Balast

[pickeringchris]

The planting area is just small. 4x4 say. I plan on doing a grid pattern in the whole garden with the subsoiler to improve drainage. Come august I have one 30x30' root system.

 

[TBDonnelly]

I think I understand now. The whole garden would be 60 feet x 60 feet. Divided into 4 - 30 foot x 30 foot quadrants. One pumpkin to each 30 foot x 30 foot quadrant. Yes??

Don

 

[pickeringchris]

More like 30x150' but yes you have the principal down.

 

[TBDonnelly]

I just saw a couple of your pumpkin pictures in another thread. Very Impressive!

The 3 point hitch lift capacity on a CK27:
Lift Capacity, 24" aft of hitch, lb(kg)1,764 lbs. (800 kg)

With a set of forks on the 3 point you may be able to lift the pumpkins. The issue will be the further away from the back of the tractor the less you can lift. You could also use the forks to load up weight for ballast.

Don

 

[Gittyup]

2011 was my second year growing giants. In 2010 my best was 1030lbs. Pretty good for a beginner. This year I was plagued by bad luck and my best was 1065 lbs. really disappointing considering I had one split the first week of August at 930lbs and was doing about 30lbs per day. It was on target for 14-1500lbs :-(

Btw for the guys that ad wiper fluid for ballast do you have tube or tubeless tires??? I know wiper fluid does have some corrosion inhibitors.....

Your loader will lift at least 1200 lbs. So it would do OK for those "average" little 1000 pounder pumpkins should you choose to use it. Obviously, if you get to your goal, then then loader won't likely get it moved.

 

[Gil Case]

I would think you would put a pallet under the pumpkin when it was little and let it grow on the pallet?
Then you can move it with the pallet forks in place of the bucket, no muss no fuss.
Pardon me if this is a dumb statement/question, I know nothing about growing pumpkins let alone BIG pumpkins.

 

[pickeringchris]

That's not dumb at all. People actually do it. It does create other problems though and It is not that important to me that I can lift the pumpkins with the tractor.
I just set up a tripod over the fruit and lift it with a chain hoist. Then back the trailer under.

 

[pickeringchris]

I just saw a couple of your pumpkin pictures in another thread. Very Impressive!

The 3 point hitch lift capacity on a CK27:
Lift Capacity, 24" aft of hitch, lb(kg)1,764 lbs. (800 kg)

With a set of forks on the 3 point you may be able to lift the pumpkins. The issue will be the further away from the back of the tractor the less you can lift. You could also use the forks to load up weight for ballast.

Don

Hey Don. We started going these because we though it would be fun for the kids. Then I got addicted. . The pumpkin community is small and we look forward to seeing our friends at the fairs.
We have been in the local paper and on the national news. It is a fun hobby and makes people happy. We love the looks we get when driving to weighoffs.
3ph forks would work but I don't think they would get high enough to load onto my trailer.

 

[Gittyup]

With 3ph forks that use hydraulics u can get pretty high. The pair that I have raise to about 5 feet.

 

[kiotiken]

I'm going to guess you could lift a 1500lbs pumpkin with forks on the FEL. The 1200lbs lift rating is to full height. I believe the CK 27-35 has a breakout force of 1700lbs. You're probably good for 1500lbs to at least 5 feet.

I have loaded tires and always keep an implement on as well. It's not really an issue when the BH is on (1200lbs), but I'm happy to have loaded tires with only the box blade (450lbs) on the back.