What's the smallest practical HP/Tractor you'd consider?

[Egon]

Ah yes, them Central Florida Bales are just plain unique I take it?

No where else in the world makes well compacted rectangular bales?
Or do you have special balers down there?

 

[patrick_g]

You guys are too funny. Egon shows a bale handling implement designed and commonly used for handling large square bales BUT since it isn't designed to be used for spearing highly compressed alfalfa bales or plywood or concrete or tool steel or... then the drawing must not be what the drawing is but somehow pallet forks with or without a grapnel.

Well, since it may be painted the wrong color it probably isn't any good any way or the drawing is bogus (done by Egon as a spoof).

Nice try Egon but you didn't fool the Sound Dude.

Mind like a steel trap! Gets rusty easy, squeaks loudly when you try to open it.

Pat

 

[IslandTractor]

Let's keep it nice fellas. Next person to make a snide comment has to trade PMs with LBrown for a month. (current and previous comments however are grandfathered under typical tolerance of curmudgeons standards at TBN).

 

[patrick_g]

current and previous comments however are grandfathered under typical tolerance of curmudgeons standards at TBN).

Snide huh? It's crackers to slip a rozer the dropsy in snide!

(My wife got me a subscription to "Mad Magazine" while I was going to school on the Viet Nam GI bill.

Pat

 

[pitt_md]

The OP did ask about the smallest unit he could get by with. With the amount of land he has he COULD use a 40hp tractor and do what he mentioned. The reality IS that he does not even know what he is facing and admits as much. Thats why he is asking for advice. It's not bad advice to point out that what he said he needs to do is just the tip of the iceberg and that a larger tractor will be a better buy in the long run.

 

[patrick_g]

The OP did ask about the smallest unit he could get by with. With the amount of land he has he COULD use a 40hp tractor and do what he mentioned. The reality IS that he does not even know what he is facing and admits as much. Thats why he is asking for advice. It's not bad advice to point out that what he said he needs to do is just the tip of the iceberg and that a larger tractor will be a better buy in the long run.

I know for a fact that I am not the paragon of tractor sizing nor a tractor guru but... If I have been EXTREMELY satisfied for over 7 years with just under 40 HP working 160 acres as a cow-calf cattle operation plus supporting two house builds of 2000 and 5000+ sq ft and stack round bales three rows high and unstack them routinely to feed the herd and perform a myriad of other tasks... (pause to breathe)... then why haven't I discovered all these nameless surprise tasks that are just BOUND to spring up and make me regret not having MORE HP???????????

Just lucky I guess...

Pat

 

[Soundguy]

Actually.. stastically..you are a single instance. In the population of how many? thousands?

I think that's called.. statistically insignificant?

It's great that you have found a niche that fits perfectly with your exact setup.

change a few variables and it may not cookie-cutter fit up as well.

that's why lots of info on a range of sizes are good... even if, in the end, the OP goes with a setup similar or EXACTLY THE SAME as yours.. I'd rather him do so because of careful observation and understanding what options are available to him from the range of the machines offered.. instead of 'because of one person can do it'.

soundguy

 

[patrick_g]

Actually.. stastically..you are a single instance. In the population of how many? thousands?

I think that's called.. statistically insignificant?

It's great that you have found a niche that fits perfectly with your exact setup.

change a few variables and it may not cookie-cutter fit up as well.

that's why lots of info on a range of sizes are good... even if, in the end, the OP goes with a setup similar or EXACTLY THE SAME as yours.. I'd rather him do so because of careful observation and understanding what options are available to him from the range of the machines offered.. instead of 'because of one person can do it'.

soundguy

I guess if we keep picking at it it won't get well will it?

I make no claim that in general you are innumerate but your interpretation of statistics is NOT WELL FOUNDED as is so often the case in those not properly trained or experienced in their correct interpretation. I am not a statistical anomaly like flipping a coin 100 times and having it end up on edge every time instead of heads or tails. My case is not atypical. If I don't fit your model it is not because I am several sigma from the central tendency it is because your model is skewed. Get over it.

You are like the misinformed aerodynamacist insisting the bumble bees can't possibly fly according to HIS theory. Meanwhile the bees continue to, on a regular casual bassis, do all the flying their lives entail, just fine.

You need to adjust your theoretical pontifications to more closely match reality. I have been doing this quite successfully for over 7 years. If there were going to be lots of big surprises, I think I would have encountered at least one by now.

You remind me of the Pope who threatened to excommunicate and put to death Galileo Galilei for telling the truth about his observations instead of going along with the popular crowd.

Pat

 

[IslandTractor]

that's why lots of info on a range of sizes are good... even if, in the end, the OP goes with a setup similar or EXACTLY THE SAME as yours.. I'd rather him do so because of careful observation and understanding what options are available to him from the range of the machines offered.. instead of 'because of one person can do it'.

soundguy

Trouble is Soundguy that almost every recommendation on tractors is anecdotally supported. Yours and mine included. It isn't correct or fair to claim that someone elses anecdotal experience is insignificant. Indeed, if you think scientifically you'd want to get a sample of opinions from people with similar characteristics to the test case (the OP). Patrick is by far the closest in terms of doing the sort of work the OP wants to do.

We are really not talking about statistics here but if you were to simply weight responses according to how relevant they are, Patrick's responses should be weighted significantly higher most as he is carrying out essentially the same type and scale of work. Certainly his responses are more to the point and relevant than someone who clears brush in Rhode Island or who mows a lot in Florida. Getting a range of opinions is what is great about TBN but that doesn't mean that every opinion should have equal weight.

 

[Egon]

And the gnawing commences from another angle. Some of God's creatures are very pernicious indeed when trying to get to access a food source!