Don't even know where to start

[Soundguy]

With google I can do allot of things ..but I haven't done any tractor repairs. There's a guy in town that has a repair shop and I understand he makes house calls.

diesels seem a buck or two more than gas... in general would you prefer a diesel over gas?

if a ford.. and 55-64, gas.. 65+ diesel...

 

[cdaigle430]

I have eighty acres in northern Maine, sixty acres of timothy and twenty or so of woodland. This is a summer getaway for my wife and I. We have someone harvesting the hay fields but there are plenty of areas that need maintaining e.g. the periphery of the fields, around the house, the driveway, around the pond...etc.. The hay fields are for the most part flat but the forested area abuts a stream and the elevation drops off to the stream precipitously in some areas.

I致e never been on a tractor and so I thought I should rent one a few times to get familiar with how they operate and how the attachments work.

Before I buy anything I'll likely have a garage or some kind of outbuilding put up. This is a summer place and so I'm somewhat concerned about leaving valuable equipment idle and unattended for months at a time. I was thinking that when I'm ready I would be getting something second hand.

Can anyone offer some details about the kinds of equipment I need for this?

Thank you.

I would keep an eye out for used equipment-lots of farmers in that area are struggling or going out of business. My dad has 87 acres in St John Maine and he bought a 1970 International Harvestor Diesel tractor, a 1986 John Deer bailer and of course the cutting blade and a brush hog-all for about 6 grand. He has been using the equipment for about 12 years with no issues other than regular maintenance. He can use the tractor all day long-regardless of how hot it is and on little diesel. Dont have to worry so much about thieves up there, if anything just young kids taking equipment out for a joyride.

The older equipment can be easy to maintain and if something happens to it-its not a big loss. I would also like to point out that no tractor manufacturer today makes them like the used to-period.

 

[scaredychicken]

Keegs - I just looked at this thread - a few years in the making, so I really have no idea if this is an option for you... my Father In Law resides on 200 acres of raw land - he is not a farmer as such, but nearing retirement, and tinkering with the property. Mostly I think that he just likes living in the country. He has an arrangement with the rancher / neighbour, where the rolling hayfields are rented out - Rancher does all the work from planting to harvesting, and uses his own equipment, he also keeps the hay - my Father In Law's benefit is that the land is used, the person renting is a trusted friend, and there are 2-3 freezer beef cows filling the freezer at the end of each year- divided among the extended family. It works for him, might be something that you could think about for the time between your visits to the Maine property. I am a firm believer in the ATV idea as well, but the tractor is your best start.

 

[dave1949]

Hey Dave...nice to chat with you again...hope all is well.

You raise a good point about the density of the grass factoring into the required HP to cut it. My sense of it is that that's more of a concern during June and July than say in August and Sept. Am I on to something?

What I also have to learn is how timing the cut impacts its value as a product, its annual cycle and the animal habitat that it attracts.... I'm sure there's lots going on there.

I'm not gearing up to produce a product...maybe if we wind up moving up there full time.... but for now I'm thinkin I shoul just try to keep the fields (the hay) in halfway decent shape.

Is a hay cutter the same thing as a sickle bar cutter?

All is well, thanks.

The recommendation for grassland in terms of habitat is wait until mid-July at the earliest to cut. By then the ground nesting birds are supposed to be finished. If you cut it toward the end of July, it will have time to regrow into some fall-early winter cover. When the snow melts in spring it will all be flat to the ground which probably impedes the early growth a bit. My guess is if you cut once per year, it will get weedy over time because you will be allowing weeds to reach a mature seed age.

Yeah, messing with a hay crop is probably a tough thing to do for now at least. A hay cutter lays down the whole stalk intact, a bush hog will mash up a lot of it into more or less grass clippings, that is the difference. I think you would be smart to keep the field in good shape. I saw small bales of timothy hay for sale the TSC for $7.99 each, couldn't believe it. A more normal price would be be $3-$4 I think. There is a market for quality hay in small bales. People with a horse or two or some other hobby livestock, who don't have a tractor with bale spear don't like fighting with the big rolls.

Sickle bars also cut the whole stalk intact and work great if you can find one in good shape. They take more maintenance. On older sickle bar mowers at least, not sure if they have changed, the cutting teeth on a sickle bar are individually riveted to the bar that moves back and forth to provide a scissors action, two rivets per triangular-shaped tooth. So, once in a while those teeth need to be replaced due to wear or breakage. You have to remove the bar, then grind off one end of the rivets, drive them out with a hammer and punch, put a new tooth on and peen the new rivets. Not technically challenging but takes time.

 

[keegs]

It's going to take some effort to get my arms around all the bits to this. And it's going to be fun sorting it all out. All the information thus far has been a big help. Thanks again all for your inputs.

 

[keegs]

Found a 1972 Ford 2000 for sale by 2nd owner ....first owner was a municipal authority.. has 3 cylinder gas engine, live PTO, 3 point hitch 72''rotary Ford 930A mower with new blades and belt .....1669 original hours ...price $3000.

It may be too small for the job.... price seems reasonable.....

 

[dave1949]

Found a 1972 Ford 2000 for sale by 2nd owner ....first owner was a municipal authority.. has 3 cylinder gas engine, live PTO, 3 point hitch 72''rotary Ford 930A mower with new blades and belt .....1669 original hours ...price $3000.

It may be too small for the job.... price seems reasonable.....

The price does seem reasonable, although Soundguy recommended a diesel after 1965 and he seems to know his Fords pretty well.

It's big enough if it has to be. It can be your hay wagon tractor later on :laughing: I'm always trying to turn you into a Maine hay farmer it seems.

 

[keegs]

Thanks Dave.... I've been checking craigslist in this area and eastern PA. There seems to be a goodly number of machines out there and in my price range (somewhere south of $10k I suppose). I can take my time, look at condition, fire it up...test drive even... Of course there's the extra cost of transporting it up to Maine.

We're up the last week of August. I'll take cdaigle430's recommendation and shop around some while we're there. I suppose there's a tractor trader, the local classifieds, the local dealers...not much on Craigslist it seems though...The guy that worked on the garage with me suggested I leave my requirements and contact info with the dealers. There's really no rush...the garage took a big bite out of discretionary funds so waiting until spring to make a purchase would actually make more sense.

It's the Mrs that needs convincing. I could talk her into the Maine coast ...Belfast, Camden, Rockland...no problemo...(may have mentioned it before but some of her family emigrated from Sweden and settled on Vinalhaven...she has cousins there and in Camden).

If it were only up to me ...I'd retire to the farm in a heartbeat.... and if the hay thing didn't work out, maybe we could give weed dating a try..

Singles labor for love at 'weed dating' event on Idaho farm - Relationships - TODAY.com

 

[Soundguy]

gasers, if post 65.. and they are running fine.. are ok... just the holley carbs are finicky and a bit more involved to rebuild ( if needed ).. though they are good on fuel. later zenith carb repalcements not so good on fuel.. cost about 400$.. but otherwise are easy to work on and work fine..

so either way.. a 65+ 2000 is still a decent machine if it runs good.. just given a choice I'd go for a well cared diesel vs a well cared for gasser.. etc..

 

[keegs]

gasers, if post 65.. and they are running fine.. are ok... just the holley carbs are finicky and a bit more involved to rebuild ( if needed ).. though they are good on fuel. later zenith carb repalcements not so good on fuel.. cost about 400$.. but otherwise are easy to work on and work fine..

so either way.. a 65+ 2000 is still a decent machine if it runs good.. just given a choice I'd go for a well cared diesel vs a well cared for gasser.. etc..

Thanks Soundguy...my sense is this is coming from an experienced source.

In the used Ford utility tractor catagory it seems most are 3 cylinder e.g. the 2ks, 3ks and 4ks... Is that correct? You mentioned earlier that the three cylinder Fords were more troublesome to work on. Can you describe what kind of issues you've encountered?