[slipshod]

Check out this homemade ditching plow I picked up. I added the three point setup and the coulter wheel. Works well,leaves a flat bottom trench about 16 inches wide.A neighbor of mine gave it to me when he moved.

 

[slipshod]

pic

another

 

[Argee]

What did your neighbor use it for? My guess would be for laying drain tile or irrigation lines.

 

[parts man]

That appears to be either a middle buster or a lister. I've only seen pictures and am not sure of the difference, but from what I understand they were used in areas where water conservation was a concern. None here in the maritimes, LOTS of water here!!

 

[Argee]

Originally posted by parts man

That appears to be either a middle buster or a lister. I've only seen pictures and am not sure of the difference, but from what I understand they were used in areas where water conservation was a concern. None here in the maritimes, LOTS of water here!!

It looks to wide to be a middle buster. Would take some major HP to pull it subsurface. Here what I know of a middle buster.

 

[Argee]

Re: Middle Buster

Notice the shank that puts the wings down low for below surface application. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a middle buster used to break up compaction? Or is that a ripper that's used for that?

 

[slipshod]

plow

This tool is neither a lister or a middle buster it is a ditching plow.
Originally it was made to drain off pasture or plowed land.The guy that gave it to me tried pulling it with a 9N,not enough tractor.My Ford 5000 does a nice job with it. I go along and pick up the turned sod with the loader and have a wide flat ditch when I am done.

 

[parts man]

Argee, that picture was a sub-soiler ( I think). A middle buster was similar to a plow, but had a moldboard goind each way from a central plow share. This turned a furrow in each dirrection to create a ditch to hold moisture from spring runnoff etc, keeping as much water as possible for growing the years crops.
That is the explanation I got from a guy who seemed to know. Like I said, there weren't any around here, we have trouble getting things dry enough to plant.

 

[John *.?-!.*]

Slipshod, that type ditching plow is commonly used behind small crawlers by the Conservation and Forestry service for fighting brush fires in my part of the country (eastern Mo.)