Stock-Drawn Equipment for Trail Work

Locating replacement parts for the stock-drawn hillside plows of yesteryear.

by USDA Forest Service

Introduction

This project started as an investigation to find replacement parts for the stock-drawn hillside plows of yesteryear. Manufacturers no longer provide replacement parts for machines or implements that have been out of production for 50 years or more. The only sources for parts in the past were "bone yards" of implement dealers or salvage yards, or old-timers who knew the location of some old plows. The Amish, who still use horses as draft animals, have manufactured replacement parts for some old horse plows. In addition, they have built a couple of their own models similar to the 10-in (250-mm) Oliver hillside plow, using a similar cast plowshare.

Besides looking for replacement parts, the Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) fabricated a couple of stock-drawn trail implements. The Center duplicated a grader initially developed and used on the Fremont National Forest's Lakeview Ranger District. The Center also fabricated a copy of a combination plow and grader implement developed in the early 1970's, MTDC drawing no. MEDC-529.

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About the Author


To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

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