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18 furrow ploughing

Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:26 pm
by Fowler VF
Finally got round to adding the third plough onto the double hitch system. So we now have three Ransomes Hexatracs behind the 1944 D7 4T. The field was just over 400 yards long so covering half an acre on each bout. Back plough was a slightly different model to the front pair and we couldnt get it running properly. still, never mind the quality, feel the width!!

I was too busy to get any proper photos so just these and a poor video on the phone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qfnnZ4nTLE&feature=plcp

Very difficult to take photos and try to keep that lot in a straight line!! The whole rig is about 60' long so its a long walk back to set things up and you almost need binoculars to see that back furrow.

Re: 18 furrow ploughing

Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:35 pm
by martyn williams
Impressive sight Nick :thumbup: Bet it took some turning with that on the drawbar.
Thanks for posting
Martyn

Re: 18 furrow ploughing

Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:51 pm
by Fowler VF
Martyn

Actually it turns pretty easily once its all out of the ground, tractor drawbar has to be left to swing otherwise the slightest tweek on the steering would bend it all with the bodies in the ground. So keeping it straight whilst ploughing takes a lot of concentration and anticipation, you have to steer before it needs it because the response at the plough is very slow, but with the drawbar free to swing you can at least push the tractor around quite a lot to get it where you want it. On the headlands it will turn in less than its length, as you pull out the first plough you can start to turn, the other ploughs still keep straight until you lift them out. (a bit like a train??) You have to make the turn in short bursts, as I explained to my nephew who was learning to drive the other crawler; think of the sides of a 50p piece!!

Like the drott by the way, and pleased to see that it has a nice Herefordshire reg plate on it!

Nick

Re: 18 furrow ploughing

Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:56 pm
by martyn williams
Thanks Nick, I was up on a callout in Hereford station last week.I used to get up that way now and again to buy tractor parts of John Williams at Preston on Wye,he passed away a few months back.Nice bloke.
Your plough set up looks great behind the Cat :thumbup:
Martyn

Re: 18 furrow ploughing

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:46 am
by essexpete
Now all you need is a simple seeder and a press added for single pass operation!

Re: 18 furrow ploughing

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:16 pm
by martyn williams
That first photo looks great :thumbup: It could have been taken 50 or 60 years ago, very atmospheric I thought.It would make a good subject for an oil painting or a print.
Martyn

Re: 18 furrow ploughing

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 1:21 pm
by Fowler VF
Some more photos of the ploughing.

This one shows the issues with getting each plough to follow correctly, back plough needed pushing over to get the furrow wheel into the open furrow of the plough in front:

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My assistant (father) tripping the plough for me:
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Nearly right
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More time spent looking backwards than forwards
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Support vehicle
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Success??
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