Capabilities of a mf 1260

[ooliticmac]

I'm looking at a used mf 1260 with about 150 hours. The price seems good at $10k, but I'm wondering about the capabilities of this little machine.

The specs say that it has 31 h.p. at the PTO and weighs about 3100 pounds. Its four wheel drive and has a 16x16 transmission. I'm wondering if this machine could pull a six foot bush hog (under normal conditions, normal for southern Indiana) and six foot box blade. I'm also wondering if it could move round 1000 pound round bales on the three point hitch (though I'm doubting that). If not I'm wondering what size bales it could safely move without breaking the machine. By the way the ground I'll be using it on is about 25 acres of fairly flat ground, though slightly rolling.

On paper it looks like it could do all that I need. But in person it seems smaller (or close to the size) of my father-in-laws NH TC33. I've used that tractor quite a bit and I think it could pull a six foot bush hog, but not real easily. I also doubt that the TC33 could handle much more than a 600 pound round bale on the back, if that.

The 1260 is supposed to weigh about 700 pounds more than the NH, but it doesn't look like it. It looks about the same size to me.

Also, if anyone has a tractor that is similar to the 1260, on my initial test drive I couldn't get the PTO to engage, or get the rear hydraulics to operate. Maybe I was doing something wrong but any help would be appreciated.

If any one has any insight on this matter I would appreciate it. It seems like a good deal but I don't want to get something undersized.

 

[scott_vt]

I think your MF 1260 would do everything you mentioned. I have a 1986 MF 1040 with 6ft FEL, 6ft grading blade, and 5ft Woods bushog. My machine weights 3800 lbs and has 32 engine hp, I think pto hp is 28 or 30. I take care of 10 acres in Vt. Some of the property is pretty steep and that machine handles the 5ft mower no problem. I think it could handle a 6ft as long as the fields wernt to high. I have a 35 gal drum on the 3pt when using the FEL, and I believe it is about 700lbs. It lifts that weight easily. You might need some counterweight on the front of your machine to lift a 1000lb bail if you dont want to get light on your front end.

scotty

 

[Nasty135]

ooliticmac, Whew that screen name is a handful /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

On your question about 1000lb bales ,Should be no problem as the 1260 is about the size of the 1400 series if I'm not mistaken and the lift capacity on the 1433 is 2800 lbs and the 1431 is just a little less @ 2400+lbs.

Like Scott said the 6ft. should be ok as long as your not taken down big trees with it /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I personally like a heavy duty 5' rotary better for my bushoggin pleasure /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JerryG]

I did have a MF 1250. It is the same tractor as the MF 1260 except the 1260 has a turbo, draft control, and oil cooler. I hauled lots of 800 pound bales with the 1250 for over 4 years. If you don't have a loader, you will need ballast on the front as in bumper weights. I have a 5' brush hog that I used with the 1250 and now with my MF 1440. The 1440 is the 1400 series version of the 1260. I would say that a 6' would work just fine for the 1260, as long as you didn't try to cut 3' stuff. Anytime you want to cut 3-4 foot heavy thick grass, you will need to slow down some. You would need 50-60 hp to not have to slow down.
BTW, that is a great price for a MF 1260 with that few of hours on it. I have one implement that is a real hp hog and by adding the turbo, I was able to use that implement two gears higher.