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How much plow for AC 170-175?

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=189224
Printed Date: 16 Aug 2025 at 5:00pm
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Topic: How much plow for AC 170-175?
Posted By: Tracy Martin TN
Subject: How much plow for AC 170-175?
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2022 at 9:58pm
How much plow was these tractors rated for? Easy to hard ground, Which style and hitch  was most popular?Thanks, Tracy

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No greater gift than healthy grandkids!



Replies:
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2022 at 10:16pm
3 x 16's or 4 x 14's fully mounted.


Posted By: Tracy Martin TN
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2022 at 11:19pm
Thanks, Tracy

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No greater gift than healthy grandkids!


Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2022 at 5:46am
I'm sure the doctor is right, but my opinion is that AC overrated the plow capacity of their tractors.

Most of our land was clay. A 180 or 185 struggled with 4-14 plows in sod. 3-14 or 3-16 were a lot better matched. I can't imagine that a 170/175 would do very well with 4-14 plows.

If you had sandy or loamy ground, it may be a different deal.


Posted By: wade89
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2022 at 3:10pm
We use a 2 bottom 3 point for turning rocky old pastures. It’ll pull 3 in previously worked sod but it’s about all our old gasser wants from my experience.


Posted By: sparky
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2022 at 3:15pm
Here in southern Indiana mine will handle no more than three bottoms. Anymore than three strains the tractor too much and she moves the three nicely. 

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It's the color tractor my grandpa had!


Posted By: Tracy Martin TN
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2022 at 5:23pm
Good to know. Ground here plows hard, really hard. Lots of clay in our ground. I wanted a AC mono frame for this tractor if I can find one. Thanks, Tracy

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No greater gift than healthy grandkids!


Posted By: Steve A
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2022 at 7:24pm
I had the same question last year. Ended up buying a 3-16 Massey Ferguson model 43 (couldn't find an allis locally) Put new shares, shins points, moldboards coulters on it and tried it with 175 in clay loam, old grass field. It handles it okay, but I was glad I didn't go to 4 bottom. Had to feather it in some spots to get through. What it did do was make me impressed with Dad's old 49 WD pulling 2-16's, snap coupler hitch. The 175 has twice the HP, twice the weight, and only one more bottom. That WD/snap set up has a lot going for it.


Posted By: AllisOperator
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2022 at 9:53pm
Tracy, We pulled 3x16s with our 175 in Western New York which was tough ground...and rocky.  

Andy


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Snap Coupler B; C; CA; WC; WD; WD-45; WD45D; D17serIV; 180; 185


Posted By: KJCHRIS
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2022 at 10:03pm
I'd say 3x14" or 3x16" either fully or semi mounted on an AC 170 gas and it'll take the plow anywhere. A diesel 170 or 175 may have enough more torque to handle a 4x14". Full mount you may want front weights on tractor. 
 We pulled 3x14" snap plows @ 6" in stalks or alfalfa/grass on our D17 1 and 3 gas. 
 A 4x16 full or semi worked good on our 180 / 185 diesels in stalk ground, but 3x16" semi was better in breaking up alfalfa/orchard grass hay ground. This was set to depth of 8" using long CeeTee pliers as gauge, actual running is 7" average. in 5th gear.



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AC 200, CAH, AC185D bareback, AC 180D bareback, D17 III, WF. D17 Blackbar grill, NF. D15 SFW. Case 1175 CAH, Bobcat 543B,


Posted By: calico190xt68
Date Posted: 01 Jul 2022 at 10:14pm
Doesn't it depend on quality of tractor? Brand new it could do 4 bottoms. Worn out might have trouble using 3x14s. How good is the 170-175? I purchased a monoframe with hydraulic resets and love it but took it down to a 4 bottom from 5 bottom to keep it easy on my 7010.

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80 7010, 80 7020. 67 190XTD Series I w/500 Loader, AC 2000 Plow, Member Indiana A-C Partners, Member TAC


Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2022 at 7:30am
Originally posted by calico190xt68 calico190xt68 wrote:

Doesn't it depend on quality of tractor? Brand new it could do 4 bottoms. Worn out might have trouble using 3x14s. How good is the 170-175? I purchased a monoframe with hydraulic resets and love it but took it down to a 4 bottom from 5 bottom to keep it easy on my 7010.

There are many factors that can affect how hard (or easy) plows pull. 

A properly weighted tractor is probably the biggest factor in how hard plows pull. A properly adjusted plow pulls much easier than one that is not adjusted right. Plows with "shined up" moldboards pull easier than rusty moldboards. 

I remember when AC first came out with the 190. A local guy bought one, along with a 7 bottom plow. He farmed very light ground. I remember Dad inviting him to bring it down and try it in the clay. He declined. Many years later, I had a 7000 with 4 bottoms and it was all the tractor wanted.


Posted By: DSeries4
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2022 at 8:06am
We used to use a John Deere 4 x 16 semi mount plow in lighter soil.  Tried a White 4 x 18 one year, but it made it work.


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'49 G, '54 WD45, '55 CA, '56 WD45D, '57 WD45, '58 D14, '59 D14, '60 D14, '61 D15D, '66 D15II, '66 D21II, '67 D17IV, '67 D17IVD, '67 190XTD, '73 620, '76 185, '77 175, '84 8030, '85 6080


Posted By: Leadoff
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2022 at 8:09am
Our 1957 D17 pulled an AC Model 73 Snap Coupler fully mounted 4 - 12 plow.  The farm fields were flat fertile clay on the St. Lawrence River floodplain, in Eastern Ontario, just west of Montreal.  My father often mentioned adding another furrow to the plow, but that plan never materialized. 

He plowed in third gear, low range for corn fields, grain stubble, but sometimes dropped down into second gear for pasture/hay fields.

On a few occasions I remember plowing with a bit of frost, usually less than an inch, on corn fields, as we tried to squeeze in work before winter




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1963 D17D Series III. 1965 D15 Series II. 1965 D17 Series IV. 1975 185. 1978 716H. 1979 716H. 1965 780 Harvester/1R&DC. 1957 Model 73 SC 4 Furrow Plow


Posted By: Lars(wi)
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2022 at 8:38am
Different brand of plows pull different also.
When growing up, Kvernland plows had the reputation of the easiest pulling plows for their size. The issue with them was supposedly their durability, locals claimed the life expectancy of those plows was a lot shorter than the ‘big name’ plows. Most everyone in our area used IH plows(710,720). 1 or 2 older Oliver plows were still around at that time, those also a very good durable plow, that did a good job.

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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.


Posted By: Tom59
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2022 at 8:58am
Originally posted by WF owner WF owner wrote:

I'm sure the doctor is right, but my opinion is that AC overrated the plow capacity of their tractors.

Most of our land was clay. A 180 or 185 struggled with 4-14 plows in sod. 3-14 or 3-16 were a lot better matched. I can't imagine that a 170/175 would do very well with 4-14 plows.

If you had sandy or loamy ground, it may be a different deal.


I agree with that, but to be fair back when the AC 170 and AC 175 were new all the other manufacturers ( MF, Ford, IH, JD ) would also advertise their 60 PTO horsepower tractors as 4 plow tractors. Almost all of the tractors in the 60-70 PTO horsepower range in my area of Middle Tennessee pull three bottom plows.


Posted By: Clay
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2022 at 11:08am
In 1960, my dad was looking for a new tractor.
The John Deere and Allis Chalmers dealers each brought out comparable (gas) tractors and plows.
The D-17 walked away from the John Deere.  
That demo caused my dad to switch from JD to AC.
In 1962, he purchased a second D-17 (gas).
We pull 4-16 AC Snap Couple plow through some fairly tough soil.  
The D-17 has fluid in the tires and wheel weights.  
The D-17 does a great job, when the traction booster is properly applied, plow is scoured and properly adjusted.
The only time we dropped a bottom off the plow is when it is used to plow alfalfa ground.
I only wish the D-17 had a few more horses.
Our AC 180 diesel handles a 4-16, three point, 2000 plow with ease.
If the moldboards are not shiny, it takes a great amount of power and does a poor job of plowing.


Posted By: Lars(wi)
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2022 at 3:45pm
Chemical fertilizers, and anhydrous ammonia over the last several decades has ‘firmed up’ or ‘toughened’ the soil.

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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.


Posted By: FREEDGUY
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2022 at 4:45pm
4x16 with a functioning TB Smile, SEMI MOUNTED S/C is what we ran with a D-17 gasser for 20 + years 


Posted By: Ed (Ont)
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2022 at 9:26pm
Originally posted by FREEDGUY FREEDGUY wrote:

4x16 with a functioning TB Smile, SEMI MOUNTED S/C is what we ran with a D-17 gasser for 20 + years 
Wow that is a lot of plow for that tractor. 


Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 03 Jul 2022 at 9:43am
Had a tractor that pulled 4-16’s nice and easy and we needed a new plow. Me thinking I was smart at math, “proportioned” how much additional horsepower only 8 more inches of dirt would take. Boy was I wrong and taught a lesson! Seems when you step up into 18 and over, pitch and curvature and so forth all changes. We pulled it, but not what you want to do to your tractor!


Posted By: CORLEWFARM
Date Posted: 04 Jul 2022 at 7:57am
In Dickson Co TN we pulled 4-16 allis plow with a late model 175 with the bigger engine. Should be similar ground to yours. On a early 175 or 170 probably 4-14 or 3-16.


Posted By: TedBuiskerN.IL.
Date Posted: 05 Jul 2022 at 12:44pm
I have one field of very nice mellow soil.  I plowed about 8 acres with a model 65, 5-14 behind a WD45.  The video is on YouTube.  It was fun and I had no trouble, but I think that's the only field on my farm I could do that. 



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Most problems can be solved with the proper application of high explosives.


Posted By: coggonobrien
Date Posted: 06 Jul 2022 at 10:51am
Here's Dr Allis and his high platform 170

https://youtu.be/qsSd0NjEEjk" rel="nofollow - https://youtu.be/qsSd0NjEEjk




Posted By: Tom59
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2022 at 6:02am
Originally posted by CORLEWFARM CORLEWFARM wrote:

In Dickson Co TN we pulled 4-16 allis plow with a late model 175 with the bigger engine. Should be similar ground to yours. On a early 175 or 170 probably 4-14 or 3-16.


Your AC 175 tractor with the Perkins 248 engine must be really strong tractor, I don’t believe a MF 275 tractor with Perkins 248 engine be able to handle 4-16 plow in this area. But the AC 175 is about 93 inches wheelbase and the MF 275 is 82 inch wheelbase tractor plus the AC 175 is 1500 pounds heavier. I guess that would make a lot of different.


Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2022 at 6:09am
I've never had the chance to dyno a Perkins 236 against a Perkins 248 in two 175 tractors at the same time. The rated PTO HP was 62 for the early 175's that were the 236 cube engine. I cannot imagine A-C ordering or wanting more HP than that. They had a driveline/transmission to stand behind and cover it under warranty.


Posted By: Tracy Martin TN
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2022 at 5:00pm
If I can find a plow I will put it to the test. No luck finding a AC Mono frame yet. Tracy

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No greater gift than healthy grandkids!


Posted By: AllisFreak MN
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2022 at 7:05pm
Nice lookin' 170 Doc.

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'49 A-C WD, '51 A-C WD, '63 A-C D17 Series III, 1968 A-C One-Seventy, '82 A-C 6060, '75 A-C 7040, A-C #3 sickle mower, 2 A-C 701 wagons, '78 Gleaner M2


Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2022 at 7:16pm
All original paint with new hood decals. I don't think it has ever been overhauled, by looking at some of the major bolts that haven't ever had a wrench on them. When I got it there was no hour meter in the dash, so I'm guessing, but think it may only have 3,000 or so actual hrs on it. No smoke whatsoever out the exhaust and the rear seal leaks pretty good, so that's another reason I don't think it's ever had a major OH. This fall, I'll pull the engine to dry up the rear seal and I'll check the date on the main and rod bearings.  Every single tractor ride I've taken it on this summer, there's always some John Deere guy that comes over and says " I never knew they made a One-Seventy"......



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