Is this a scam? Vineyard preference?

ffgoo · Feb 28, 2012

Ok, harvest loaners are turned back into my local dealer so there Are many very low hour used tractors for sale! We basically have green and orange in the vineyards here in Cali and although my experience with my JD dealer was centered around looking at the new Gators, I really trust and enjoy my Bota dealer! JD has nothing on the lots around here so that has to play into my biased lean towards orange but what I struggle with the most is what size? First pick is GL3540( always go for the bells and whistles plus wife can adjust the seat forward enough to reach peddles) or something like B3300. Most the 8 acres of vineyard is 7' row spacing but have done a lot of deferred land clearing/cleaning including 100' Monterey pine removal. So loader with grapple is my thoughts for most useful in the future. Course tilling disking and spraying will be the most hours put on this rig. A lot of b's I see here but not sure if that is cause many different row widths out there and the vineyard management companies try to serve all of them or if that ally is enough tractor!!

ffgoo · Feb 28, 2012

Obviously "is this a scam?" was not intended

Robert_in_NY · Feb 28, 2012

Do you do your own spraying? if so buy the tractor that will meet your width requirements and still be able to handle all your chores including your sprayer.

Me personally I would go with the GL3540 if you have no need for a full M series Narrow.

gwdixon · Feb 28, 2012

You don't say what area of California where you are located. If it is or around Napa Valley there is a Kubota dealer at Green Valley Tractor in Fairfield that is also a vineyard owner/grower.

I can tell you that he has a Grand L4740 with cab. He would be a good resource to call and ask about what he recommends. Oh, the cab is for protection while spraying.

The It · Feb 28, 2012

I agree with both previous posters: make sure that the tractor you get has the horsepower to drive the most power hungry implements you will use (which tend to be your sprayer, flail, and perhaps a picking bin trailer) [and if you don't have a forklift or another loader and you don't use FYBs, you will also need to consider a FEL that can load picking bins on a truck]; and check with other local growers and equipment suppliers to find out what particular features are commonly needed/requested to handle the local farming conditions. Also, as you have already indicated, think about your future needs, which may require something you don't need now but may require a much larger future purchase if you don't include it in the current tractor purchase.

In our case...we just converted from 12 foot aisles to 6 foot aisles, which we had not considered doing when we bought our L3830. The L3830 did a great job, handling all our implement and loading requirements. Due to the narrow rows and our spraying/flailing/loading requirements we were forced to upgrade to a M7040 narrow (the M6040 narrow has more than enough power, but doesn't come with a factory FEL, and a factory FEL was less expensive than an after-market one, so we got a M7040). I would have loved to keep our L3830, but it was too wide, and the narrow B series couldn't handle our implement and loading requirements.

Good luck with your decision-making process and grapegrowing.

ffgoo · May 12, 2012

For some reason I lost the replies so I apologize for delay but much thanks! GWdixon I agree that Ron has been so good to me and that is where I will buy. In times like today relationships and integrity are more important than the dollar. I am new to tractors and can't wait to apply this "tool" in many areas where my back feels the consequences!! I have decided on the GL it's just 3540 or something more like 39 or 4240? 66 inches pushes the boundaries and would prefer the 60" of the 3540 but need to research the sprayer, mower and tiller requirements of the 3540 to see if there is enough hp's!!! Au other input welcome here! Looking for grapple also any thoughts or experiences? WR Long on the smaller size? Gilly

Robert_in_NY · May 12, 2012

ffgoo said:
For some reason I lost the replies so I apologize for delay but much thanks! GWdixon I agree that Ron has been so good to me and that is where I will buy. In times like today relationships and integrity are more important than the dollar. I am new to tractors and can't wait to apply this "tool" in many areas where my back feels the consequences!! I have decided on the GL it's just 3540 or something more like 39 or 4240? 66 inches pushes the boundaries and would prefer the 60" of the 3540 but need to research the sprayer, mower and tiller requirements of the 3540 to see if there is enough hp's!!! Au other input welcome here! Looking for grapple also any thoughts or experiences? WR Long on the smaller size? Gilly

How are you going to get a 66" wide tractor down 7' rows without knocking your crop off or damaging vines? When that canopy starts to close in you will be lucky to get a 50" wide tractor in there. I run 9' rows and don't want anything more then 64" wide and prefer 60" but at 64 I am rubbing shoots and occasionally snagging one with 2 extra feet of room than what you will have. Are you going open station or cab? I would strongly look at the M series narrows for 7' row spacing.

I wish I would have noticed that when I originally replied to your post but for the life of me I can't imagine running that wide of a tractor in that tight a row.

Robert_in_NY · May 12, 2012

Oh and I should have mentioned, I ran 9 acres of vineyard with only a Ford 1920 for 5 years till this year when I added 24 more acres and could justify a Kubota M8540 narrow and a Case-IH Farmall 45A to take over the majority of the vineyard work. Now the 1920 is used only for weed spraying, Kubota took on the bulk of the work and the Farmall does posts and what ever else will be needed around the farm.

The 1920 is around 30 hp and I could run a 400 gallon sprayer with it but it didn't really like it. On hot days it would push the temp way up to where I could only spray one tank and then have to idle her down and let it rest a while to cool down. I was afraid I was going to kill it so I was happy to get a more powerful spray tractor. My reason for the 400 gallon sprayer was because the price was right and I could spray my further farm in two trips when putting 100 gallons per acre on. A 150 gallon sprayer would have been ideal but it would have taken 4 trips to do that block and at 3 miles one way I would spend more time on the road then in the field.

So if you go with a suitable sprayer you can get by with 30 hp (maybe less). The tiller and rotary cutter are not too harsh as your going to be looking at 4' units for 7' row spacing. Have you considered using chemical controls for your vineyard floor instead of mowing? On those tight rows it may be worth while as it will eliminate the competition for moisture and nutrients. Also if you have to worry about any frosts early in the season having the vegetation gone from the floor will help prevent severe frost damage.

ffgoo · May 13, 2012

Well my in laws are 40 yrs plus into this and I am just newly married into this biz. But for years a 66 inch wide JD has done the back bone of the work and most of our floor is tilled and disc'd unless we have a quick summer and the cement forms befo we can get to it. Then we are left with just mowing. All is flat acreage and most ground is well taken care of before the canopy gets too bad and the wire is raised and doesn't become too much of an issue with that wheelbase. But even that said that's what was pushing toward the 3540 at 60" with r1's. If I'm hearing you right plenty of horses for those implements and we use a bagpipe sprayer that is prob 250 gallons. This is my purchase which I hope will not only allow me to do property improvements but fit in well with all vineyard jobs as well. Course if I really like could do like you Robert and have more "tools" to be more job specific instead of one tractor for all the work! Thanks again for your input. Cheers from Cali!

Robert_in_NY · May 13, 2012

ffgoo said:
Well my in laws are 40 yrs plus into this and I am just newly married into this biz. But for years a 66 inch wide JD has done the back bone of the work and most of our floor is tilled and disc'd unless we have a quick summer and the cement forms befo we can get to it. Then we are left with just mowing. All is flat acreage and most ground is well taken care of before the canopy gets too bad and the wire is raised and doesn't become too much of an issue with that wheelbase. But even that said that's what was pushing toward the 3540 at 60" with r1's. If I'm hearing you right plenty of horses for those implements and we use a bagpipe sprayer that is prob 250 gallons. This is my purchase which I hope will not only allow me to do property improvements but fit in well with all vineyard jobs as well. Course if I really like could do like you Robert and have more "tools" to be more job specific instead of one tractor for all the work! Thanks again for your input. Cheers from Cali!

It has to be the type of trellis system you guys are running then. Do they position the shoots there to keep them from growing into the rows?