Hesston Disc Plow for Cub

[jrmartin1964]

I found this photo on the web, and it caught my attention.

I have one very much like this out by the shed, that was part of a package deal with a Farmall A. The manufacturer's tag on it is all but illegible, but I have been able to make out the name "Hesston". It is vaguely similar the Cub-152 Disc Pow, but somewhat simpler in construction. It is definitely too narrow to mount up between the final drives under the A, but if memory serves me it measured just right for bolting between the drives of a Cub. Does anyone else here have one of these things, or ever seen one in operation under a Cub? Mine has been resting (and rusting) quietly out by the shed for a number of years, and seems to have been perfectly content with that, but I'm thinking maybe I should get it in and under a bit more cover. I am mildly curious as to how it would perform out in the garden, but I'm not sure I want to go through the effort of taking the sickle mower off and then trying to wrangle this heavy piece of iron under there.

At any rate, I have at least gotten it up out of the ground - one side of the frame was about eight inches into the ground, and the disc had sunk at least that far. Remarkably, the disc still turns quite freely and whatever is serving as a bearing in there seems to still be in admirable condition - considering the number of years is has been sitting out in the weather.

Jim

[tmays]

I've never used one, but I'm sure it's very similar to a cub 152. Rterry had a Heston for sale on here not long ago. I'd like to try one to compare. I'm sure someone on here has one and will tell you all you need to know

[danovercash]

Either belly plow would be good for plowing in close places. Also good for plowing out ditches

[jrmartin1964]

Just to update, I took a close look at the manaufacturer's tag on my old disc plow and find that, instead of Hesston, it reads:

HESTER PLOW CO., INC. / JACKSONVILLE, FLA., U. S. A.
U.S. Patent No.'s 2041832, 2019854, 1774007
Canadian Patent No. 359874

Thanks to Google and the power of the Internet, I was able to uncover the following:
The Hester Plow Company, Incorporated, of Jacksonville, Florida, was founded in 1927 and continued to operate until the late 1990s. The company's founder, Levi C. Hester, was apparently obsessed with the disc plow; between January of 1927 and October of 1953 he was granted at least 19 patents, 17 of which dealt with the disc plow in one form or another.

Jim