Plowing with a Compact

Robert_in_NY · Jul 31, 2002

Even the large crop farmers have smaller tractors in the 90-100 hp range for chore tractors. They may also have a compact tractor for mowing their yard but that would be all it is for. If you have 20 acres you want to maintain and possibly work as a small farm a compact tractor will get by. However if you want to work more then 20 acres a utility tractor is better suited unless you want it to mow your yard with then a compact gets consideration. In a perfect world everyone would own 20 tractors for every possible job. I know a lot of vegetable farms run 50-100 hp tractors and a compact tractor would not work there because it can't handle the sprayers. Even in vineyards and orchards the bare minimum anyone would want for a sprayer is 50hp. All tractors serve what they were intended to do but some people do think that a compact can do anything. This should not get people upset as basicly for what this post originally started out as a utility tractor is better suited for his task. A compact can do it but why abuse a tractor you want to last a long time?

woodyed · Jul 31, 2002

Paul,
Thanks for your reply on what plow sizes you use with your L3000. Really appreciate it and I hope you have good luck with your tractor.

Robert & Cowboydoc,
I agree entirely with you both when you say that a farmer who has a dairy farm or a crop enterprise and has quite a few acres that he works, definitely needs a large HP utility/agricultural tractor to utilize the larger impliments, and get his work done in a reasonable amount of time and effort. At the same time, you have to realize that their are a fair number of people who are "gentlemen farmers" or part time farmers who don't really make their entire living off their farm, but still do most of the same chores with their compact tractors that their "full time farmer" neighbors do. These farmers with smaller enterprises and acreages also usually aren't in any real hurry to get their haying, plowing, mowing done anyway, so they are content with the extra time it's going to take them to do it with their compact tractors and smaller impliments. Besides, they are probably happier anyway with the extra "seat" time that it gives them. I don't know if either of you 2 gentlemen have a compact tractor or not, but if you don't, I think you might be amazed at what they can do. You might even start calling them "real tractors" after that. No offense gentlemen, I agree with much of what you say, but I just want you to know and realize that compact tractors are good for more than just mowing lawns and moving one dirt pile to another. You might not want to believe this, but it's true.

Kodiak · Aug 1, 2002

Your analogy of "gentleman farmers" or part time farmers, didn't mention the fact that crops have a schedule all their own, even hay. When its time to harvest its time to harvest. Especially if your up against a short window of weather. Factor in those who are trying to work around their normal work schedules, and anything that saves time can be very precious.

Anonymous Poster · Aug 1, 2002

Weight, horsepower, and tire slippage are the main factors in how large a plow you can pull. We farmed on a small scale back in the 70's using a 52-hp 4600 Ford, which is still running strong, and pulled 3 16" plows with it. This tractor is HEAVY for it's power rating and the tires would still slip quite a lot. This is why most tractors are now 4wd.

It is possible to farm 80-100 acres using a small tractor. My father did that in the 60's using a small Ford tractor. The problem is time. It takes a long time to break and disk a 50 acre field using 2 14" plows and a 6' to 8' disk. The 4600 seemed huge when we got it.

We did break one 30-acre field that hadn't been plowed for at least 30 years and had to back off one gear on the 4600. It still would pull so hard the muffler glowed red in daylight. That field had to be disked three times before planting.

Robert_in_NY · Aug 1, 2002

No one said that a compact can not do it but it is like trying to pound a nail with a sheet of paper. It might be done but it is going to take a lot of time and effort to get it done and the job will not be as good as if you had the proper tools. Seat time is something that people who don't use tractors much enjoy. Have you ever spent 14 hours a day for a week straight working fields to be able to plant before the next spring rain. If so you will realize seat time is overrated. I also have experience with a compact as my neighbor who I use to work for has a 1920 that I still burrow from time to time if I need something light or small to chop inside of pens. He uses it on his small vineyard and orchard and has a small sprayer that on his own admission is still too big for the tractor but it gets the job done so he uses it still. He doesn't do any more vegetables as he is getting quite old but he is the only one I know that uses a compact for their small farm. Most everyone else uses TNF's or 5020N's for their orchards and vineyards. When all is said and done a compact tractor will be dead if you try to do any amount of tillage work with it for any amount of time. Even small scale farmers have time frames to get their spraying done or their planting done. What good is cutting 50 acres of hay if you can not get it off the ground before the next rain? Can a compact do it? Yes. Should a compact do it? NO. Now a question for you, have you ever used a tractor for tillage work that was designed for it? If so there would be no debate over this.

JohnMiller3 · Aug 1, 2002

<font color=blue>...it is like trying to pound a nail with a sheet of paper... Seat time is something that people who don't use tractors much enjoy. Have you ever spent 14 hours a day for a week straight working... If so you will realize seat time is overrated...</font color=blue>

Robert... nicely said... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Depending on whose eyes you're viewing from... most of the compact guys look at using their compact tractors as a form of recreation that is fun…, on the other hand a farmer looks at using his utility tractor as a necessary tool to perform work…

woodyed · Aug 1, 2002

"No one said that a compact can not do it but it is like trying to pound a nail with a sheet of paper. It might be done but it is going to take a lot of time and effort to get it done and the job will not be as good as if you had the proper tools".

Robert,
Your anology is slightly exaggerated to say the least, but it seems that it does reflect your opinions concerning what compacts are good for or can do. You will notice in all my posts, I have agreed with you regarding the fact that it will take more time to do a task with a compact compared as to doing it with a utility/agricultural tractor. I don't agree with your statement about the job done being as good though. But that's a matter of personal opinion.

"Now a question for you, have you ever used a tractor for tillage work that was designed for it? If so there would be no debate over this".

To answer yor question, yes. Plowed about 60 acres with a Kubota M9000 and a 4 bottom. It was a snap and I'll readily admit that were times I wished that could have had this tractor on my place to do whatever I was doing. In your above statement you mention the word "debate". I'm not debating anything with you, in fact I agree with much of what you said. All I'm saying is that the person should match the tractor and implements he needs, with the jobs he needs to do and the amount of time and effort he wishes to put into it, and for many people making this decision, the compact tractor will suffice and be the reasonable choice.

JimC · Aug 1, 2002

Number one rule.
Use the proper size tool for the job.

We use a 2955 JD 85 PTO HP for our 27 acres,
and a BX2200 Kubota for my 1.4 acres.

I farm my garden, 30X75 ft at my home with the BX2200
and use small plows (several of them modified from other equipment), a disk from a Ford 2000, a modified box blade (a 6' cut down to 4'), a landscape rake from my old 9N, and let my son play with the JD.

Hard to say who has the most fun, but I believe I do, cause the JD seemed like a lot of hot sweaty work.

JimC

Worksmart · Aug 1, 2002

cowboydoc - I think I picked up on what you really meant when you said CUTs aren't "real" tractors in your post of 7/30. You then said in your post of 7/31 they aren't "ag" tractors. "Real" and "Ag" are being used interchangeably.

I didn't agree with you when you said "real." Of course they're "real" tractors......4 lugged tires, hydraulics, rear hitch...etc/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. I totally agree when you say they aren't "ag" tractors. It's just a matter of semantics. C

cowboydoc · Aug 1, 2002

Woodyed,
I do have a JD 4600 tractor and have been around tractors my whole life. If you are truly a gentelman farmer and you are baling hay, doing plowing, discing, planting, spraying etc. at a minimum you should have a utility tractor. Even on a small acreage if you're running big equipment and farming the ground get a utility tractor. Yes compacts are wonderful tractors and I love mine and wouldn't want to be without it. But it won't do half the work or run half the implements that either my 4020 or my 4430 will. You have to find the right tractor for what you are doing. A compact tractor is just too light and too underpowered for most farming jobs even if you are just a gentelman farmer. Can you do it, sometimes yes, but at what cost? How much is your safety and the longevity of your tractor worth. Now again though you have to define what your gentlman farmer status is. Are you farming 10 acres or a 100 acres. Only 10 acres yes a compact is probably fine a 100 acres though is a different story if you're truly farming it.

My main reason for the post is that most people coming here are looking for information on tractors. I'm not going to steer someone the wrong way and let them think that a compact tractor is a viable alternative for working around the barns and house and then go out and farm with it. Way too often in these posts I see guys underbuying for their needs. Yes a compact tractor is a WONDERFUL little machine but it's not a farm tractor. I've seen the accidents people can get in with too much implement for their tractors and other safety issues and it's not pretty. Not to mention the wear and tear on a tractor.

Why wouldn't you advocate someone who is doing small scale farming to get a utility tractor? With the utility tractor you do truly have a small scale ag/row crop tractor. You get the different controls, weight, size, hydraulics, torque, and ability to do the ag. jobs that a compact tractor doesn't have. They are about the same price as the lower end utility tractors.

Like has been pointed out there are alot of things that you can do with these compacts that they weren't made to do. Just because you can do it though doesn't mean that it's right.

Lastly I would like to say that I was wrong in my choice of words by saying that a compact isn't a "real" tractor. They are real tractors but they aren't appropriate in my opinion if one of your primary uses is farming.