Homework Help

   / Homework Help #1  

Lions_TX

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2007
Messages
28
Location
Sand Antonio TX
Tractor
Craftman 17hp 42" cut lawn tractor
Ok so first of all this is my first post so, hello everyone.

I have about a 3 and 1/2 acre sand box. Thats why my profile says Sand Antonio, it wasnt a typo. Presently there are alot of trees on the place but not so many that it is "thick forest". Mostly they are living oaks, the kind that shoot up sucker trees everywhere. There is an earth tank on the property too, approx. About a 1/2 acre in size and about 9 feet deep. The tank is dry most of the year but will fill with extended heavy rains.

Basically the front acreage is open, medium treed pasture with the tank. The back acre was used as a dump for a while before we bought the place, it is beginning to get over grown with "brush". The center 3/4 acre has a fenced yard where the house and a few out buildings sit. I keep a small breeding flock of RI reds in the yard and a good sized garden.

Presently i am organic gardening in hopes of becoming organic certified once i meet all the requirements and the proper time has elapsed. What i would like to do is go from the gardener to a mini farmer/rancher. After weighing in all the factors involved i am sure i want a front wheel drive assist with a front loader. I am sure i will keep the loader busy with filling the tank in (in phases), moving compost, and helping make short of the dumping sights out back.

I have began to window shop for a tractor on line and in person. My questions are, 1) is 20hp enough tractor to do light loader work?, 2)What size brush mower can i pull with 20hp?, 3)What sized tractor will pull the next sized brush mower? 4)Could i get away with a smaller tractor?

A factor to consider that i am looking at seriously is that alot of people either have 2 tractors or wish they did. So i am thinking that after i have the front of the property leveled and fenced that i may get a bigger tractor.

If i was to buy new, i am looking at Mahindra, FarmPro, and Jinmar. I have also seen used in those 3 brands, and Kuboto, Mitsubishi, Lenar, ZenNoh and Yanmar are also on my list of potential used machines.

I have read through alot of post and i do appreciate the idea of great service from a "local" dealer, but the fact of the matter is that the closest dealer to me is about 45 minutes away, thats the Mahindra dealer, about the same distance in the opposite direction is the John Deer dealer. I think i would go a few extra miles to save some money or find good service, as a trip around San Antonio can easily take 3-4 hours.

Other impliments i have considered: Back hoe, i dont think so. While yes i will eventually have to do some stump removal, i think i could get my moneys worth out of a days rental. Post hole digger, i dont think so. My fence lines will run approx. 100ft X 300 ft, sq. I am planing on cedar corners and metal T-post so the digging will be minimal and i am still young enough to handle the chopsticks. A disk???, I dont know? Most of what i will be planting is in the way of row crops and i plan on a tiller for maintaining and turning my rows. A tiller, i think so, presently its me, the shovel and a hoe. A tiller would surely make short of turning vegitation and manures in. A plow, mabe eventually. Brush mower, defenetly. I have a lawn tractor for finish mowing, and a walk behind for tight spots.

Ok so a couple of more questions, 5)what other impliments may come in handy so that i may consider them? 6)Whats the biggest tiller (recomended) a 20hp tractor will spin? 7)Whats a disk used for mainly anyway? 8)What kind of and what sized plow can i pull with 20hp? 9)Can i use the front loader for light brush removal? 10)What am i forgetting about or not taking into consideration?

Thanks for any help...
Lions
 
   / Homework Help #2  
Whew, lots of questions, some of which have no simple or absolute answer.:D

1) is 20hp enough tractor to do light loader work?

I got a lot of work done, including filling in an old stock pond, with a 16hp Kubota B7100, front end loader and 4' box blade.

2)What size brush mower can i pull with 20hp?

A sort of rule of thumb, but far from absolute, is one foot of width per 5 PTO horsepower. It depends on how heavy the stuff is that you want to cut. With a wider rotary cutter, you can cut a partial width at a time. That B7100 was only 13 PTO horses and I was quite happy with a 4' rotary cutter. I moved up to a 5' one when I traded up to a B2710 Kubota. I'd want one slightly wider than the outside width of my rear tires so I could get close to fences, buildings, etc.

4)Could i get away with a smaller tractor?

Yes, the jobs just take longer with a smaller tractor than they do with a bigger one.

6)Whats the biggest tiller (recomended) a 20hp tractor will spin?

Again, I'd prefer one wide enough to cover my rear tracks. I used a 40" tiller behind the B7100. When I traded up to a B2710, the rear tracks were 54" and I would have preferred a 60" tiller, but to avoid the cost, I still used the 40" tiller; just offset to cover my tracks on one side. As for having enough power, again, it depends to some extent on how heavy the soil is that you're tilling. Dry sand doesn't take much power; wet clay sure does, though.;)

8)What kind of and what sized plow can i pull with 20hp?

A middle buster sure is handy for digging the potatoes and making small trenches. Twelve to fourteen inch plows would be my choice.

Can i use the front loader for light brush removal?

It depends on the root system; i.e., type of tree or brush, and the type of soil. I've easily taken out pretty good sized little trees in some places and found it all but impossible to take out much smaller ones other places.

No one tractor is the perfect size for everything, just as no one car, one pickup, one boat, or one airplane is the right size for everything. But from what you've said, I think a 20hp tractor will serve your needs. Actually the only things I disliked about my B7100 was the lack of power steering, the lack of position control on the 3-point, and the fact that the front end loader was not a quick attach.
 
   / Homework Help #3  
Lions_TX said:
Thanks for any help...
Lions

I have 10 acres of flat pasture land and a Kubota B7510HST with an LA302 FEL (4-ft wide bucket). 21 hp engine, 17 hp at the PTO.

1) No problem doing light FEL work. I've moved many tons of dirt, gravel, sand and drain rock around my place in the 2 years I've had the 7510. I added a Markham tooth bar to the bucket so I could excavate for paver block walkways and a paver block patio. No problem.

2) I have a 4-ft wide King Kutter (KK) rotary mower (brush hog) that I use to mow 7+ acres of weeds. Takes 7-11 hours depending on the height of the weeds.

3) For a 5-ft hog, you probably want a CUT in the 25-30 hp (engine) range. Lots of choices here.

4) Smaller tractor that the 7510? Maybe. Something like a Yanmar 1500 with a Koyker FEL (4-ft bucket) might work for you. But I don't know if a 1500 could handle a 4-ft hog.

5) I have a 4-ft wide KK box blade, a KK middle buster/subsoiler combo. I'm doing landscaping around my new house now. Used the MB to plow the lawn areas prior to rototilling.

6) I have a 4-ft wide Yanmar RS 1200 rototiller that I use on the 7510. I bought it used for $300 from my local grey market tractor guy who sells Yanmars, Iseki, etc.

7) Offset disk is a primary tillage tool. Tandem disk (symmetrical) is a secondary tillage implement. My 7510 could pull a 4-ft wide tandem disk without too much problem. KK makes a small tandem disk for ATVs. Check their website for info. Northern Tool and Tractor Supple Co. (TSC) handle KK stuff.

8) My 7510 handles the middle buster OK in rain softened soil. Can't use it in the summer here in the North Valley since the soil hardens into a brick. I think you may be able to pull a single bottom 12" moldboard plow with 20 hp in soft soil.

9). With a toothbar on the FEL bucket, you can dig out light brush pretty easily.

10)????

BTW: I have about 2/3 acre of grass that I keep mowed with a $1000 Huskee riding mower (18 hp engine, 42" cut). I can get a mid mount mower (MMM) for the Kubota but it costs too much.
 
   / Homework Help #4  
I have a Kubota 30 hp 4wd tractor with a FEL.

I pull a 5 foot heavy duty woods bush hog with it. I have to slow down in heavy mowing (stuff over my head when on the tractor). For me, a 6 foot bush hog would be too much for my tractor, but I live on some pretty good hills.

I can't help you on the tiller, as I'm currently looking for a used one myself. My rear tires are about 60" so a tiller that size would be nice, but I'm not sure if I can afford the price jump. Even a cheapo model from Rural King is $1200 for the 48". At that price it'd be cheaper to buy vegetables for the rest of my life than growing my own! I'll watch this thread with interest to see what others have to say about this issue.

30 hp is on the low side of working for me, but I'm on 13 acres of old pasture and another 30 acres of woods. I would think 20 hp would be enough for what you need.
 
 
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