Fuel Too High?

[jenkinsph]

Steve, I see what you are saying and you have a good point but don't you think it might be more complex than that. I would think the ground speed would be limited by the quality of the cut. If two tractors can both turn the mower at 540 rpm won't the ground speed be limited more by the mower capability rather than the tractor hp. An other thing is time. Doesn't it take more energy to do the same job faster. So going to a six foot mower will get it done quicker but will also take more fuel.
Just thinking out loud.

Gordon,
I don't think there is much difference in efficientcy between the mowing speeds to matter. Usually larger tractors can generate more hp hours/gallon of fuel than smaller tractors A boat though would be a different story to make a boat go 25mph is one thing to go 50 nph may take three times as much fuel.

 

[murphy1244]

I also think he went from a 3 cylinder to a 4

 

[droy]

droy,
Could be you are not moving fast enough to make the larger tractor work in it's optimum performance range. A 47hp tractor with a 6' rotary cutter is capable of a much faster ground speed than a 33hp with a 5' rotary cutter. Yet most of us would be limited by ground conditions as to how fast we can ride safely. Obviously the cab and ac will use a little more fuel and is well worth the increase in fuel if you stir up a yellow jacket nests or have to go outside almost any day in south Louisiana to work.

Man I miss the food and fishing there but I don't miss the climate, food pretty much sucks in New Mexico but the climate is wonderful. I am a native of NOLA.

My property is kinda rough, can't really travel that fast, and the Kubota L4740 rides quite a bit rougher than the Boomer I traded. Two salesmen, one NH, one Kubota both felt that the added 12" of cut wasn't going to give me that much of a time advantage. It was a surprise to me, I thought the 6' shredder would have shortened my seat time. Based on what I have done so far, I think the sales guys were right.
In 1999, was offered a transfer to Hobbs NM, seriously considered it, but didn't really care for the guy that would have been my supervisor....what happens.... about three months later he gets transferred to my area (Victoria, TX), lucky for me, they were already planning to move me to Lake Charles, LA.

Steve, I see what you are saying and you have a good point but don't you think it might be more complex than that. I would think the ground speed would be limited by the quality of the cut. If two tractors can both turn the mower at 540 rpm won't the ground speed be limited more by the mower capability rather than the tractor hp. An other thing is time. Doesn't it take more energy to do the same job faster. So going to a six foot mower will get it done quicker but will also take more fuel.
Just thinking out loud.

I'll agree with you on that point, once again based on the few times I've got to cut with the Kubota

I also think he went from a 3 cylinder to a 4

Correct!

 

[rambler]

I run about 1200 gallons a year on the farm.

Cost of fuel is, like others mentioned, secondary to the cost of everything else going up when diesel does. The fertilizer and iron prices and so forth goes way up, more than the cost of the 1200 gallons.

I'm farming a bit more land, and using less fuel than dad did, we try to get more efficient allt he time....

--->Paul

 

[vtsnowedin]

I expect fuel prices to keep going up with steadily rising world demand and tightening world supply. As it gets too high I will first cut my commuting cost by switching to a very fuel efficient car then move closer to work during the work week when the cost of a room gets to be less then the cost of the gas. I'm burning about $4700 in fuel work related this year. The cost of tractor fuel is nothing in comparison. As the price rises the value of the work you can do with the tractor will also rise as long as the work needed doing. Weekly mowings of a five acre lawn or multiple food plots for deer probably won't make that cut when fuel gets above $10 but plowing up an acre of potato ground or other cash crop certainly will.