I need help, please ...

[Eastinlet]

Thanks, Bird. I'm only going to plant the stuff and maybe fertilize. I'll get someone else to harvest. I don't know anything about raising crops. I'm not looking at this as a farming business. It's love labor. I'm doing it as a hobby. My main reason for wheat is to bring in wildlife. I'm not a hunter so it's not to bring them in for that purpose. Thanks for the comment about the cab. I'm thinking that's the best attitude.

Do you plan to plant wheat annually on your 10 acres? If so, you'll need tillage equipment and a grain drill at a minimum. You'll need to size your tractor to the requirements of that equipment.

You might consider the implications of owning a larger tractor on your free time as well. As an example, consider a single-bottom 14" moldboard plow (not saying that moldboard is best, in fact I'd take a hard look at chisels in your country). Drawn at 4 MPH it will plow about .80 acres per hour, taking about 12 hours to plow your field each year. Going to 2 or 3 bottoms will yield proportional time savings. Then you have to disk, harrow, etc, and the width and weight of the implements again determines hours on the seat, though secondary tillage will take less time than primary.

What I'm trying to say is that consider the implications of increased HP on tillage width and speed over distance. If you decide to do tillage through planting by yourself rather than hire it out, then do a little research on which implements are best suited for your soil and other needs. there's a lot here at TBN on that topic.

 

[WTA]

I'm farming 25 acres of winter wheat and Giant Bermuda here in West Texas.

I was doing it all with an old super C farmall and a MM 4 star. I sold the farmall to a relative last year and just junked the MM. I had completely restored the old farmall and it did the job, even ran the baler but boy did I get sunburned!
Now I have a TD95D New Holland with air conditioning and I'm loving it. It's maybe more than enough for what I really need but there is absolutely nothing I can't do with it here.

BTW, For around here I'd recommend Giant bermuda over coastal. It's better for horses to eat as hay than coastal according to all the studies I have read and also you can plant it yourself. I hand broadcast mine because I couldn't find a grass drill. It established the first year and has been real easy to maintain.

If you are looking for a wheat drill I'll be selling my old JD DR-A drill sometime this year to get a new brillion seeder instead. We're probably too far away for you to get it though.

 

[billbill1]

Look at the sizes available with cabs and go from there. The B3030 is the smallest cab tractor that I am aware of, JD also has some smaller cab models available. 35 hp would be your minimum size in my opinion. Having heat and air conditioning is a very good thing!!

 

[greggh]

Barney,
Thanks for the valuable information. It sounds like you have a place similar to mine except I don't have rocks. I have a few mesquite scrub trees that I might have to move. The back side of my 80 acres is oak trees that I plan on cleaning up as much as possible. I've been frightened a couple of times by wild fires. If the fire got in my trees, I'd lose most of what I have at the place, and so I want to do some cleaning up to help prevent and to make access for equipment into the oak forest. I'm thinking that a 30+ hp with a fel would accommodate that ok, but I'm looking for bigger for the sake of plowing the 10 acres. I could actually cultivate a lot more, but I don't intend to at this time. Working a couple of 10 acre plots independently I'm thinking won't consume every waking hour that I have. I will be bushhogging quite a bit of the acreage, but again, I don't have to do it all in one day by any means. Cattle keep the grass mown down pretty well on my place. Thanks again.
Dusty

Where in N. Texas are you located? I have some acreage in Bonham. I just purchased a JD 5203 in November and I am quite pleased with the purchased. I would suggest be around the 50 HP range for plowing. I would also suggest a utility tractor instead of a CUT. I know that there are plenty of people that will disagree with me, but when plowing I feel a gear tractor is best.

 

[Dhill]

Thank all of you for your much needed information. I have a very good idea now of what tractor will best suit my needs. I'm looking at the JD, Kubota, Manhindra/Branson cab versions in the mid 40hp range. I need info about the implements I'll need also, but I'll save that for a thread after I buy the tractor. Thanks again to each of you.
Dusty