Buying Advice Minimum PTO requirements

peoplesfarmer7 · Oct 14, 2011

Hey guys i'm new here but i had a question about minimum pto hp and performance. Im looking to purchase a NH 195 manure spreader to spread compost and horse manure on our operation. The tractor we'd be using to operate this machine would be a Ford TW-10 with a 110 hp rating and the minimum pto requirement according to the manufacturers catalog for this machine is 100 pto hp. I realize my tractor has more than that but my only concern is about stressing the tractor. Im not very knowledgable about pto shafts, power etc but i do not want to run the risk of damaging my machine. Is the minimum hp rating the absolute least amount of hp needed to operate the machine or is it more of a suggested rating to run the machine without stressing the tractor? Also if theres only 10% extra power to spare could i potentially damage my pto shaft if theres extra stress from the machine? Any advice would be appreciated

RoyJackson · Oct 14, 2011

Manufacturers recommend minimum (and sometimes maximum) PTO HP requirements so their customers will be satisfied with the performance of their implements...it's not a hard and fast rule.
Your tractor exceeds the minimum requirements (I'm assuming the 110 HP you quoted is PTO HP) and both you, and your tractor, will be fine.

BTW, since you're new to TBN (and PTO's, if I read your post correctly), I suggest you read the Safety forum. That PTO is an outstanding tool, but they can kill you in an instant. Know the safety precautions...and train any other operators on those safety rules too.

tessiers · Oct 15, 2011

No problem, I bet that spreader doesn't use 30 hp on the pto. It requires a big heavy tractor to haul the weight. I am guessing you may need some front end ballast, especially if the fields are soft at all. Then again horse manure and compost is fairly light weight. This very discussion is why many compact tractor owners have trouble. New JD 4720 is 60 hp pto, less than 4000 lbs, old JD 2020 is 60 hp pto, over 6000 lbs. When properly ballasted the old 2020 will out pull the new 4720 all day long. Most equipment HP ratings are based heavily on physical size of thractor as much or more so that HP ratings. A recent study tested actual pto hp requirements for a lot of round balers, very few actually used more than 30 hp, although I would hate the thought of a 2 ton machine with a 1 ton bale moving around in side behind a 2000 lb compact. Trip the gate to discharge bale and instead of pushing the bale out the back it would push the tractor ahead.

Short answer is No problem.

bigbull338 · Oct 15, 2011

1st off take a deep breath an relax.if my memory is correct on the TW10s the hp is 125 or a tad more an the pto hp is 115hp more or less.an it will pull the manure spreader fine with no harm to the tractor pto or the manure speader.

melanelly · Oct 16, 2011

Hi Guys, Melanelly here from GA. I've been poking around here for a while now learning from the masters.

I found this thread searching for information on spreading chicken litter on my fields instead of chemicals.

I have about 10 acres that I am looking at. Searching the for sale listings on the web and of course Craigslist is leaving me bum-fuzzeled.:confused2: What size do you guys think I need, and will they even work on this type compost? Will a 3point spreader like for conventional fertilizer/seed work?

Mace Canute · Oct 17, 2011

tessiers said:
No problem, I bet that spreader doesn't use 30 hp on the pto. It requires a big heavy tractor to haul the weight. I am guessing you may need some front end ballast, especially if the fields are soft at all. Then again horse manure and compost is fairly light weight. This very discussion is why many compact tractor owners have trouble. New JD 4720 is 60 hp pto, less than 4000 lbs, old JD 2020 is 60 hp pto, over 6000 lbs. When properly ballasted the old 2020 will out pull the new 4720 all day long. Most equipment HP ratings are based heavily on physical size of thractor as much or more so that HP ratings. A recent study tested actual pto hp requirements for a lot of round balers, very few actually used more than 30 hp, although I would hate the thought of a 2 ton machine with a 1 ton bale moving around in side behind a 2000 lb compact. Trip the gate to discharge bale and instead of pushing the bale out the back it would push the tractor ahead.

Short answer is No problem.

Yep! I have no doubt that Ford TW-10 will easily handle that spreader. (BTW, here's the Nebraska Tractor test for the TW-10.)

I remember back in the late 60's we bought a new spreader to handle the manure from out feedlot. With around 150 feeders and a small core cow herd of about 35 cows we needed something better than using a truck and dumping it in piles around the field. What a PITA it was to scatter those piles! We had a fairly good sized spreader for the time, IIRC it was a 240 bushel machine...tandem axle unit anyways. We started off using an Allis CHalmer WC pulling it...a tractor with less than 30 belt HP! The old girl would pull it out to the field in the fall when we would clean corrals before winter but the front end was almost coming off the ground from the tongue weight. It didn't have enough HP to pull it in anything other than first gear and run the spreader in the lowest apron speed. Sometimes I had to kick the tractor into neutral (no live PTO on it) and kick the apron feed into neutral also just to clear the beaters before it killed the engine! The step father finally realized it needed a bigger tractor to run it and we hooked up our Volvo T810 which didn't know it was pulling it.

Here's a PDF file showing everything you always wanted to know about being a sh*t distur...ahhh...spreader!

RoyJackson · Oct 17, 2011

Mace Canute said:
I remember back in the late 60's we bought a new spreader to handle the manure from out feedlot. With around 150 feeders and a small core cow herd of about 35 cows we needed something better than using a truck and dumping it in piles around the field. What a PITA it was to scatter those piles! We had a fairly good sized spreader for the time, IIRC it was a 240 bushel machine...tandem axle unit anyways. We started off using an Allis CHalmer WC pulling it...a tractor with less than 30 belt HP! The old girl would pull it out to the field in the fall when we would clean corrals before winter but the front end was almost coming off the ground from the tongue weight. It didn't have enough HP to pull it in anything other than first gear and run the spreader in the lowest apron speed. Sometimes I had to kick the tractor into neutral (no live PTO on it) and kick the apron feed into neutral also just to clear the beaters before it killed the engine! The step father finally realized it needed a bigger tractor to run it and we hooked up our Volvo T810 which didn't know it was pulling it.

So tell me, Mace...does Stompin' Tom have a song aboot it?

DAY · Oct 17, 2011

I remember my first spreader; it was ground drive, and mostly wood- and rust. I pulled it with a little gas Satoh. We called the spreader "Das Grosserscheissgeflinger".