JD Syracuse Two-Way Plows

Well, it’s been a low-snow winter in Maine and plenty of HD equipment has been left in view….I’ve been making the best of it and have salvaged two JD two-way plows. One is in largely operational shape. It appears to be a pre-1913 model from just before JD bought out Syracuse plow. It does, however, have some post-1913 (according to advertisements) features.

The 2nd plow is a post-1913 model, missing quite a bit, but in a more robust state than the first.. Talking to the previous owner, it hasn’t been touched in 40 or more years. The 1st plow still holds remnants of a silver coat of paint. The last time it was used, it seems it was hitched wrong….clevises set for 3 horses, but tongue set for a team. The older plow is a 3 horse–landed model–or so it seems and the newer plow is a two horse model.

Between the 2 plows I have enough to make a fully functioning two-way plow for this spring and a single bottom sulky plow, along the lines of one suggested in Lynn Miller’s Plow book.

That being said, I am missing a ton of information on how to set this particular plow up. It seems very different than any Oliver I’ve seen and I’ve never seen a JD 2-way in operation. I have almost everything needed–except for the foot pedals–to make the foot lift work on one. and the tongue-shift from the older model has a lever, not foot pedals and a different mechanism than is hinted at in sketches.

Any help getting these plows going by May would be greatly appreciated!