40-55hp CUT or Utility Tractor for 20 acre horse farm in Michigan

[BarryinMN]

That's a pretty impressive rock (not to mention bucket and tractor). Do you know approximately what a rock that size weighs? We have about 20 of those to rearrange. Not sure I can justify buying a special rock bucket for that task, but I'd like to know what weight I'm looking at.

Not exactly sure but the loader breaks out 5500 lbs and lifts 3000, the rock is at least a ton. I posted the pix of a rock on the 3pt as ballast earlier.

Attached is another pix of a bigger rock, my tractor is rated 6800 on the 3pt, it collapsed my 3pt bale fork. The dozer is a 40HP JD & with a piece of the rock weight on the blade (for traction) it pushed it uphill needing full power in low gear probably weighs 5-6 tons.

Second pix is old JD weighs 3 tons (loaded rears) with a hydraulic dump rock wagon, the drawbar is in the short position but going uphill the engine torque still lifts the front end off the ground.

Bales are pretty immobilized on a fork but rocks can move if not clamped down. I spent 2 Summers clearing a field of rocks and am now down to the little ones - watermelon sized.

If you are interested I'll post a pix of an old hydraulic rockpicker I rescued out of a boneyard.

 

[saltman]

I shopped for a tractor for about 6 months and decided on the reliable yanmar powered John Deere 990. It was about 16,000 with R-4 tires and 4x4, another 3,500 or so for the front end loader. It's rated at 42hp but seems to have that or more. It also has metal fenders!!!!

 

[Z-Michigan]

In case anyone has been wondering where my decision was... My wife finally got to the dealership and test-drove the Kubota L5030 and MX5000, and the NH TC45DA. She hated the TC45, unfortunately (it was at the top of my list!). She thought the L5030 was ok and really liked the MX5000. Apparently she has a strong preference for manual shift tractors. So that's one important piece of information. I discussed synchro vs. non-synchro with her and she would strongly prefer synchro (no surprise there). I was initially thinking I would be the 90% user of the tractor but given our different career plans she thinks she may well be using it over half the time, and I think she might be right. She also considers it important that we get something big enough to power a hay baler in case we find a good deal on one or end up getting more land to raise hay on.

Other important bit of news is after talking with the prior owner of our place, we are likely to have a lot more hay from our existing field than I was expecting (I have checked his claims against typical per-acre production volumes and they are credible). So much so that we'll probably be selling 75% or more of our production from the existing field, and 100% from the other field we hope to start using. Looks like we'll be in the hay business for real, albeit on a small scale. This hasn't changed our plan to hire out the cutting and baling work for now, but means we may have a lot of hay to move and may end up getting round bales made if we run out of inside storage for square bales.

So, with these factors I think I'm back to my initial focus on small utility tractors, with the M5040 at the top of my list. I'm eyeing the specs for the JD 5105 but it seems like a more basic tractor than the relatively deluxe M5040, and where it has strengths are areas that aren't important to me (e.g. 3ph lift of 4800lbs vs. 3300 on the M5040). I've also been looking hard at the Kiotis but given the distance to the dealer vs. Kubota dealer I'm leaning towards Kubota. Anyone want to add any thoughts?

 

[TwinWillows]

For what it's worth here are my observations from a farm w/fairly similar conditions;; We have a 28 Acre farm in WKY w/7 horses & a Peach orchard & commercial blueberry operation. Our equipment currently consists of a NH TC40DA tractor - loaded R4's - w/top & tilt, FEL & a variety of implements: 6ft bushhog, 12" post hole digger, 2 bottom plow, subsloiler, 7ft heavy box blade, 6 ft disc, 6 ft rear blade & my favorite - 48" pallet forks. We use the tractor for all the heavy stuff & a 60" commercial zero turn mower for all the lawn & orchard mowing. So far so good. I need a 3point seeder/spreader to help overseed & fertilize the pastures hay field. We do hay on shares w/a neighbor so there's no need for us to have, nor could I justify, any hay making equipment. So far I'm happy w/the equipment choices & sizes. We don't have hardly any snow to contend with so no blower. The HST is super easy to operate for both me & my wife. Have fun making your choice(s). I know I did.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Thanks! I think your setup would be great for everything but hay baling, which we aren't doing right away anyway. I really liked the TC45DA but since my wife doesn't, that is pretty much off the list.

Can you explain what you use the plow and subsoiler for? From reading here (especially my other post on pasture renovation) I was thinking that running a subsoiler around the interior fenceline of the pastures every couple years would make sense, since it sounds like the horses really beat that ground solid. But my wife, who definitely has more real-world experience with horses and farming than I do, has never heard of anyone doing this.

Also, do you use a chain harrow to drag your pastures, or do you use something else on them (like the disk)?

 

[john_bud]

Have you looked at the smaller square balers? They don't take near as much power to run as the round ones. But the trade off is more work toss'n and stack'n. Around here, the horse folks usually get the small square bales as they can handle them better, most not having any equipment. If you are selling hay in the future, that may be an angle.

jb

 

[Z-Michigan]

Have you looked at the smaller square balers? They don't take near as much power to run as the round ones. But the trade off is more work toss'n and stack'n. Around here, the horse folks usually get the small square bales as they can handle them better, most not having any equipment. If you are selling hay in the future, that may be an angle.

jb

John - if we ever do bale our own hay we would probably be looking for a square baler. I have yet to see a comprehensive list of the PTO hp requirements for square balers, but from looking at the New Holland site and some general digging it appears to me that 45 PTO hp would run most, but not all, of them, while 35 PTO hp would probably be marginal at best and not even run some of them. If we ever buy one it will most likely be used and whatever is available, so I would prefer to have the flexibility of more PTO hp.

At this point, if I were going to forget about moving round bales or baling squares, I would most likely get an L4400, or maybe something like a TC34D. But since we're keeping both kinds of hay work a possibility, I'm leaning more towards M5040/MX5000 etc.

 

[LoneCowboy]

So, when I was comparing compacts to utilities, what the guy told me was that while Compacts have the horsepower to run hay equipment, they don't have the size to run it for long. Compare the back end of a 55hp utility tractor to a 55hp compact. The utility is twice the size or more. Same HP, lot more rugged.

If you want to hay at all, I strongly suggest going up to a utility.

 

[TwinWillows]

The plow & subsoiler are for breaking ground for our orchard & berries before planting. I've used the subsoiler for breaking open shallow trenches for irrigation & wiring runs. Also use the plow for turning over the garden in the spring. It's fun to see the ground roll over!

I don't know about needing to rip the edges as you were asking. So far I have not seen the need to do that. Your conditions/soil are very likely different so you may need to.

As to tractor size, for us the NH TC40DA works great for all around everyday use - especially with the FEL. If we ever decide to do more heavy work like haying I'd look @ getting a used/older utility sized tractor w/R1's. Much like Soundguy has recommended in his other posts.

 

[john_bud]

John - if we ever do bale our own hay we would probably be looking for a square baler. I have yet to see a comprehensive list of the PTO hp requirements for square balers, but from looking at the New Holland site and some general digging it appears to me that 45 PTO hp would run most, but not all, of them, while 35 PTO hp would probably be marginal at best and not even run some of them. If we ever buy one it will most likely be used and whatever is available, so I would prefer to have the flexibility of more PTO hp.

At this point, if I were going to forget about moving round bales or baling squares, I would most likely get an L4400, or maybe something like a TC34D. But since we're keeping both kinds of hay work a possibility, I'm leaning more towards M5040/MX5000 etc.

I havn't baled hay in ages, but as a kid I do remember stacking countless bales from the chute to the wagon, then tossing them up to the loft where they were stacked again!

The tractor pulling the baler was Ford 660 - about 35 HP and it didn't have any trouble at all tuckering out us kids!

But, if you can swing it, the M series tractors can all run about any baler, square or round!

jb