Which Tractor

[dropingin]

Hey everyone I am new to the forum and have a question or two. I am looking for a tractor to serve as a mower on 3 acres and for a small market garden / 5-10 acre max starting with one acre . There is a good potential for a decent profit . Anyway I am looking at the U.S. refurbished Yanmars with about 24 hp . It seems like a decent little all around tractor -I think but weight seems to be an issue . I like the fact that it will run slow enough to run a tiller , but would it be able to lay plastic with a small mulch layer? I all so found an old Allis Chalmers CA up the road from me for a good price with a 3ph but don't know how that tractor would be with a tiller. The Yanmar has a 1 year warranty and I would go into a little debt . The Allis seems like a potential headache , but can be had for under 2,000.00. Notalgia gets the better of me with the Allis but the thought of major engine trouble or transmission seems like a show stopper. Any advice would be great.
Sorry wrong forum I will move it.

 

[motownbrowne]

For growing vegetables. Get a hydrostatic transmission. 24 HP is a little small. These days tractors are rated for engine HP, not drawbar or PTO. Those numbers are available, but a 24 HP yanmar might only be 18-20 at the PTO. There are some good resources for market farmers online to help choose a tractor. I'd recommend something more like 35-45 HP 4wd hydro with the skinniest ag tires you can get. If you want an old tractor, consider the farmall a, super a, 130, or best of all the 140. These offset tractors will pull a plow, have a PTO and are designed for using a belly mounted cultivator.

We grow veggies on the contour of a slope, so we cultivate by hand, but if you get to ten acres you will need something other than a wheel hoe.

We just bought an mx4700 Kubota. Love every second I spend on it. I needed the weight and loader lift capacity of that size tractor for logging, otherwise we'd have gotten something like an l3800.

Good luck, keep us posted with your decision.

 

[MattLynch]

I am assuming you would like to make money, so I think you have narrowed it down to two good choices. 24 hp range is enough for the area you want to cover, just do some research into whatever attachments you will need (mower, tiller, etc) and make sure the tractor can lift them.
I don't think you need anything new or fancy for a market garden, don't throw all your profit away on a tractor! My father had a couple of the "refurbished" yanmar tractors and they were ok, but not like new.

 

[MikesTractor]

If you are planning to use a tiller, the AC CA is not a good tractor. It is geared too fast for a tiller. You can find info on the CA here: TractorData.com Allis Chalmers CA tractor information

Look at some tillers and find out what ground speed they need, some of the companies put the operator/user manual online so you can see it. Then compare this with the tractors that you are interested in. Your tractor needs a gear that will match the tiller. A hydrostatic transmission is great because it's speed is variable from 0.0 up to what ever the top speed is of that tractor. That makes it good for tilling, mowing, cultivating, etc. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of gear drive tractors out there that will meet your needs. Just make sure the gear ranges match.

As for horsepower, different size tillers require different horsepower. This information should be in the owners manual or the dealer can tell you.

Just make sure you match your tractor and equipment. You will be a lot happier.

Mike

 

[DJ54]

The CA Allis is a decent little tractor, but may be geared too fast for a tiller. A buddy of mine has several, and he use's them in his Farm Market patch. His main tractor has 2-row mounted cultivators on it, and leave's them on year round. Drops the rears when using the snap coupler planter. His biggest problem is the 14.9 tires on the back, and gets a little close to larger plants when cultivating his 30" rows. Just have to go slow. Skins right along with 2-14's, and the mounted 5'-6' disk. They are rated at 24 hp., so they are gutsy little tractors. Not exactly real live hydraulics, as the PTO needs to be engaged for it to work. Although if you use the hand clutch, you can use it that way, as if it does.

The biggest problem I see with the CUT's is, they're not set up for row crop use. ie; adjustable rear wheels & front axle. Most threads I see on here, guy's use single row cultivators,and have row spacings of 48" or so. With a row crop type tractor like the CA, and others, you can work 30" rows. Figure that across 5+ acres, that's a LOT of lost space, and produce to lose.

As mentioned, the IH's are great tractor's too. I have a couple of A's, and two Super C's myself. But the A's/100/130/140's are one row machines, as far as cultivating. The B/BN/C, & Super C's were 2-row machines as far as cultivating. The advantage of the A's, etc, is you're setting directly over the row you are cultivating, hence the name "Culti-Vision" on the decal of the A's & such.