Too many hours?

[MarkV]

Hey Dugger6, I am kind of curious about the tasks you plan for the tractor? Just kind of wondering because I think of vineyard use being kind of tight space work and your looking at some physically large tractors. Of course I don’t grow the stuff, just drink it so I may be wrong.

MarkV

 

[Dugger6]

Mark,
The vineyard we just bought (33 Ac.) has row spacings of 8-9 ft so the NH TN80-90F tractors are perfect. 60" width, low CG, Supersteer, 60-70 pto hp. The 4wd will handle the modest hills while the pto hp will handle the sprayer while going up the hills! I will need to mow between rows so a 6ft mower is on the list as is a loader. The loader will have QA bucket so I can replace it with forks to load/unload fruit bins. Eventually I will add a scraper to maintain the access roads and ...
Too much fun!

I really appreciate all the info I have gotten from TBN. Keep up the chatter!

Doug

 

[john_bud]

I really appreciate all the info I have gotten from TBN. Keep up the chatter!

Doug

So..... should we pop by for a sample of your best vintage and a bit of tractor talk?


jb

 

[MarkV]

Mark,
The vineyard we just bought (33 Ac.) has row spacings of 8-9 ft so the NH TN80-90F tractors are perfect. 60" width, low CG, Supersteer, 60-70 pto hp. The 4wd will handle the modest hills while the pto hp will handle the sprayer while going up the hills! I will need to mow between rows so a 6ft mower is on the list as is a loader. The loader will have QA bucket so I can replace it with forks to load/unload fruit bins. Eventually I will add a scraper to maintain the access roads and ...
Too much fun!

I really appreciate all the info I have gotten from TBN. Keep up the chatter!

Doug

Opps, didn’t understand that the TN##F’s were a narrow profile tractor. Good luck on the tractor hunt. Sounds like fun to have your own vineyard.

MarkV

 

[Dugger6]

John,
Love to show you around the place, love to share tractor talk and wine If you are traveling through Milton Freewater, OR drop me an email.
Doug

 

[john_bud]

John,
Love to show you around the place, love to share tractor talk and wine If you are traveling through Milton Freewater, OR drop me an email.
Doug

That would be nice. It's always fun to "talk tractors" !

My MIL is in the Tacoma area and my sister is in Portland. But, I'm in Wisconsin. Mybe some day the stars will align...

jb

 

[flusher]

Help! I'm new to this farming stuff and am trying to purchase a used tractor. My question: How many hours can a tractor have on it before te repairs start piling up. I know that the most important consideration would be care and maintenance, but assuming average, when do transmissions, hydraulic pumps, engines, etc start costing alot in repairs?
I am shopping for a 65-70 hp tractor to work 33 acres of vineyard. All input will be appreciated.

The 1966 MF-135 diesel I bought last July showed 4600 hours on the tractormeter (which was working). The PO said he and his father rebuilt the engine at 3100 hours about 15 years ago. This sounds a little quick for a Perkins engine that I understand should go quite a bit longer before rebuild. Apparently it was a matter of preventive maintenance. The tractor operated OK at 3100 hours, but the PO was making sure that it kept working (he has olive orchards). And Perkins diesels are relatively inexpensive to rebuild and the rebuild is relatively easy to do. He didn't have to split the tractor.

I'm also looking for a pre-owned 70hp tractor. Got my eye on the JD-3020 (mid-1960s vintage). Hope to find one soon. A nice, cheap fixer upper would be ideal.

Since you need a tractor to work your vineyard, maybe you should try to find a tractor that, like my 135, has already had a relatively recent engine rebuild. I would start watching the listings on eBay and on tractorhouse.com.

 

[Soundguy]

find one with orchard fenders.. plenty of them out there..

Soundguy