Tractor size question

[670x]

Greetings I'm the lucky buyer of an old farmstead and all the old junk that goes with it scattered across 37 acres.
I am shopping for a new tractor and am leaning towards an HST but have not made the final decision yet.
I will be needing to pull a disc and duck foot about 5% of the time. The rest will be mowing and digging out snow and dirt work.
What I need to know is how much horsepower will I need to pull this equipment? The previous owner told me 50hp but that was on a 2 wheel drive older JD.
The ground has a lot of clay in it but he kept it broke up around the trees so I don't think it will be real hard to keep it that way.
Thanks in advance

 

[oosik]

Welcome to TBN. To pull either of the two implements I would recommend 4WD and at least 75 engine hp. Both of those implements are fairly good sized. It would probably be more economical to drop down to 50 hp/4WD and properly sized implements. You could sell both of those implements and use the money on the new tractor and implements.

 

[jeff9366]

Fifty horsepower with 4-WD is about minimum.

Did the two implements in the picture convey with the property? What you call a duck foot would be termed a Spring Tooth Harrow, here.

I would not automatically plan to use conveyed implements on a Montana property.

Montana has all sorts of soil erosion, soil degradation and soil depletion issues. I would research state of the art tillage tools where you are. It may be Chisel Plows or "no till" practices will use less water and reduce depletion of your soil bank. Disc Harrows leave the ground bare and subject to wind erosion.

It would be helpful to know what crop you intend to plant. From what I know of Montana ag it is cattle, sheep, wheat and hay, all barely profitable.

Most Montana families farming 37 acres would have one or two principals in non-farm jobs bringing home a steady paycheck in order to support lifestyle farming.

 

[670x]

Thanks yeah they came with the place.
They used them to keep the weeds down and to make a fire break around the house and barn. I'm trying to figure out a ground cover that won't compete with the trees but something I could mow and still get the fire break that's what everyone around here does.
I'm more interested in planting food plots and re growing the shelter belts for the wildlife. As far as planting or working the ground I'm not planning on it it's covered real well in crested wheat. They used to bale it but I'm just letting it go cause the pheasants love it. But I do have a baler if I change my mind.

I guess my real question is how does something like an LS 46 hp hydrostic drive 4x4 compare to the 50 hp John Deere he was doing it with?

 

[Olympus]

What you call the duck foot is what we call a cultivator in my area. That implement will not require any more than 50 hp. They take the ground pretty easily. Thè disk is the unknown factor. It depends on how heavy it is and if the rows of disks are angled or if they run straight across. Also depends on how deep you sink it. The deeper you drop, the harder it pulls. If it's just to make a fire break, it wouldn't have to be that deep. But if you were breaking ground to plant, then it would. I'd say 50hp and 4wd would be plenty.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

. . . I guess my real question is how does something like an LS 46 hp hydrostic drive 4x4 compare to the 50 hp John Deere he was doing it with?

It depends on which 50hp John Deere he was using. I know that sounds stupid, but it's not really. The old John Deere tractors from the 60's and 70's might have had 50hp and weighed 8,000 pounds. A newer one might have 50hp and weigh 4,000 pounds, which means they will like lose traction before running out of power.

For example, I grew up driving old Minneapolis Moline tractors that had less than 50hp but would have pulled either of your implements without breaking much of a sweat. I think my 50hp Kioti with HST would sweat a LOT trying to pull the chisel/springtooth unless you were just scratching around with it.

You can always remove one or two of the outer shanks on each side to effectively narrow it and reduce the HP necessary to pull it.

 

[CobyRupert]

The ground has a lot of clay in it but he kept it broke up around the trees so I don't think it will be real hard to keep it that way.

Clay!! Timing is everything. Be patient. Don't work it when wet.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

One more thought. I've used lots of disc harrows, but I've never used a drag type like yours without any gauge wheels. Yours is set with almost no angle, which I assume is a "transport" position to allow it to be moved without actually plowing the soil. It won't do any plowing the way it's set now.

I assume there is a mechanism on it to put the gangs back into a more acute angle so it will actually turn the soil. It may involve pulling that rope and either backing up or pulling forward to force the gangs into an angled position. Forward would move the center of the front gangs into position, and backwards would move the center of the rear gangs into position. (At least that's how I assume it would work.)

You probably know this, but I thought I'd mention it just in case.

 

[670x]

That does make sense on what year.
Sorry I did not make sense on my reply(stupid iPhone) what the neighbors all do is till up around the shelter belts not mow like I'm hoping to do.
Good point on taking a few off if it's to hard to pull. The disc is nearly straight and welded that way so I guess that's what I got.
Thanks for the input the tractor field is so confusing to me.

 

[Sprinklerman]

Look around on the property , you may find a tractor hidden somewhere