Chisel Plow HP ?

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Morning SS.

I don't know if this will help or not. I have a seven bottom chisel that I can barely pull with a 45hp tractor. The plow is more like a renovator (or root rake) than a plow. It just has chisel points with a hard surface overlay, not plow sweeps (no matter how small). So if that is any indication then the hp required per point is somewhere around 6 or 7 hp. I am pretty certain that if you were using a real plow point (sweep) the hp requirement will go up.

I also have a 14' field plow that started life as an 18'. I could not pull it with a 145 hp tractor. I cut 4' off of it and the 145 hp tractor pulls it OK but it is a load and occasionally the front of the tractor comes off the ground, even with 1000 lbs of weights hanging off the front end.
 
The HP requirement will depend on a number of factors. I have a large Bushhog brand parabolic chisel plow. In dry compacted clay at 16 inches deep a 200 drawbar HP tractor cannot pull it. With moisture in the clay and the plow set at ~ 14 inches I can manage with a 145 HP tractor. There was a report on using chisel plows on the internet from Iowa State I believe. The summary of the report as I remember stated the results does not justify the expense. The only benefit I ever gleaned from the effort was witnessed in dry years as the process does minimize surface runoff should it rain. Four dollar fuel is rapidly consumed with the load of a true chisel plow with multiple shanks stuck deep in compacted soil. I once pulled a dirt clog up the size of a VW bug when crossing the area where log trucks had traveled. You ever see a revved up high horsepower 4 wheel drive tractor make all the tires squat to nearly flat and then take a hop?
 
We always thought about 10 hp per shank, but we have rocky clay creek bottoms. One benefit we saw from chiseling was it helped out our wet spots. That may have from the plow layer from years of using moldboard plow.
 
10 hp per shank, and the deeper you go the more hp you need. I just finished shank plowing at dinner. I like to bust up the hard pan to 20".
I feel it lets the ground water come up and the rain soak in. And the grass seems like it grows better to me.
 
lucky7chief":f4i753a8 said:
We always thought about 10 hp per shank, but we have rocky clay creek bottoms. One benefit we saw from chiseling was it helped out our wet spots. That may have from the plow layer from years of using moldboard plow.

We also have rocky clay soil. I am not excited about what a chisel plow will bring up, so I do not plan to use it everywhere, but I do think I need to work spots close to gates or watering points or travel lanes to deal with compaction.
 
agmantoo said:
There was a report on using chisel plows on the internet from Iowa State I believe. The summary of the report as I remember stated the results does not justify the expense. quote]

Did they look at compacted vs. not compacted soil?
 
Truthfully I do not recall if they compared compacted against non compacted soils. I did this reading back when I was thinking about buying an Aerway. As best as I can recall the summary stated that the benefits would be recognized about once every 7 years based on typical weather conditions which I assumed were in Iowa. I have sought various methods to help me get through drought but to date nothing has paid off. If my land was more suitable, too steep, I would buy an irrigation system. I have an aerway along with the chisel plow. Both sit idle most of the time. The aerway has been a disappointment. Highly touted but I have not observed any benefits other than using it similar to a plugger/aerator to create divets when broadcasting seed. My next approach could be buying a used large metal building to store purchased hay that I hope to never have a need for using.
 
I have a 90hp 4wd Deere that with loader and ballast in the tires weighs around 12k. I can pull a 7 shank chisel plow and sink it about 12" deep in most of my heavy soils. Sometimes I have to raise it up to 6-8"
 
johndeerefarmer":1zy01rhh said:
I have a 90hp 4wd Deere that with loader and ballast in the tires weighs around 12k. I can pull a 7 shank chisel plow and sink it about 12" deep in most of my heavy soils. Sometimes I have to raise it up to 6-8"

I was at an auction yesterday where they had two 11 shank chisels.
One was a Hinkel and the other an older Ford. The shanks were much much deeper on the Hinkel.
If you have the HP to chisel rather than spring tooth -- is there any reason not to go to max depth?
 

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