Horsepower question

[paulg1968]

I have a L3400 with R4 tires with Rimguard and FEL that I use for food plots. Our ground is very sandy and hilly. The L3400 will pull the 6' disc as deep as I want it on level ground, but up the hills I have to really nurse it. The tractor is a hydro and starts to lose power as it goes unless I ease off on the depth. I'm guessing this is mainly a horsepower issue as I can drive up the hills without much power loss with the disc up. I need the R4 tires as I use the equipment on our lawn occasionally so R1's are not a viable option for me. The disc is a Land Pride 3 pt with 18" disc's and weighs 985 lbs. How much more HP do I need to not have to worry about the uphill trips. I don't have an unlimited wallet "unfortunately" so I want to get something that will work but not overkill. After just talking to a dealer he said I would need to go to 50 HP. I am getting something with a cab but looking for any suggestions.

Thanks

 

[nybirdman]

Are you letting up on the pedal when it bogs?In low range on the Hydro?Disc are difficult to pull for sure.May be cheaper to buy a roto-tiller than trade tractors.If going to a Cabbed tractor L4240-L5740 should do it..Have the dealer drop on off and try before purchase.
If you are not spinning the tires its not a traction problem;I assume you have it in 4WD.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Is it a horsepower problem or a traction problem. If the R4s are spinning adding more power to the same tires will not help. If it is a power problem you can use a lower range or feather back the HST go lever to gear it down. Or if you need to you can raise the disk up as you have been going up hill and cut it full depth going back down in the same track. I suspect that your main problem is that the L3400 doesn't weigh enough to get it's 34HP into the ground with the R4s. When you pick the disk up the added weight gives you the traction you need. 50HP with a cab will solve the problem but take one big chunk out of your wallet.

 

[Bluegill2]

I'd think you have enough HP. Maybe a HST problem?

 

[MHarryE]

I had a L3710 with 6 1/2 foot disk and in our heavy clay it pulled nice on level but was underpowered on hills. You have a similar disk but less power, your soil is not as hard pulling but you sink in deeper than my disk could. I really think you need more power. My L5740 pulls the same disk at 7.5 mph by the speedometer which is top end of mid-range and rabbit on the hydro. It would go faster but the disk throws dirt way too far out at that speed.

 

[case245]

im guessing the r4s are the problem i had them on an L3800 they lose traction to fast you need R1s and add some wheel weights to thr rear and you could load the rear tired with antifreeze i bet that solves the problem

 

[foreman Etexas]

Are you letting up on the pedal when it bogs?In low range on the Hydro?Disc are difficult to pull for sure.May be cheaper to buy a roto-tiller than trade tractors.If going to a Cabbed tractor L4240-L5740 should do it..Have the dealer drop on off and try before purchase.
If you are not spinning the tires its not a traction problem;I assume you have it in 4WD.

I'm gonna agree with the Tiller suggestion,since I bought my 74in. Tiller the disc doesn't get used,this option will be easy on pocket book for sure. But it does to me sound like under powered or you could spin the tractor down, I will let the others that own the grandL suggest a size but just guessing the L5240/5740 would be more than enough tractor but your wallet gonna feel it..

 

[Catfish Man]

disk downhill

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have a L3400 with R4 tires with Rimguard and FEL that I use for food plots. Our ground is very sandy and hilly. The L3400 will pull the 6' disc as deep as I want it on level ground, but up the hills I have to really nurse it. The tractor is a hydro and starts to lose power as it goes unless I ease off on the depth. I'm guessing this is mainly a horsepower issue as I can drive up the hills without much power loss with the disc up. I need the R4 tires as I use the equipment on our lawn occasionally so R1's are not a viable option for me. The disc is a Land Pride 3 pt with 18" disc's and weighs 985 lbs. How much more HP do I need to not have to worry about the uphill trips. I don't have an unlimited wallet "unfortunately" so I want to get something that will work but not overkill. After just talking to a dealer he said I would need to go to 50 HP. I am getting something with a cab but looking for any suggestions.
Thanks

I think your dealer is about right on the HP 45 PTO HP should be plenty for a 6' disk. Since you didn't mention backing off on the HST pedal, you might try that to keep it from stalling when going up hill. As long as it pulls fast enough to turn the sod over, you may be OK with what you have, just slow it down. With HST when it starts to stall, just let up a bit on the pedal to keep your rpm up. As long as the tires aren't spinning you can still do the job with the 3800. Regardless of the size tractor you buy, you will find that at times you will be overloaded or underpowered so nothing wrong with working the hydraulics to lighten the load.

 

[foreman Etexas]

disk downhill

I was thinking the same thing:laughing: My luck if I planted on hillside,first rain everything would be at the bottum,so i just plant at the bottum or on the flat on top of hill...