Compact tractor horse power

[newbury]

The author stated compact tractors now have more horse power but are lighter in weight thus making them more efficient. Without weight and torque what good is horse power?

And besides the gas vs diesel -
What is this "weight" you write about?
My B7610 for example - It's base weight is about 1300 lbs. BUT add a FEL and a boxblade and it pushes 2,000 I'm sure. Or if I really want traction I stick the backhoe on the rear - that's about 900lbs by itself. And it really helps with traction.

Most of us know to eat a hearty meal before we do something that will require traction.

 

[tcreeley]

I had a 48 Farmall cub- manual said it was 8.5 hp. I have a Sears GT lawn tractor- 25 hp. The cub was considerably more powerful- gravel, snow, hauling etc. With a sicklebar it went through most anything including 1" saplings (shouldn't have but did). The cub was a tractor. The lawn tractor- a big lawn mower - different purposes, different designs. The cub could pull a single share plow blade and double disc harrow, The GT couldn't begin to do that.

My New Holland TC30 is a small tractor (30 hp), but it is designed like a tractor. It out performs the cub easily - more power, weight, torque.

I like all machines that have a useful purpose - each with their own design parameters.

 

[dragoneggs]

For my money and terrain that I have to deal with, the 4WD is critical to getting the most power out of the tractor.

 

[whistlepig]

Efficiency is relevant. A 400 HP 4WD tractor that weighs several tons isn't going to be efficient on a five acre farm. A 30 HP 1,800 pound tractor isn't going to be efficient on a 1,000 acre farm.

 

[WilliamBos]

Efficiency is relevant. A 400 HP 4WD tractor that weighs several tons isn't going to be efficient on a five acre farm. A 30 HP 1,800 pound tractor isn't going to be efficient on a 1,000 acre farm.

Damned!! Now you tell me!! So the MF 8690 I ordered with an RFM is not a good idea for 3. Acres of grass?

 

[TomSeller]

Damned!! Now you tell me!! So the MF 8690 I ordered with an RFM is not a good idea for 3. Acres of grass?

Only because you can't turn it around on 3 acres. But you could just work the whole 3 acres in one pass if you blink. Those 8690s are impressive looking. Nice.

 

[bcp]

Those 8690s are impressive looking. Nice.

If they are that good, why do they come with two spares?



Bruce

 

[Piston]

The author stated compact tractors now have more horse power but are lighter in weight thus making them more efficient. Without weight and torque what good is horse power?...... I feel people are buying horse power that is useless to them. Am I totally wrong?

Your not "totally" wrong, but, you are wrong. Weight to HP ratios aren't that important for many tasks. For instance, with my PTO stump grinder, I can use 100hp tractor. It could be the same exact size and weight as my current CUT, but have 60 more HP at the PTO. This would allow me to use every bit of that power having nothing to do with traction whatsoever.

Another example would be a large chipper, I could chip a 10" tree with my CUT if I had that same 100hp tractor as above, again, nothing to do with traction.

A large mower would be another example to an extent. It would take a big heavy tractor to pull a huge mower still, but perhaps a high HP CUT would pull a 12' batwing just fine, and with enough HP not to have to slow down in the big stuff. I'm only guessing here as I don't have any experience with the demands of a large mower like that.

So in one sense you are wrong, people aren't buying horsepower that is useless to them, just because its not on a heavy tractor. In another sense you are right, it does take weight to put that power to the ground, so for ground engaging implements, it would indeed be useless horsepower at some point.

It all depends what the operator is using that power for, ground engaging, stationary, somewhere in between etc?


What book were you reading?

 

[RalphVa]

My 4wd 4010 pulls an old JD M soil ripper just fine, in already tilled soil. Doubt the M would pull it much through grassy meadows either. The M was quite a bit heavier than the 1300 # 4010 (about 2100 # with loader).

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have a question on just lawnmower HP. I have an 80's model JD 332 diesel lawn tractor with advertised 14 hp and a 54" mower which it handles well. I also have a ZTS 6000 zero turn with 26 HP and 52" mower. Both mowers will mow at the same speed with no problems. How can 14 hp pull a larger mower deck as a 26 hp. My thoughts are it cant and that the lawnmower guys are using something different to calculate the motor HP from what was used in the 80's. I know that a 17hp Troybuilt mower I had wouldn't cut very well in deep grass due to lack of power and it only had a 48" deck. Sure the JD is diesel and likely has more torque but it runs much slower RPM than the gas engine also and it burns about half the quantity of fuel per hour for the same work load. Anyone know what changed.