Steel plows succeeded in thick sod and rich, clay-like soil where iron and wood plows had failed. The steel plows shed the soil as the plow cut through it, rather than collecting it on the moldboard. The steel plow is also burnished by the grinding action of the soil, keeping it sharper and cleaner.

John Deere

The steel plow of 1837, developed by John Deere, was an invention that contributed greatly to the agricultural world. It allowed farmers to cultivate crops more efficiently because the smooth texture of the steel blade would not allow the soil of the Great Plains to stick as the cast iron plow did.

Plowing is one of the most important soil management practices, used for centuries to create a straight, grained, structural, and moist sowing layer. Plowing is a simple, but effective farm practice that cuts, granulates, and inverts the soil, creating furrows and ridges.

The Moldboard Plow (also called Bottom Plow) applies the principle of turning soil used widely in traditional farming. The plow turns over topsoil, bringing subsoil to the top and burying weeds and previous crops; thereby speeding decomposition.

It is often called a moldboard plow. The main difference between this traditional plow design and the turning plow is that when dropping soil, the bottom plow tends to switch between downhill and uphill with each pass. Bottom plows are ideal for use on flat ground and adequately break up clay or heavily compacted soil.

The general rule for a plow is 20-25 hp per bottom. 3000-4000 lbs is needed to full a 3 bottom plow. It depends on how fast you want to go, Now days it takes more horsepower to go fast 6 mph or more.

Senior Member. A general rule of thumb is that you need 1 HP for each inch of moldboard you are pulling (at least, more is fine). That is assuming you are using Ag tires, and depends on proper adjustment and on soil conditions.