safely.

My father was one of those farmers. He also was a volunteer fireman / EMT for over 52 years. A heavy equipment operator in the open pit coal mines for over fifty years. He had gathered up several tractor accident victims over the years. I have lost a friend who died when the 3 point hay rake flipped over as he crossed the creek. He drown in less then 2 inches of water because the tractor had him pinned in place. This young man had several years of experience and still he is dead from the tractor flipping over. So when my dad told me not to buy or use 3 point lift equipment I listened to him.

Most of the people now grow up in an urban environment and do not have the benefit of experience, of observing other operators, or listening to stories told over the dinner table. They are just green at the tractor world. What you take as common sense in the rural community is unknown to the urban person. Thus we get questions like this one.

One of the things that I found in this forum is the advice given with out the concern for the cost. Not all on here have an unending supply of money. Some tasks can be done with smaller properly operated tractors and equipment but the advice is often to the effect, you must have a bigger tractor. There is more power and ability in a L2501 then most older "farm tractors". The knowledge is the ingredient that is missing, i.e. experience. I acknowledge there are times that more tractor is better but sometimes it is not needed.

In trying to help people on this forum I often fine the help is given from only one side of the story and that sometimes that help is a hindrance. One must qualify their answer with their experience. I believe it was on TBN a person was looking for a "good" 120 hp tractor to buy for his hay and cattle operation. He was chastised by the members for wanting a 120 hp tractor for haying. No one asked how big of a mower or baler the person was running . Nor did they asked if the area was hilly or if he just wanted the bigger tractor for the weight and lifting capacity. They instead told him that 120 hp was not needed to do hay. I looked up some of the new balers and they recommend 115 plus hp for the baler. Thus the person knew what he wanted and was simply asking for people opinions as to a "good" tractor.

I give this as my humble opinion. Not to insult or belittle anyone. Sorry if I did.

 

[Tx Jim]

BigG
No offence taken nor any intended. I also grew up on a farm & was employed by an equipment dealer for 21 yrs then custom farmed since '87. Having driven tractors on near level ground I forget to take into consideration about hill or mountain tractor operation.

I'll reiterate that a lot tractor/equipment questions/problems could be answered/solved if these operators would read the operators manuals pertaining to the tractors/equipment in question.
Jim

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Big G,
I've experienced the same issue with a heavy three bottom plow, any implement not just a disk can make a front end real light if not properly set up.

I've worked flatland in Michigan and worked hills and slopes, again I'd pick a three point disk over a bottom plow any day of the week!

To the OP:
For speed and overall function a Disk or a large spring tooth harrow (or some call a spring plow, this is not a spike or drag harrow) is a better choice than a three bottom plow.

A good disk model with serrated blades will tear up a old grass land in a quick hurry and get you deep enough for good turnover and replant.
A Spring tooth will do the same if it's not hard packed, that's where a disk is better.

With a good disk or spring tooth harrow, you also won't need other implements to prep it for reseed, You will with a bottom plow, normally a disk or a harrow and you always have that stupid furrow to deal with!

With a disk or Spring tooth harrow you can also use it in later years to just rough it up for overseeding, without tearing it up completely.

A lot less setup and skill required to run a disk or spring tooth harrow than a bottom plow, I always hated leaning to one side all day, killed my back!

Get a three point model not a tow behind, you can't run a three point model up onto the tractor tires, you can with a tow behind!
That one is a real shorts soiler when you do it!

Heavy is good, but too big and it will do what Big G stated and will be harder to maneuver.

 

[cyoung]

Thank you everyone for the feedback, it was helpful and informative. The area I intend to plow is mostly flat and virgin ground.


Thanks again.

 

[GeoHorn]

If your disc won’t break up/dig into hard ground that’s never been plowed before you might find the disc simply won’t do the job no matter how often you try. In such case, beg/ borrow/rent a bottom plow or hire someone to do it for you. Afterwards all you’ll need is that disc harrow. IMO

 

[BigG]

This is the of type of disk I was referring to earlier. With the hydraulic lift on this you can transport it easily. You can lift some of the weight to keep it from digging to deep into the soil. Lift the wheels completely to cut up food plots after mowing them. You can lift them up and back around like a trailer. And easy to hook up. You need to find the correct size for your tractor and conditions. I use an 8 foot Rome plow brand, that is very heavy, with a NH TL80A. I pull a 12 foot I-beam behind it to prep hayfields for planting. And yes it is a load to pull. A time or two I would need to let one side of the I-beam loose to stream line the load. Only once did I need to unhitch the disk and pull it out with a chain. I paid $250 for mine, but I had to rebuild it with new disks and bearings. $$$$$


http://www.bushhog.com/uploads/documents/BHDiscHarrowdhpdischarrowOM-13.pdf