Which Kverneland plough?

lough

Well-Known Member
I am going to buy a 3 furrow kverneland conventional plough but am undecided as to which one to buy out of the following, round beam un-sprung, round beam sprung, square beam or vari-width. I am looking for good and bad points of each type, availability of parts etc. for each type, my preference would be a 12" on No. 8 boards for ploughing shallow.

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Few questions for you.

Expected acreage, budget and available power.

Round beam here non sprung. It does the job for what we have but will be traded in the next while (0-3 years)

There is another version too which you are missing.

A 12 in will an old one now and most likely on 3's but a 14 in will typically be on 8's.
 
A 12 in will an old one now and most likely on 3's but a 14 in will typically be on 8's.

The round beam (M type) was available in Ireland, as 12" and 14". The old ones had the Hydrien Bodies 1965 to 1975 (no Shin Piece) These were also painted yellow and sold branded as Bamford. Later ones had No 3 bodies 1975 to 1983. I doubt any were sold here with No 8 bodies (1983 on) as original, but could be fitted.
They had a trip kit available as an optional extra (coil spring)
This M type was replaced by the MZ type, which had greater under frame clearance (longer leg). Most of the M and MZ had (optional) Grassland skimmers fitted on the discs.
The Stenomat auto reset - flat leaf spring) was available in round frame and later with square box frame. Most of these had (optional) Independent Skimmers fitted on to the frame. There was also an ( optional) Trashboard available, which bolted to the top of the board, with two bolts
The Stenomat started out with Hydrien Bodies (no Shin Piece) No 3 bodies (Triangular shin with one bolt) and then with No 8 bodies (long shin with 2 bolts).
The reversible was designated as the "E"
They then went on to Vari Width (I cant remember the letters, maybe MB for conventional and EB for reversible).
Then there was the Match Plough, or Competition Special, which was a kind of a 13 inch with spacer plates to adjust the width. These will be familiar to a few on here.

History lesson over, but all the books are in storage here:thumbup:
 
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Have the plough in your 1st pic here lough. Been around longer them myself and has the world of work done. Tbf a great plough in fairly stone free land. If you have stones then a spring loaded plough would defiantly be advantageous. Be a light plough and can give hassle in hard ground. I used to put up to four 45kg weights on the plough here in tough conditions to shove it down and keep it down. Improved the tractors traction as well.
 
I have a 3 F sprung round beam 14 inch on no. 3 boards here . It is fine for small bits at home.
I use a 4 F sprung square beam vari width on no. 8 where I work.
The no. 3 is capable of shallower work than no. 8.

Dont buy a plough on hydrein bodies as parts are no longer available genuine or spurious.
The round beam is ok but a good bit lighter than the square , but having said that mine has no welding on it whereas the square has!

Personally I wouldnt consider an unsprung one at all but it depends on your ground.
 
I must admit I wouldn't be inclined to go for a vari width myself.

Most of these are now 30+ years old and you will see lots of wear in the moving parts and the springs etc.

Reckon a spring loaded square beam non vari width is what you need but you will be talking 2k anyway for anything decent.
 
The round beam (M type) was available in Ireland, as 12" and 14". The old ones had the Hydrien Bodies 1965 to 1975 (no Shin Piece) These were also painted yellow and sold branded as Bamford. Later ones had No 3 bodies 1975 to 1983. I doubt any were sold here with No 8 bodies (1983 on) as original, but could be fitted.
They had a trip kit available as an optional extra (coil spring)
This M type was replaced by the MZ type, which had greater under frame clearance (longer leg). Most of the M and MZ had (optional) Grassland skimmers fitted on the discs.
The Stenomat auto reset - flat leaf spring) was available in round frame and later with square box frame. Most of these had (optional) Independent Skimmers fitted on to the frame. There was also an ( optional) Trashboard available, which bolted to the top of the board, with two bolts
The Stenomat started out with Hydrien Bodies (no Shin Piece) No 3 bodies (Triangular shin with one bolt) and then with No 8 bodies (long shin with 2 bolts).
The reversible was designated as the "E"
They then went on to Vari Width (I cant remember the letters, maybe MB for conventional and EB for reversible).
Then there was the Match Plough, or Competition Special, which was a kind of a 13 inch with spacer plates to adjust the width. These will be familiar to a few on here.

History lesson over, but all the books are in storage here:thumbup:


You working in kverneland Kilkenny, you have a lot of detailed infomation there kiddo.....
 
You working in kverneland Kilkenny, you have a lot of detailed infomation there kiddo.....

No, We sold Kv for 35 odd years before KV KK were even spermed;)
We dealt with Bamfords before they moved out to Naas and Larkins when they were in city center:whistle:
There`s a little bit of historic research for you:thumbup2:

I have a few pics here of visits to KV factory where we succeded in giving our Norwegian hosts a 3 day hangover with a Large dose of Irish Firewater (poitín)
 
you will see lots of wear in the springs.

That basic design of the Auto flat spring release set up has remained unchanged for over 40 years.
As they say: If it aint broke - dont fix it.
Remember, thats where our local Irish Plough maker failed.... Make a plough from pig iron with no safety system and it will become history. Their old factory site is now a TESCO.
 
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The round beam (M type) was available in Ireland, as 12" and 14". The old ones had the Hydrien Bodies 1965 to 1975 (no Shin Piece) These were also painted yellow and sold branded as Bamford. Later ones had No 3 bodies 1975 to 1983. I doubt any were sold here with No 8 bodies (1983 on) as original, but could be fitted.
They had a trip kit available as an optional extra (coil spring)
This M type was replaced by the MZ type, which had greater under frame clearance (longer leg). Most of the M and MZ had (optional) Grassland skimmers fitted on the discs.
The Stenomat auto reset - flat leaf spring) was available in round frame and later with square box frame. Most of these had (optional) Independent Skimmers fitted on to the frame. There was also an ( optional) Trashboard available, which bolted to the top of the board, with two bolts
The Stenomat started out with Hydrien Bodies (no Shin Piece) No 3 bodies (Triangular shin with one bolt) and then with No 8 bodies (long shin with 2 bolts).
The reversible was designated as the "E"
They then went on to Vari Width (I cant remember the letters, maybe MB for conventional and EB for reversible).
Then there was the Match Plough, or Competition Special, which was a kind of a 13 inch with spacer plates to adjust the width. These will be familiar to a few on here.

History lesson over, but all the books are in storage here:thumbup:

can remember getting a 12" barrel for our old match plough down in your place tom:thumbup:,our plough came as a 13"
 
That basic design of the Auto flat spring release set up has remained unchanged for over 40 years.
As they say: If it aint broke - dont fix it.
Remember, thats where our local Irish Plough maker failed.... Make a plough from pig iron with no safety system and it will become history. Theit factory is now a TESCO.

Do you remember Manus Coffee an Engineer from Pierce and a few others started making New Ireland ploughs . One was given to my father on demo but he never used it because it had no trips and the Company went bankrupt and they sent him a bill . He told them to come collect the plough . We eventually gave it to a neighbour so he could plough his garden .
 
Do you remember Manus Coffee an Engineer from Pierce and a few others started making New Ireland ploughs . One was given to my father on demo but he never used it because it had no trips and the Company went bankrupt and they sent him a bill . He told them to come collect the plough . We eventually gave it to a neighbour so he could plough his garden .

New Ireland was headed up by George Coughlan????
They were based in a building at Edermine, Enniscorthy, which still stands. (Myles) Stamp Transport were using that yard in recent years.
The plough was doomed to fail because of the (Pierce) Foundry cast Iron Points and Wings.

Should I mention the Shanahan Brothers and Pierce in the same sentence - "Make our ploughs from modern "steel" or fail" Pierse did not listen, and ,as they say, the rest is Tesco

They were still using iron hardware bolts up to their last days - nuf said
 
Had the fixed round and upgraded to the spring square beam wouldn't go back for the world though wouldn't mind going to a 3 furrow sprung reverseable next
 
New Ireland was headed up by George Coughlan????
They were based in a building at Edermine, Enniscorthy, which still stands. (Myles) Stamp Transport were using that yard in recent years.
The plough was doomed to fail because of the (Pierce) Foundry cast Iron Points and Wings.

Should I mention the Shanahan Brothers and Pierce in the same sentence - "Make our ploughs from modern "steel" or fail" Pierse did not listen, and ,as they say, the rest is Tesco

They were still using iron hardware bolts up to their last days - nuf said

you,re bang on about george coughlan heading up new ireland tttom and before george took it over tobin engineering worked in that yard making hammer mills and other agri equipment, the mills were highly regarded and there was one here up to 15 years ago. up at the back of the yard jim redmond made car trailers in an old forge and lads talked about them like we talk about broughans and smyth triple axles now:001_smile:
 
That barrel came out of Bamfords in Naas when they closed down in 1979:sweatdrop::sweatdrop::sweatdrop::sweatdrop: what age am I:crying:

You are probably right on them closing in 79, being in the trade, you would know better than me.
I thought it was 1980, as a couple of lads round here got new Bamford 5'6 mowers and square balers. 1980 was an atrocious hay year, but this was before baled silage. The thing was this machines came in timber crates, and they had to assemble them themselves, and the cost something like 2/3 of the retail cost. No guarantee either. I suppose maybe they got them in the autumn/ winter of 1979, and put them together during the winter, to have them ready for the "summer ", such as it was of 1980.
 
you,re bang on about george coughlan heading up new ireland tttom and before george took it over tobin engineering worked in that yard making hammer mills and other agri equipment, the mills were highly regarded and there was one here up to 15 years ago. up at the back of the yard jim redmond made car trailers in an old forge and lads talked about them like we talk about broughans and smyth triple axles now:001_smile:

I forgot about Tobin Engineering. Was George not involved there?:confused:
There is a book in this:no:
 
You are probably right on them closing in 79, being in the trade, you would know better than me.
I thought it was 1980, as a couple of lads round here got new Bamford 5'6 mowers and square balers. 1980 was an atrocious hay year, but this was before baled silage. The thing was this machines came in timber crates, and they had to assemble them themselves, and the cost something like 2/3 of the retail cost. No guarantee either. I suppose maybe they got them in the autumn/ winter of 1979, and put them together during the winter, to have them ready for the "summer ", such as it was of 1980.


Savilles in 1979
Bamfords in 1980
Pentony`s in 1981

Do you not remember the International 241 Round baler of 1978?
Brocure here, somewhere in " Mt Pictures by Tengtooltom"[/URL]http://www.forum4farming.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15617&d=1380895358


Remember the ar-e falling out of the price of cattle - the last recession:eek:
 
I forgot about Tobin Engineering. Was George not involved there?:confused:
There is a book in this:no:

i think he was foreman there alright,tobins house was at the end of the yard and was knocked down when they widened the old cement road and turned in into the n11, i play cards with an old guy that worked there on wednesdays i,ll try to get a bit of info from him about the ploughs but i think the biggest problem was they were all handmade and no 2 were alike
 
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