8N and round bales

spayne67

Member
I am really interested in purchasing an 8N for my 5-acre property. Primarily for brush hogging, seeding and spraying. But I would like to use it for round bales;
1) How big and heavy of a round bale would the 3 point lift?
2) If it had a front loader, how big and heavy of a round bale would it lift?
 
Even though I have moved hundreds of round bales with the 8N, it is really too small for the task. Of course, round bales vary greatly in weight, too. Heavy bales sometimes had to be moved only in reverse to sort of keep front wheels on the ground. I even modified the lift links to obtain greater lift capacity, at expense of height, which really helped, but still 8N is really just too light for the task. Sometimes, one has to work with what they have though. Fortunately, I now have much heavier equipment which easily handle the job, and let the 8Ns do more suitable tasks.
 
Please keep looking for another tractor. They are way too light to move big round bales. Find something with live PTO for brush hogging, that way you wont get killed.
 
For 5 acres, it seems like it would be kinda silly to buy a bigger tractor, but if your doing round bales, move up to a hundred or a thousand series ford. One 9n did the upkeep on our 50 for many years until we got a big MF 65 with a loader. Can't stand it and trying to sell it and currently working on some another N to be THE tractor again.
 
spayne.........many years ago, some really dedicated N-tractor enthusiasts experimented and found out that 1200-lbs would lift the front wheels off'n the ground. The round alfalfa bales that the bail in the Columbia Basin, generally run about 1000-lbs. They work well in round pens fer cattle. Hadda buddy try round bales with his sheep. They just climbed into the pens and munched away, fillin' it with gitt-smart pills. As fer yer 8N, they're great handy tractors fer brush-hoggin' and plowin', but a FEL (front end loaded) turns it into un-nimble tractor. Me? I gotta rear 3-point scoop that does everything I want. Iff'n I really need a FEL, I go rent a 2-cyl Yamabota diesel.......the amazed Dell
 
As the others have said.. yes. you can PROBABLY get a bale on a 3pt spear if your lift is in good condition, and you have front ballast.

it is also true that with a front loader you can get one off the ground as well, again, if the belly pump is good and is your power source, or if you stick a stinger pump on. You will then need REAR ballast.

Here is a pic of an 850 I have moving a round bale in the 900# range.

Your big issue will be steering and front tires. Narrow fronts like 4x19 and even the 5.5-16 tri ribs are not the best option. I'd stick a multi rib as wide as I could fit tire on.. but that might run you a couple hundred in tires.. though you can also use a couple 10$ truck tires.

I have those 10$ truck tires on my 850. I have (weak) but operational power steering. it HELPS.

On your N with no power steering, just be resigned that you will ONLY steer while moving. Attempting to steer while still will only result in NO steering, and excess stress on steering components.

Just put pressure on the steering wheel as you start to let out the clutch. as you begin moving, armstrong steering will start to respond. Not great.. but way better than a wheel barrow :) I have another 850 and 660 I have moved bales on loaders with, no power steering, and it is as I described. less than stellar, but better than none.

The 850 I'm posting is a bit heavier of a tractor and has an N by about 1.8X horse power.. but the HP won't do much on moving bales.. you might do well to load the rear tires, add weights if you hav ethem, and then have a heavy rear implement or weight tub.

If you are running a trip loader or hyd loader using the belly pump and tied down 3pt, I reccomend going ahead and rebuilding the lift cyl now, to get rid of leaks, as a leak in a 2.9gpm system with 800# in the air might be just enough to make the loader a dismal project.

with a good tight 3pt lift and pump.. the loader will just be SLOOOOW, but it will lift.

steering will be the main concern. the 850 I'm showing has the same weak front axle and king pin as your 8n, so no benefits either way.

Now.. all that said. if you have not bought the 8n, and are going to get a tractor for your 5 ac. jump to the 55-64 series and just get a more capable tractor now. usually an 8n and a 800 are within 1000$ of each other or even less.. with most machines in driving condition inthe 2500-3500$ range.

if you get one with a loader and power steering already.. you are ahead of the game. the 55+ series offers a few benefits vs the 8n.
a226114.jpg
 
We all remember the story about the little engine that could. But...
An N will kinda half arsed lift/drag/skid a round bale along on the three point.
It would stand the the tractor on it's nose if you tried to move one with a loader.
And your front axle would last for about a week.
A friend of mine feeds round bales with his Ford 4600 with Westendorf loader.
A 4600 weighs about 4500 lbs and he runs loaded dual rear wheels. He says it's adequate - but just.
Compare that tractor to a 2400 lb N.
It's not a good idea.
 
I have seen some neat u shaped trailers just for round bales .

The idea is you roll the bale on the trailer from the front side toward the back end where the tires are , then you back up and lift the front of the trailer with your 3 point lift . this way the tractor only picks up half of the weight .

If you had adjustable legs or a jack you could unhook and leave it there to feed off of .

I am thinking about building something along those lines so I can feed in different locations without having to set the hay on the ground if it is wet or muddy . with side rail it would keep them from wasting as much and I would not have to tote a ring around .
 
At that distance behind the tractor, I'd put lift weight at
800lbs or less before the front end comes off the ground.
That is, if you're not trying to drive forward and lifting it.
I moved cement blocks with my 8N on a 3pt pallet fork.
I had to keep them pretty close to the tractor.

35835.jpg


I added power steering to my Jubilee with a loader.
Move a couple of round bales with it, but gave up on that
idea pretty quickly. My 13.6 x 28 tires are loaded and I have
~750lbs of cement hanging on the 3pt hitch for counter weight.

35834.jpg
 

Don't try it!

When I worked on the ranch in high school, we had an old three cylinder diesel case with a cab, not sure of the model, but way heavier than an N and more power. It just barely moved round bales and would pull the front end off the ground if you let off the clutch too fast , even with loaded front tires and weights.

That tractor had more power and mass than any N and was still scary to move them on.

I love my N but you need another tractor for this task.


Maybe try getting a bale buggy.

Heck, my dad even adapted a 3 point hay spear to mount the bed of his truck when I was a kid and mounted a winch in the bed.

If you found another option for moving bales, an N might suit your needs for the other tasks.
 
(quoted from post at 08:59:37 05/10/16) Please keep looking for another tractor. They are way too light to move big round bales. [color=red:2d098f5d72] [b:2d098f5d72]Find something with live PTO for brush hogging, that way you wont get killed[/b:2d098f5d72][/color:2d098f5d72].

I've been brush hogging my 5 acres for around ten years with my 8N and I seem to still be alive. I guess my number is coming up right quick, huh?

What a ridiculous thing to say.
 
(quoted from post at 18:15:23 05/11/16)
(quoted from post at 08:59:37 05/10/16) Please keep looking for another tractor. They are way too light to move big round bales. [color=red:bd02e0a4ab] [b:bd02e0a4ab]Find something with live PTO for brush hogging, that way you wont get killed[/b:bd02e0a4ab][/color:bd02e0a4ab].

I've been brush hogging my 5 acres for around ten years with my 8N and I seem to still be alive. I guess my number is coming up right quick, huh?

What a ridiculous thing to say.

I have also used my 8N for brush hogging. It's not unsafe with the proper ewuipment. You must make sure you have an overrun coupler on the PTO.

I have live hydraulics which also helps. I've brush hogged without it and it is terrible. I wouldn't want a tractor without it.

I would also prefer to have a cage to protect my back and legs. I've been hit in the calf several times. Once I have time, I will be building some protection.
 
(quoted from post at 21:15:23 05/11/16)
(quoted from post at 08:59:37 05/10/16) Please keep looking for another tractor. They are way too light to move big round bales. [color=red:653a05b74a] [b:653a05b74a]Find something with live PTO for brush hogging, that way you wont get killed[/b:653a05b74a][/color:653a05b74a].

I've been brush hogging my 5 acres for around ten years with my 8N and I seem to still be alive. I guess my number is coming up right quick, huh?

What a ridiculous thing to say.
Rules out many Farmall, Case, Allis Chalmers and John Deere tractors too.
Especially in that vintage.
I guess he'll just have to give up tractors or give up his man card.
Maybe he already has. ;)
 
(quoted from post at 03:01:28 05/12/16)
(quoted from post at 21:15:23 05/11/16)
(quoted from post at 08:59:37 05/10/16) Please keep looking for another tractor. They are way too light to move big round bales. [color=red:8f79d533e7] [b:8f79d533e7]Find something with live PTO for brush hogging, that way you wont get killed[/b:8f79d533e7][/color:8f79d533e7].

I've been brush hogging my 5 acres for around ten years with my 8N and I seem to still be alive. I guess my number is coming up right quick, huh?

What a ridiculous thing to say.
Rules out many Farmall, Case, Allis Chalmers and John Deere tractors too.
Especially in that vintage.
I guess he'll just have to give up tractors or give up his man card.
Maybe he already has. ;)
hd6gtom! just look at his posting history! this joker wants to scrap all N tractors & takes every opportuinty to needle you folks. Just a child looking for attention. Probably doesn't even own a tractor ...unless it is a one lung air cooled "lawn tractor".
:lol:
 
janison I seldom go back to topics and reread them but you are totally WRONG, I grew up on a farm and ran these for a neighbor that could not do farm work any more. I have 3 tractors that I use daily, had several cats for dirt work and still farm. What do you do, spend time mowing 3 or 4 acres??? When I am not recovering and scrapping these things I work full time, farm half of the night if I need to, take care of 40+ hives of bees and many other things. What do you do sit here and read these posts????????????
 
I run about 50 acres, and am starting to do about 1/3 of it small crop fields and other "farm" related stuff. Whenever I can I will always use an N. Other options here, a 2013 4x4 Kioti with a bucket, MF 65 with a bucket, And a couple larger farm tractors with duals and cabs I can use on the neighboring farm. I without a doubt prefer the N any day. For many years we brush hogged with a '39 9n and no PTO clutch. Not saying it was smart, but we are all still alive here.
 
The front axle is weak, but it lasts years getting beat up, not just a week.

Hundred series have that same axle..
 
One was the size of bale you see in the picture there made
visibility at a reasonable height very tough.

Another is a maintenance issue, I know this, but I also have
a weak check valve in my spool valve, so if I try to lift slowly
the loader will actually move down. That makes it so I have to
open the handle enough to move the loader up fairly quickly.
With that much weight, it causes a pretty good bounce on the
front end which I figured would cause even more front end stress.

I have since modified the power steering to run off the loader
pump instead of a belt driven pump. That cut the hydraulic flow
to the loader down enough that it doesn't lift as fast and is not
such a big issue, so I still haven't replaced that spool valve! :oops:
 

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