Sailman 1,291 #1 Posted January 23, 2022 I got a plow with one of my tractors and now have my C-160 set up with the clevis hitch. Its a Craftsman but appears to be actually made by Brinley. Exact same thing. My question is this. In the Brinley manual it says NOT to use the "stabilizer bolts" on the hitch. "The plow must be free to sway from side to side." But when I watched some videos of people using the plow the folks were all tightening the bolts. Those of you who have used the Brinley plow....what say you....and why? Thanks! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Achto 27,516 #2 Posted January 23, 2022 17 minutes ago, Sailman said: Those of you who have used the Brinley plow....what say you....and why? it's a matter of conditions. Most times you will want it to be free side to side. If your plow is set up correctly. Sometimes you will need to lock it down but when this is done then it can be hard to steer. If you are a novice just starting then locked down seems to make your adjustments more forgiving. I used to lock mine down but have recently learned that leaving it free works better for me. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,325 #3 Posted January 24, 2022 @Achto Wasn't there a thread about how to be a plowdog at one point? Maybe valuable information there for the op and a new future dirt turner like me .. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Achto 27,516 #4 Posted January 24, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, ebinmaine said: Wasn't there a thread about how to be a plowdog at one point? Took some digging but I found it. Edited January 24, 2022 by Achto 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sailman 1,291 #5 Posted February 1, 2022 I got to try the plow out today. Took the advice from @Achto and tightened the stabilizer bolts. Figured it made sense to limit the movement of the plow on my first try. Just gotta say WHOO HOO! Used the C-160 and what a great job on turning over the ground for my garden. Even plowed up a 3 inch root! It was a bit stubborn to steer but manageable. Only problem was the C-160 has the hydraulic lift and it was challenging to set the plow depth correct. Had the plow almost buried a time or 2! Nice having the hydraulic for lifting though. Very impressed with the tractor and plow arrangement! Knocked the furrows down after plowing with the C-120 and blade. Added my chicken dung and followed up with the 416-8 and tiller. Awesome finish! So much fun, I just wish I had a bigger garden. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,325 #6 Posted February 1, 2022 7 hours ago, Sailman said: I just wish I had a bigger garden In today's News, @Sailman has been offering all his neighbors to buy their land... Glad to hear it went well. We're very much looking forward to prepping our new larger garden area this spring. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Achto 27,516 #7 Posted February 1, 2022 9 hours ago, Sailman said: Only problem was the C-160 has the hydraulic lift and it was challenging to set the plow depth correct. If your plow wants to run too deep then you have it pitched wrong. Adjust the tip up some this will make it run more shallow. A good starting point is to park the two left tires on some 4" blocks. Put your plow down and adjust it so that the rear shoe is about 1" off the ground. This should give you about a 4" deep furrow. Glad to hear that you had success plowing. 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sailman 1,291 #8 Posted February 1, 2022 @ebinmaine we have been looking for land and home north of us for over a year and very slim pickens. Looking for 3-5 acres. Everything is $100K more than it was a year ago . @Achto will adjusting the plow point higher help even though the lift drops the hitch so low? On my manual lifts you can adjust the knob to raise or lower the hitch when its all the way down. Much harder to do with the hydraulic lift. I did adjust the plow point up some but could go a lot more if that would do it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Achto 27,516 #9 Posted February 1, 2022 7 minutes ago, Sailman said: will adjusting the plow point higher help even though the lift drops the hitch so low? Yes, your hitch is lifted by a cable so it will float. I have hydraulic lift on my plow tractor. I can drop the plow & don't ever worry about where the hydraulics stop. If the plow is set correctly it will level it's self out and the rear shoe will glide about level in the furrow pan. If you have a solid link from the ram to the hitch then you will want to change it to a cable. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sailman 1,291 #10 Posted February 3, 2022 Good to know it will free float. I have plenty of adjustment on the plow and a cable to the hitch. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
