Build Yourself A $20,000 Plow For Only $1,900

Build Yourself A $20,000 Plow For Only $1,900 TILLAGE EUIPMENT Plows 8-4-4 Here's one way to build yourself a $20,000 plow for only $1,900: Gang two 7-bottom International 700's into one big 13-bottom plow ù like South Dakota farmer Jim Melius, of Miranda, did, saving about $18,000 in the process. Melius combined the two plows by building a heavy-duty floating hinge between the two, and special castor and lift wheels that let him control it. "I had the older model International 700's on hand and they were worth practically nothing as trade-ins," points out Melius, who spent $1,900 to combine them into a 13-bottom rig that, if purchased new, would cost "right at $20,000". "The hardest part was building the floating hinge between the plows. The hinge mounts at right angles to the main frame of the plows. We had to cut out part of the frames to allow the hinge to flex up and down in rough terrain. We mounted a castor wheel at either end of the plow and a fixed center lift wheel. To transport, we simply unpin the center wheel and turn it in line with the plow bottoms. It transports at a width of about 11 ft.," says Melius, noting that he also completely re-did the hitch on the plow. The plow has a rear hydraulic marker that raises and lowers with the rear wheel of the plow. "The plow is built as strong or stronger than any large plow on the market. We built it stronger than a similarly designed International 12-bottom plow which sells for more than $20,000," Melius told FARM SHOW. The $1,900 he spent for materials was mostly for steel, hydraulic lines, extra cylinders, and paint. Melius has used the plow for two seasons, pulling it with an 8640 Deere. "The great thing about it is that it works the way we wanted it to," he says. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jim Melius, Box 14, Miranda, S. Dak. 57463 (ph 605 598-4315).

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