Pre-Emissions 100 Hp

[mo1]

Thanks for the input Mo1. We have been using Fords (6610 4x4 and a 7600) for the heavy work. We can certainly get by with what we have, but I'm looking for something that will be more comfortable. The main reason I'm not jumping on the green band wagon is fuel economy. I have heard that the Deeres are hard on fuel, and the Nebraska test data seems to indicate the same. In don't have any first hand experience with John Deere tractors of that size, so if I'm wrong, please educate me.

Fuel economy has a lot to do with engine displacement, particularly with naturally-aspirated engines. Deere detuned some of their engines in some of their tractors and this is probably what you are seeing. Look at two different Deere engines of the same vintage rated at about the same PTO HP, the 2940's 359 six making 85 PTO HP and the 4040's 404 six making 90 HP. The 359 uses 5.2 gallons/hour and the 404 uses 6.7 gallons/hour at full load. The reason is that the 404 can make a lot more power than what it makes in the 4040 (or 4020), naturally aspirated in the 4230 it makes 110 PTO HP and uses 7.2 gallons/hr. A smaller engine with a fair amount of turbo boost can be more efficient, for example, the turbo 359 six in some 4050s made 106 PTO HP and used only 6.1 gallons/hour (17.2 HP-hr/gallon.)

For comparison, the six cylinder Tier 3 New Holland I mentioned above (6.7L FPT engine) used 6.7 gallons/hour to make 107 PTO HP (16.0 HP-hr/gal). Its green sort of competitor of the same vintage (7230, which is also small-frame six cylinder rowcrop but a little larger than the New Holland) used 7.4 gallons/hour to make 118 PTO HP (15.9 HP-hr/gal), so very similar in efficiency.

We've run several Deeres that are very close to your Ford 6610 in size and power and the rated fuel consumption is nearly identical at about 4 1/2 gallons/hour at full load. The thing that all of those Deeres had in common is that their engines were making "full" power for their size rather than being detuned.

 

[Hay Dude]

I found a Ford 8340 SLE within a reasonable distance. Does anyone have experience with the Power star 40 series Fords? I'm mostly reading good things about them. According to Nebraska Test Data, they're quite fuel efficient (about the same as the Cummins in the MX134 I was looking at).

I was very close to buying one about 15 years ago, but was scared off by the parts availability. Was looking at larger NH Genesis series tractors, too and they have been out of production for almost 30 years. I did like the “de-tuned” bigger 7.5L NH diesel and the transmission. They were ahead of their time. Never liked a small engine turned up to its’ max for power.

You can pull a 3x3 or even a smaller 3x4 large square baler with them as long as it’s on flat ground. Round baling would be very easy with one.

Fuel efficiency “stats” are nice, but just a little bit of operator inefficiency (leaving tractor idling, running too high of an RPM for a given task) will kill off efficiency.

An MX-135 is a more robust chassis and probably weighs quite a bit more. So it would give you more stability for loader work and more traction.