sizing tractors/implements

[rockinmywaypa]

Richard I also agree but don't make it sound worse than it has to be. Brother and I each have around 100 acres, him 80 me 150, We use a 9' 1209 pulled by his 60 hp tractor Round baler is a jd430 pulled by an 80hp jd3130 which used to be a 2130 but I had to replace it last year. We work by ourselves mostly but we switch back and forth. I will cut 20 acres a day for about 3 days and then while I'am baling he'll cut as much as he can then switch,cut more,switch bale etc.When weather cooperates I can have it all done in a little over a week with hauling into the barn only left to do. I make the bales 4x4.5 which makes them quite easy to roll down an 80' manger before I cut the strings and unroll them more. In the winter,now, I will put 4 bales in at a time and that will be enough for 3 days before I have to start the tractor again. Works well in my opinion for me.

 

[slowrev]

Along with the minimum HP requirements there is a not stated weight requirement for the tractor and this will vary due to the terrain you are using the equipment on. You get a 1,500-2,000 lb bale on there and they can be hard / dangerous to handle with a light tractor that just meets the min hp requirements.

 

[cowboydoc]

Before I had any money Jerry that's the way I did it. I started with nothing and bought better equipment as I went. You can buy older bigger tractors cheaper than you can buy a used compact. It doesn't have anything to do with money unless you want to buy new. But if you can't afford the equipment why even farm? There sure isn't any money in it.

 

[cowboydoc]

I guess to me a weeks worth of work is alot of time and commitment. You are also talking about two people working all the time. That's alot.

As far as your equipment I'd say you are just fine for what you're doing.

 

[JerryG]

Richard,
I didn't mean to sound mean but sometimes it sounds like buying multiples is the only way that is advised. Lots of Small farmers have had to do with one tractor. I personal know several that have done it for many years. Had nothing to do with compacts or vs new. An other thing, you know it is funny as in strange how different areas of the country does things differently. Example. You always talk about MoCo's. In years past almost every farm had one here. In the last 5-8 years, you hardly see any. Almost everyone has gone to disk mowers and tedders.

 

[HayDR]

Facts are coyboydoc, the 4x4-5x4 sector outsells the 6x5 sector almost 2-1. 80% of this market uses 40-60 HP tractors. Most of these tractors are not cab tractors either. You just live in row crop territory where less than 100 HP tractors are looked at as being a small utility size tractor. I agree that 6x5 balers usually work best with 100 HP tractors. You could take that old AC-WD45 to the field today and round bale hay. You can safely take a JD 5103 tractor and a Vermeer Rebel 5400 to the field, bale hay at 6-8 MPH, make 1200 LBS bales, and never tax the capacity of the tractor.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Disk mowers are faster then MoCo's but the fields require an extra day of drying time as the disk cutters don't crimp the grasses as they go thru. The MoCo's do and this helps them dry faster. So it is up to the farmer, do you want to cut more in a day and wait an extra day to bale, or do you want to cut less in a day but cut it sooner and not risk the crop getting rained on. Each farmer is different and that decides what cutter gets used and when. Idealy, you would have one of each and use them accordinly /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

I agree 100% with what you just said CCI. The 5103 has 65 pto hp. That's 5 less hp than I stated at 70 hp. A 65pto hp would do just fine as it doesn't have a cab. But I sure wouldn't put a 40 pto hp tractor to that baler. And yes you are 100% right that I could put that small vermeer baler on the AC and bale with it. But again I sure wouldn't want to. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[HayDR]

By using a drum mower or disc mower and a tedder the grass hay will go up in the same time as any discbine MOCO and faster than any sickle mower conditioner. We have proved this for 15 years by mowing with both style mowers in the same fields. This enables farmers that have 40-60 HP tractors not to have to purchase large tractors, that compact the soil and waste fuel, to pull the discbines. Any drum/disc mower will put up hay quicker than a sicklebar mower conditioner because the drum/disc mower can mow when the grass is wet with the heavy dew. The hay will be curing long before the sicklebar mower conditioner has started.

 

[cowboydoc]

If you're talking about grass hay that's true. But with alfalfa you really need that crimping action to get the hay dryed faster. You can tedder it all you want but until you get that stem either broken of the wax off it's going to be tough to dry.