Older large tractors

[Robert_in_NY]

The Cat he was going to use was not the Big Cat it was the smaller model similar to a JD 8000T so around 200hp. I have farmers here that run 575 NH balers on a MX200 without any problem. In the case of the Cat cutting hay, its width is not a problem as with bigger mowers they have bigger tounges and are designed to work with larger machines. The Cat (I think it was a 45 but don't remember) is actually no wider then a typical wheeled tractor and depending on tires the Cat is narrower then some. The field they were cutting hay was going to be chopped for haylage and not baled. All he used the Cat for was to cut the hay down. I don't remember what other equipment they used for the rest of the job and I don't think it really mattered.

As for the hydraulic PTO, the Cat that was being used came with a 3pt and pto. The people who use hydraulic PTO are the guys who buy an old bareback Artic tractor and want to run the grain cart they already have that has a PTO. Most new Grain carts are all hydraulic so it is very few farmers that would even need to use a hydraulic pto. I didn't say it was efficient but it got the job done for the guys who needed it.

 

[slowzuki]

Don't worry Robert, we aren't directing our comments at you! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

It would seem to me running 200 horse wheeled tractors would cause a bit of compaction? I know I've read a study on alf-alfa where they showed compaction caused quite a bit of reduction in yeild.

But as you say running what you have is better than nothing at all.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I didn't say it was efficient but it got the job done for the guys who needed it. )</font>

 

[Robert_in_NY]

The one farm has plenty of tractors and some smaller CX series tractors but they always bale with the MX. As for compaction on their farm I don't think it makes a difference anymore. They cut their alfalfa fields and then chop them with a NH FX chopper with a dump cart. The don't feed small squares but do bale the wheat straw and some hay for market. Their fields see a lot of heavy equipment on it and they turn them over every few years as part of their rotation of corn, wheat, alfalfa.

 

[Hysyde]

I would love to get some hydraulic powered silage wagons. It would be much easier (relatively) to hook up a couple of hydaulic lines then hooking up a sticky PTO every time I pulled up to the silo.

 

[rambler]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What forum is that? I love this site, but I've been trying to find another one which leaned a little more heavily towards larger ag tractors. )</font>

www.ytmag.com does older antique farm equipment real well.

http://talk.newagtalk.com does modern ag pretty well, laid-back folks.

http://talk.agriculture.com is from a farm magazine, and used to be _the_ modern ag discussion place, but it got to be very 'corporate' the past few years, and while it has a lot of traffic yet, it lost all of it's character. In fact, Newagtalk.com was born from disgrundled folks...

www.harvesting.com is a combine parts supplier, and if you can get to the bottom of the page & get to the Case combine discussion page, then click on all discussions, you will find _the_ combine discussion area on the net, from old to new, all brands, very nice folks there. Just hard to find it! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Those are the places I frequent. Many of the farm magazines have discussion forms, but not as popular as those mentioned. Farm Journal, The Farmer, etc. etc.

As to the Cat on a hay field, Robert covered it very well. It is a rubber-tracked ag machine, & they are frequntly spaced on wide tracks, can straddle anywhere from 2 - 4 30 inch rows, not sure if the one in question was set wide or narrow, but a swing conditioner would accomidate it.

I'm the type of person that much prefers being in the great outdoors anything it is nice enough to plant or cut hay (mind you I love my cabs for tillage & such in cold weather...) so I'd set a screen on the open station tractor fender & have a lot more fun mowing grass a lot cheaper & less stress on the land, but to each their own.

Just had that youthful attitude in the message, thought it was funny actually. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--->Paul

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I agree, I love to be in the open station of the TN but when baling or discing I would much rather use a cab and watch the dust fly by the windows and not thru the station /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Here is one that is not that old and right now is a very good price. JD on ebay

 

[Hysyde]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Here is one that is not that old and right now is a very good price. JD on ebay )</font>

Thanks for the link.

That to me seems like a good buy. The kind of tractor I was trying to get at when I started this thread. I know a local guy who farms around 2000 acres (not entirely sure, he rents a lot of land and is constantly changing) and has a JD like that. I *think* it's a bit smaller though, 8440 if I'm not mistaken?

Anyway, he uses that tractor a lot and it see's some heavy work on the disc ripper. He's rebuilding the motor this winter after years of good use and having it bumped up subsantially (to around 240 - 250hp). He has no problem getting parts at a reasonable price.

 

[Hysyde]

I should mention his tractor is in a fair bit better shape cosmetically then that one.

 

[D7E]

Most of them will need a major overhaul which will cost at least $10k and finding parts for most of them is not easy as most of the companies are no longer in business like they use to be. Massey Ferguson, Allis Chalmers, White, Oliver and Minneapolis Moline are part of Agco now which runs the MF line as a AgcoStar tractor. All the rest are dead and gone and parts are hard to find. John Deere has a lot of aftermarket companies making parts so getting parts for a 30 or 40 series JD is not too bad but isn't cheap either. The old Versatiles are gone as Ford bought them and now Buhler owns them so getting parts would be fun. Steiger was bought by Case-IH and is now owned by CNH but if trying finding parts for a old Panther you had better know of some good used parts dealers. For the money you would be better off geting a 150hp late 90's MFWD tractor and having something you could get parts for and count on when planting season comes up.

Must be the area , All my parts come off the shelf at case or ford and the beauty of steiger or versatile is you can source parts from Cummins , Fuller , Rockwell or whatever your tractor is made of.
And there is a LOT of cheap good ones around .