[AT] Plowing in Ohio/Long

[charlie hill]

Farmer, the Ferguson System tractors were all around when I came along and 
while we never owned one I was familiar with them.  The difference was that 
the snap coupler stuff was designed to create a weight transfer to the rear 
wheels of the tractor while the Ferguson system was intended simply as a 
"draft control" to control depth with no other intention, although there 
obviously had to be some weight transfer.

 I agree with you that the Fergie system stuff worked well.   My uncles TO 
30 would plow rings around our AC D-10.  In fact they weren't even in the 
same league.  I didn't have a WD, WD 45 or D-14 then but I'm pretty sure it 
would have held it's own with the Fergies, Fords and IH stuff of the early 
50's.  I had no intent to say the AC stuff was superior it was just 
different and amazing in it's own way for the time when it was made.

Weight and brute strength don't make for a good farm tractor.  I'm reminded 
of what a guy I went to high school said about Long tractors.  This was in 
the late 70's maybe early 80's.  His nearly new JD had gone in for some 
warranty repairs.  As you well know  by that time JD stuff had gotten away 
from brute strength and into well designed.  The dealer loaned him a Long 
9500.  One of the local guys asked him how he like the Long.  He said he 
didn't.  The other guy, who owned a smaller long, replied defensively with 
"WHY NOT"....It's got plenty of power doesn't it?  My friend said.. "an 
elephant's got plenty of power but you can't farm with him".

Charlie


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Francis Robinson" <robinson at svs.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2007 2:44 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] Plowing in Ohio/Long


>    Apparently you Allis guys  :-)   never  grew up using the original
> "Ferguson system"...   It too was far from perfect but was in my mind far
> superior to the Allis system (I have owned both). The true Ferguson system
> with the top link never did wheelies with the plow in the ground. The only
> wheelies were when lifting the plow out of very tough ground and that was
> quite rare. With the true "Ferguson System" 3 point with a top link the
> draft control tended to lift the front of the plow first in tough spots 
> and
> and steered it up out of the ground rather than to try to yank it up back
> end first. A lot of folks that never used the early Fords and Ferguson's 
> (or
> never learned how to use one correctly) liked to bad mouth them and they
> were a light tractor but with a good properly sat up 2 x14" mounted plow I
> could about plow rings around many of our neighbor's heavier tractors. The
> lighter weight was only a reletively minor problem using pull type tillage
> implements. The tractor and hydraulic system were designed to work 
> together
> using almost all 3 point implements including disk other harrows in 
> addition
> to the plow.
>    I was a little disappointed in my WD plowing with a snap hitch plow. I
> love Allis tractors but that thing could have used a couple of more
> adjustments and a front end weight to hold it down. I kind of liked the 
> snap
> coupler hitch but always liked the IHC fast hitch a lot better.
>    These observations are based on daily working tractors and don't really
> matter that much when collecting and playing...   ;-)   I just love them 
> all
> for that.
>    BTW, my Allis WC is missing a few little parts (only Scott Pike can
> appreciate that one).
>    I also really miss my old 8N...
>    I did love plowing with the IHC 300-U with a 3 x 14" fast hitch plow.
>
>
>
> --
> "farmer"
>
> Francis Robinson
> Central Indiana, USA
> robinson at svs.net
>
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