Buying Advice How much Tractor Do I need for 300 acre farm

   / How much Tractor Do I need for 300 acre farm #1  

oshills

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Oct 17, 2010
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I recently acquired a 300 acre farm through inheritance. The farm has not been worked in many years. There are roughly 150 to 160 acres of tillable land and about 100 acres of good rolling pasture land with about 40 or 50 acres of timber. I plan to purchase a tractor and some equipment to work this farm but I am unsure of the size/type of equipment to buy. I plan to plant corn/soybeans on the 160 acres of tillable land and start a cattle herd on the 100 acres of pasture. I don't expect to do all of this over night but I want to purchase a tractor and some row crop equipment. What size and type of tractor should I purchase and what size disc, cultivator and planter should I purchase to row crop 160 acres?
 
   / How much Tractor Do I need for 300 acre farm #2  
I would get a 7330 JD with 4WD and a loader. :thumbsup:

This could do a 15' disc easily, 9 shank chisel plow and a 6 row corn planter.

Realistically it will be cheaper to hire this stuff done and wouldn't you want to grow some hay if you plan to have cattle?
 
   / How much Tractor Do I need for 300 acre farm #3  
I'm a little naive to full-on farming in 2010 (left farm in 1995), but I'd say between 100 and 150hp, MFWD, with loader. For implements i'd get whatever the tractor you choose will pull.

-Jer.
 
   / How much Tractor Do I need for 300 acre farm #4  
I'm not a farmer and it sounds like oshills doesn't have any experience either.
Farming, as an independent family owned business, is tough.
I'd strongly suggest he rent out as much of that tillable land as he can for a few years. He can gain experience from the renters and determine if that's what he wants to do for the next 30-40 years....and before he spends some serious money on equipment.
 
   / How much Tractor Do I need for 300 acre farm
  • Thread Starter
#5  
I plan to get some cattle at some point so I will need haying equipment. I wanted to start with the row crops first. You are right I probably could hire someone just as cheap as purchasing the equipment but I wanted to work the place myself. I was hoping I would be able to do this with 100PTO tractor but I see will need something a little larger.
 
   / How much Tractor Do I need for 300 acre farm #6  
I plan to get some cattle at some point so I will need haying equipment. I wanted to start with the row crops first. You are right I probably could hire someone just as cheap as purchasing the equipment but I wanted to work the place myself. I was hoping I would be able to do this with 100PTO tractor but I see will need something a little larger.

100 hp will be PLENTY. :thumbsup:

This could be farmed with as little as 55-65 hp if time doesn't matter.
 
   / How much Tractor Do I need for 300 acre farm #9  
Not in today's economy...

How do you figure Roy?

The margins in corn and beans are pretty good right now, especially if you don't have rent to pay and land payments to make.
 
   / How much Tractor Do I need for 300 acre farm #10  
How do you figure Roy?

The margins in corn and beans are pretty good right now, especially if you don't have rent to pay and land payments to make.

Fuel costs are a big factor in the farms around south central PA. Property around here is also more valuable for development (then agriculture), so that's more pressure.
Fortunately, the local state representatives are pretty solid for agriculture...so that keeps regulation at bay.

As I wrote in my first response, I'm not a farmer...in manufacturing here. I get most of my information from some folks who work in manufacturing while they work their farms.
 
 
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