Allis B plow point question

Have a plow point that I thought would have a plow bolt through it. Find that it's doesn't have the bolt. It has a threaded stud off the back. It has the plow point number of 308864. Also the point is longer that the one I took off the plow. Any thoughts is this an older point that the one I took off and that is why it's like it is? Or is this a newer point and that bolt is now part of the point? It looks the same otherwise. I have yet to try and mount it up. But measuring it it seems to be a match other than that stud verses plow bolt and length. 

AC had eight plow points that interchanged with the 308864. One of the variables was point/share length. The plow bottoms book (link included in the thread AC Plows Parts 101 in the Knowledge Base on this site http://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=76502&title=ac-plows-parts-101 ) shows shares described as wide cut, narrow cut, deep suck, normal, made of chilled iron, soft center steel, and solid steel. Your plow bottom is 24 or 124 that takes that share. Some bottoms call the share/point a blade. I wrote a long post on this topic two weeks ago: http://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=122754&KW=308864+share&PID=1004242&title=in-need-of-a-good-plow-point#1004242

Gerald J.

Thanks Gerald, that long post was to my earlier post. I thought by the number that the point was good. But seeing it with the other it clearly was longer. So a question in hopes you have an answer is how would I know if I have a 14 or 16 bottom on a single bottom plow? I know how to measure on a two + bottom and that is generally between the beams but without a second beam how do I tell? It's likely that the B & C didn't have many choices as all of the plows I have are much the same. I like this tractor and plow setup for plowing as it has been very faithful to me. With the point broke now it has set me back on getting my "garden/field work" done. I have three plots that total just over 1 acre and had the plow point break just before I had turned the largest of the plots over. That set me back weeks. I have other plows but they also have bad points as well (other than the left hand plow). 

Edited by allisb48 - 17 May 2016 at 7:59am

The 308864 share is a standard width share for a 14" right hand bottom. There were two versions of 24 bottoms, bolted or welded anchor for the share holding bolt that hooks on the share's post. And the 124 took that share also as one of its options.

The way the plow is mounted on the tractor sets the working width of the front bottom or a single bottom. You drive with the inside sidewall of the front and rear tires against the left side of the previous furrow, so the plow cuts a width from the line of the inside sidewalls to the landside and shin face of the plow. A share that is longer on the right than the mold board insures the share cuts roots, important when plowing alfalfa where you want to kill a sturdy crop. Since it sticks into the furrow of the previous pass its not going to harm plowing. A narrow cut share like several that AC offered for the same bottom and the share you broke, guarantees a anchor for the sod being turned over so it really turns over and has less of a tendency to fall back flat and grass side up behind the plow. Sod falling back happens less the faster you pull the plow. I compared an AC at 3.5 mph vs 5.5 mph and at 5.5 mph (4x 18 vs 3x18) the 392 bottoms turned the sod so fast it was being tossed like tossing it from a spading fork and it hit the ground and crumpled, hardly needed disking except in the wet spots.

If the share anchors and doesn't stick out to the left of the moldboard and landside, I think it will work great, but it you decide its too wide you will need an abrasive cut off saw or grinder with a cut off wheel, its too hard to cut with a saw blade, its probably harder than any blade short of a Lenox carbide tipped blade, and probably will survive longer than the carbide tipped blade.

Your original share being described as narrow cut, is definitely shorter than the standard cut of the 308864. And the plow bottoms book shows it was used on both 12 and 14" wide bottoms.

Another way to measure a plow bottom would be the distance perpendicular to the left side of the bottom defined by the shin or moldboard and the landside to the far corner of the plow share. That's the width of the cut its going to make if working alone, but the working width depends on the lateral position when mounted on the tractor as I described above. And that working width depends on what you are plowing to cut roots or have a sod anchor.

Gerald J.

That is usually controlled by location of coulter.Too narrow will cause bottom to rip land side.You can't set to position of coulter in the"air".It may look like it's right but better check it in the ground moving.They don't trial like you'd think.

Edited by SteveM C/IL - 17 May 2016 at 2:51pm

My dad built a garden tractor from shortened drive train of a model A Ford with his own design for a belt clutch and speed reduction about 1951. I held pieces while he welded them together. It pulled a 1 horse plow, I was a little light for plowing until a few years later, but I've been around plows ever since. I have the tractor and its plow. Ought to get it running again.

The coulter helps cut a smooth furrow wall, usually has a couple inches clearance above the front of the share nose and shifted to the left 1/2 or 3/4" by my plow books as I remember them. AC plow coulters are very adjustable, they had to be, they used the same coulter on practically every plow for 40 or 50 years. If the coulter is too close to the moldboard and plow share point it plugs easier with corn stalks.

A rough left furrow face without a coulter could be a hint that the shin of the moldboard is worn so its tearing instead of cutting. I have seen plows with separate shins and the shins worn more than half away. The plow has a natural side thrust to push the landside against that furrow wall to help smooth and pack it.

Besides the one horse plow that can hitch to the tractor my dad built, I have a Case 2x 16 three point that works my MF-135 decently, and an AC 2000 Monoframe 4x18 that worked my 4020 too hard so I changed it to 3x18 and plowed faster and got more work done per day and didn't have to lift the plow to keep the tractor front wheels on the ground.

Gerald J.