Plow donation
Donate a plow that has not turned ground in twenty years
Moldboard plowing largely ended with conservation tillage, which means most of the plows we receive have been parked at a fencerow since the 1990s. There is still a buyer market, mostly small operations, plow-day enthusiasts and collectors, and the numbers are modest but real.
Where donated plows come from
Farms clearing a fencerow or a shed row. A plow is the classic thing that got parked when tillage practices changed and never moved again.
Estates and farm dispersals, where a plow is typically one item among several pieces of tillage equipment.
Collectors and plow-day participants thinning a group, and small operations that went to no-till and no longer need it.
On a trailer, and the width matters
A plow goes on a tilt-deck or a drop-deck trailer. Semi-mounted and pull-type plows are longer and may need a step-deck. Giganic widths are rare in this class so permits are uncommon. Giving Center arranges and covers it.
Tell us the number of bottoms, whether it is three-point mounted or pull-type, and whether the transport wheels roll. A plow that has sunk into the ground where it sits needs to be pulled free first, and that is normally your end.
Tillage and planting equipment is where grouping matters most. A plow, a disc and a cultivator on one trip costs a fraction of three separate pickups, and a matched tillage set often sells better together. List everything you have on one form.
What decides what a plow brings
- Type. Moldboard, chisel plow or subsoiler. Chisel plows and subsoilers are still in active use and worth considerably more than a moldboard.
- Number of bottoms or shanks, and width. The defining spec.
- Share and point wear. Consumables. Worn is expected; a full set of newer points is visible value.
- Frame, beams and coulters. Bent beams, broken coulter arms and a cracked frame are the faults that matter.
- Mounting. Three-point, semi-mounted or pull-type, and whether the hitch and hydraulics are complete.
Makes we accept
Tillage is brand-driven and buyers name models.
- Moldboard: John Deere 3600 and F145 series, Case IH and International 720, 730 and 7500, Oliver, Ford, Massey Ferguson, Kverneland, Overum, White.
- Chisel plows and subsoilers: Case IH Tigermate and Ecolo-Tiger, John Deere 610 and 2700, Sunflower, Landoll, DMI, Krause, Wil-Rich, Great Plains, Salford, Unverferth Zone Builder.
- Also seen: Brillion, Glencoe, Kent, Kongskilde, Taylor-Way, Bush Hog tillage.
Manufacturer names appear here so you can find your own machine. No manufacturer sponsors, endorses or is affiliated with this program.
The paperwork, and what you can deduct
Farm equipment is not titled. Ownership is established with the purchase invoice, a bill of sale, a farm asset record, or a lien release if it was financed. Find the serial plate and photograph it. If the machine is part of an estate or a farm partnership, whoever signs needs authority to sign for it.
Giving Center sells the implement and your deduction is the gross sale proceeds on Form 1098-C. Implements in this class commonly sell between $500 and $5,000, where Form 8283 Section A applies and no appraisal is required. Older or heavily worn examples fall under $500, where the deduction is the lesser of fair market value or $500 and we send a written acknowledgment rather than a Form 1098-C. If you donate several implements together each is itemized, and similar items are grouped for the IRS reporting thresholds.
Honest framing: an older moldboard plow will usually produce a deduction under $500. A large chisel plow or a good subsoiler is a different matter and can clear $5,000. Tell us which you have and we will give you a realistic figure before anything is scheduled. Most farm equipment is a depreciated business asset, which makes a conversation with your accountant worth having before the pickup. Farm business property follows different rules than a personal donation.
Plow donation questions
Is an old moldboard plow worth anything?
A modest amount, usually under $500. There is a real buyer market among small operations and plow-day enthusiasts. It is most worth doing as part of a larger pickup.
Mine is a chisel plow, not a moldboard.
Then it is worth considerably more, because chisel plows are still in active use. Tell us the shank count and width.
It has sunk into the ground where it sits.
Tell us. It usually needs pulling free before it can be loaded and that is normally handled on your end.
The shares are worn down to nothing.
Expected consumables and priced in. A set of good points is visible value; worn ones are not a problem.
I have several pieces of tillage equipment.
List all of them on one form. A matched tillage set often sells better together and one trip costs a fraction of several.
Giving Center does not provide tax, legal or financial advice. Donations are deductible to the extent allowed by law. See IRS Publication 526, Publication 561 and Publication 4303, and consult a tax professional.