Member of the Month: Robert in NY
User Name: Robert In NY
Posts: 6,542 (#18 all-time)
Location: Silver Creek, NY but most of my land is in Sheridan, NY
Lot Size: 178 Acres
How long have you been a member of TractorByNet.com? How did you find the site?
I have been on TBN since 2001. I found it while searching for something tractor related and got hooked.
What do you like best about TractorByNet.com?
TBN has a lot of great members I can relate to. I use to visit a couple farm boards and still visit one if I have a question I know they will be better suited to answer but TBN is where I fit in the best. I can help others that are going through similar situations as I have and just enjoy playing with tractors. There is also a larger cross section of people here and that is what adds that special touch to this site. You can ask just about any question and find people who actually are in that field and can give you so much information you don’t know what to do with it all. It is a great site to interact with other members and I have made a lot of friends on here.
What type of tractor(s) do you own?
My main tractor is a New Holland TN65 but my Ford 1920 is used as much as well. I also have a Ford 640 to help out with haying and I have a few other old tractors that are for fun. My harvester is an old John Deere 3300 which is a great machine to learn on. I also own a Ford 7710-II but it is at the dealers because of a billing dispute and I am hoping to either sell it or negotiate a fair settlement to get it back. It is my favorite tractor though for all my haying and tillage work.
How long have you owned or operated tractors?
I have been around tractors my whole life and have been operating them on my own since around 10 years old so 21 years.
What do you enjoy most about tractors?
They make doing a lot of jobs so much easier and fun.
How often do you use your tractor?
I use tractors daily from spring through fall and about once or twice a week during the winter.
Tell us about your property (how much acreage, home, buildings, etc):
We have a total of 178 acres that we own currently. There are two houses on that land, mine and my fathers. Of the 178 acres it is broke down roughly to 9 acres of vineyard, 2 acres of apple trees, 15 acres in pasture for captive whitetail deer, 50 acres of open field that we plant into corn and hay, about 10 acres of food plots for wild life leaving around 92 acres that are either brush land for the wildlife and standing timber. I also farm 75 acres of land that borders our farms. That is all in hay except 7 acres that I plant corn on (good gravel ground). I am in the process of buying another 70 acre farm that borders a 40 acre farm and is where the majority of my hay ground is.
Tell us about your vehicles (trucks, trailers, ATVs, etc.):
We have three trucks. A 98 Ford F-150, 2002 F-250 and 2006 F-250. All three are used between the farm and my fathers construction company. The 2002 F-250 is mainly the construction vehicle but gets dirty on the farm quite often.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them
We have around 30 whitetail deer that are mostly as friendly as dogs. We also have a pigeon, ducks, chickens, turkeys and a pheasant (my daughter loves animals). I will be getting a lab soon to keep me company around the farm and a horse for my daughter.
What sort of modifications or customization have you done to your tractor?
There are not too many modifications that I have done. I have added extra rear work lights on the TN65 and a canopy. Can’t think of much else I need to do to them as they are pretty well set up from the factory.
What sort of tools, attachments or equipment do you use with your tractor on a regular basis? Tell us about them:
During the winter I have a Curtis front snow blade for the loader on the 1920 and a 5’ rear snow blower. I also have a loader on the TN65 and hook a 7’ Bush Hog box blade behind it and use that for the main snow plowing tractor. Two tractors are handy for snow removal as if one breaks down and you need the drive cleared there is always a backup. I always try to have two tractors to do each task. Other attachments are a couple brush choppers, an entire line of hay equipment, 400 gallon air blast sprayer for the vineyard and orchard, 3 transport discs (5’, 10’ and 12’), a 3 bottom 14” 3pt plow, a 4 bottom 16” semi mount plow, 14’ cultimulcher, field sprayer, 4 row International 56 corn planter, 2 row Massey Ferguson 39 corn planter and a 2 row Allis Chalmers corn planter that is cut down from a 4 row unit. I also have two International 5100 grain drills. Both are 21 hole 7” spaced drills but one is a Soybean special with grass seed box. I have two Vicon pendulum spreaders, one holds 500 pounds the other holds 2000 pounds and is mounted on the Vicon two wheeled cart so I can use it on the 1920 in the vineyards. I also have two 3pt hitch post hole diggers. One is a Massey Ferguson and the other is a Gold Star branded one from the old Quality Farm and Fleet store.
What do you mainly use your tractor for?
My main use is farming but it is also used for general property maintenance like brush chopping, food plots and drive way repairs and such. They also get used on construction sites when needed.
Do you maintain crops? For hobby or agricultural purpose? Which crops?
I grow and harvest grapes, apples, hay, field corn, soy beans and some small grains like oats, rye and wheat depending on the year. Most are for agricultural use but some is for hobbies.
Do you keep livestock?
Yes, we have around 30 whitetail deer that are more like pets then anything but are considered livestock.
What do you like/dislike about the area you live in?
I love the 4 seasons New York has. I also live a couple miles from Lake Erie so it is a great area here. What I don’t like are all the taxes New York has and keeps adding but I don’t think I could live anywhere else.
What sort of terrain is common in your area?
This area is all flat. It is the old lake plain so the gravel ground is almost all put into vineyards and the loam grounds closer to the lake is used for vegetables and hay.
What sort of trees and vegetation are common in your area?
There are a lot of tree species but Oak, maple, poplar, ash and a few other major species are common. There are also pine and willow here and lots of black locust.
What’s something most TractorByNet members don’t know about you?
I think I have shared just about everything about my life on TBN at some point in time. I have a wonderful daughter who is currently 5 and was born in August of 2004. She has been the greatest gift I have ever received and has made me appreciate so much of life I have over looked before. I also am a member of my local chapter of the NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation). I am involved quite heavily with my chapter and when the NWTF gives out corn for the members to plant for the wild life I am the one here that goes to get the pallet (3000 pounds). We store and distribute the corn from our farm to our chapter members. I also bought the MF 39 corn planter and was given the Allis Chalmers corn planter to loan out to our members to help plant their food plots. I help out with our chapters banquet and our JAKES day that we put on for the kids here to help them learn about anything to do with the outdoors like archery, shooting, fishing, trapping, wildlife rescue, wildlife biology, hunter safety and so on. We have a lot of fun coming up with ideas to make the JAKES event a little different each year and usually have around 80-100 kids attend. It is one of the things I do that I really enjoy and feel proud of.