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Don't get me wrong - I enjoy being in the fields. For us, farming is somewhere between "have to" and "because we like it". The farm still brings in cash to suplement the family budget. Just the same, If I happend on a plow day, I don't think you'd get me in the saddle, just for fun. I was just saying that plowing with the John Deere A with the manual locks on the dual direction plows, which only cut 16" on a pass (albiet both directions) with manual steering in New England ground (read - "rocks") is long, hard, work. Let me see if I can remeber the sequence without sitting in the seat. End of the right hand row. Knock it out of gear (right hand cause its in first) Raise the plow (left hand) At the right moment hit the lock (right hand - we were plowing on the right side, remember?) You got to be fast because it's an old tractor and the seals leak a bit. The lift won't hold the plow up long without the lock. Pull the clutch (right hand) Put it in reverse (right hand) Clutch (right) Steer out to the left (left hand on steering wheel, rights on the clutch). Pull forward into the furrow (left hand shift into first, right clutch, left back on the steering wheel.) Back up (Right clutch out, right shift to reverse, right clutch in, left stear, right clutch out) Drop the left plow (left release lock, left power-trol drop) Plow. (Left shift reverse to first, right clutch) Feather the plow over that stone that's too big (left hand powertrol, right hand steer... My hands are tough, but after you slap those locks a couple of hundred times... The 85HP 2840 can easily pull our 4 bottom 14" plow (wish they were 16" it would fit the tires better)in second gear. It's got live PTO which cuts down on the shifting that you have to do with the "A" and make those jobs easier too. But I don't have to cut trees down when I'm out in the woods with the "A" The tricyle is much more manuverable (even w/o power steering) And I can start it by hand faster than I can the diesel. For all my bi&*%ing, I do look forward to restoring her.
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