Mowing How much horse power is sufficient for A/C?

   / How much horse power is sufficient for A/C?
  • Thread Starter
#41  
I've noticed most replies are from members in cooler climates, with some very technical answers - I understand it can get hot up north. My mistake for not asking the correct question? Do members in the southern states mowing with a small 33 hp enclosed cab with the A/C running in 100 plus degree summer weather, do you wish you had more horsepower - are you satisfied with your cab A/C output comfort? I've read some are, but we have a lot of hot weather in Texas, sometimes year round. I'm looking at John Deere, and Kubota, because they offer a 60" belly mower, thanks to all the replies.
 
   / How much horse power is sufficient for A/C? #42  
IMHO AC efficiency in hot Texas high humidity weather is more dependent on size of condenser/associated AC components & ""how clean the tractor operator keeps cond/radiator/filters"" than engine HP. I once owned a Kubota M4900 that required very regular cleaning of cond/rad/filters to keep operator comfortable in hot weather. On the other hand my newer M7040 does a much better job of keeping tractor operator comfortable without so much cleaning maintenance. I agree window tinting really helps AC efficiency.
 
   / How much horse power is sufficient for A/C? #43  
IMHO AC efficiency in hot Texas high humidity weather is more dependent on size of condenser/associated AC components & ""how clean the tractor operator keeps cond/radiator/filters"" than engine HP. I once owned a Kubota M4900 that required very regular cleaning of cond/rad/filters to keep operator comfortable in hot weather. On the other hand my newer M7040 does a much better job of keeping tractor operator comfortable without so much cleaning maintenance. I agree window tinting really helps AC efficiency.

My dad had a Deere 6200 with a cab that he used for cutting and raking hay. The AC filter clogged up so frequently with chaff that it became useless. A cab tractor with no AC when it's 105F is much worse than an open cab tractor. The JD 6200 got traded in on a different tractor.

I agree with you that design is important.
 
   / How much horse power is sufficient for A/C? #44  
A properly maintained tractor will not injest dust. Nor will it loose power to any noticeable level for thousands of hours of use. I really wonder where people come up with some of this crap.

Agree with this position. Some folks spew "speculation" that is unfounded, and quite honestly harmful to new and impressionable members.
 
   / How much horse power is sufficient for A/C? #45  
Agree with this position. Some folks spew "speculation" that is unfounded, and quite honestly harmful to new and impressionable members.

Properly maintained is the key. I was running my skid steer hard in sugar sand once. Twice a day I would have to pull the air filter out and bang it on the side to get all the fine dust out of it. If it wasn't set up correctly, I would have killed my machine on that job.
 
   / How much horse power is sufficient for A/C? #46  
My dad had a Deere 6200 with a cab that he used for cutting and raking hay. The AC filter clogged up so frequently with chaff that it became useless. A cab tractor with no AC when it's 105F is much worse than an open cab tractor. The JD 6200 got traded in on a different tractor.

I agree with you that design is important.

We don't get anywhere near that hot where I live, and in the summer, I drive with the door and window open because of how unbearable the heat can get.

In the dust and chaff, it might be advantageous to keep an air pig with you to blast out the screens and the filters periodically throughout the day. If you wanted to get fancy, you could even plumb it in, so you can just shut off the tractor momentarily and use a button inside the cab. :)
 
   / How much horse power is sufficient for A/C? #47  
joeu235,
Yes, well maintained is absolutely critical. Many members here focus their questions toward proper maintenance, so equipment protection may be a given. The condition you described with the sand is somewhat unique, is it not? And not a common experience for you applications? Point is that some members do light or hobby farming with their equipment, fine dust and chaff is not really an everyday exposure? Interested if this premise is accurate.? Although I hay 'bout 105 acres of timothy grass, the conditions are NOT intensely dusty. There is no feasable excuse for contaminated air being introduced into engine combustion chambers. Believe most TBN operations center around the heading of " property maintenance" with a side of firewood collection/processing. Again personal/neighborhood use as opposed to commercial operations.? Not addressing the exception, but rather the rule.
 
   / How much horse power is sufficient for A/C? #48  
I've noticed most replies are from members in cooler climates, with some very technical answers - I understand it can get hot up north. My mistake for not asking the correct question? Do members in the southern states mowing with a small 33 hp enclosed cab with the A/C running in 100 plus degree summer weather, do you wish you had more horsepower - are you satisfied with your cab A/C output comfort? I've read some are, but we have a lot of hot weather in Texas, sometimes year round. I'm looking at John Deere, and Kubota, because they offer a 60" belly mower, thanks to all the replies.

What are you talking about ?

AC does not vary the power to drive the compressor with the weather or temperature or elevation etc, a little 1.3 petrol engine hardly notices the AC compressor load, a diesel tractor with low gearing and very low gearing would not notice it at all unless already under powered or over worked, buy a decent tractor with decent power and size and a bit left over to use the implements you will use or jobs your doing, forget the AC, if it is installed already, it will be fine and least of your worries :)
 
   / How much horse power is sufficient for A/C? #49  
Our YT235C it don't seem to make a difference

Our window a/c units only draw about 720 watts
6 amps x 120 = 720??

willy
 
   / How much horse power is sufficient for A/C? #50  
I can tell when the AC turns on and or cycles in most of the tractors I have driven from 25 hp to over 300 hp,
especially when idling it is noticeable when the AC is switched on.
On my little CK 2620 with the AC on and working it at max the load on the tractor the AC will make a noticeable difference in the tractors performance. I will if needing to turn the AC off for a minute or two to get that few hp back then turn the AC back on. When you are working with 25 hp a 4 hp demand is more noticeable then the same 4hp on a 50 hp engine.
As far as the OP's question running a 5 ft belly mower with 25 hp I wouldn't worry about the "performance" difference. While the AC may be a bit noticeable, he may have to slow down by 0.01 mph while mowing is that going to make any difference.
With the differences in emissions it was the deciding point for me on which tractor to get this past summer, my 25 hp has less emissions and is mechanical injection compared to DPF/DOC and common rail injection. The OP is looking at 33 hp or plus so that will not be a factor.
 

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