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Case Tractors Discussion Forum
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Case Crabsteer For Row Crops

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Minn-Iowa boy

04-17-2007 11:54:29




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Hi,

In 2009 I will be able to rent 300 acres of ground for corn and bean production in Iowa. I am now starting to look at what the best line of equipment will be. I have myself budgeted to an $8000 tractor which will be the only tractor I will have for the first few year. I don't have alot of freinds and family close and work a full time job. So I need a tractor that can go good speeds and have a low probablity of getting stuck as I don't have alot of options for pulling me out. I would have a grain truck but would have a smaller grain cart that I would use with the tractor. I would also use this tractor for disk chiseling, field cultivating, planting, anhydrous application, and possibly corn and bean cultivation if needed, I would take the duals off for planting,anhydros,corn and bean cultivation. Right now I am leaning towards Case 2470,2670,4490,4690 as being a good fit for this operation. The price is right($5000-8000),seem to be a very well built tractor, and would get the job done quickly even in damp conditions without getting stuck, this is bases mostly on old posts I have seen from you fine gentlemen. One of my concerns is the steering, how clumsy is it, would it be precise enough to drive between the rows with out running your crops over. I would run crabsteer for the disk chiseling and field cultivation and am hoping that front steer alone would be precise enough for planting and other row crop operations. Also do you have to be careful turning around in crabsteer mode, is it possible to damge your impement if turning to sharp? Thanks for your help.

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my 2 cents

04-18-2007 18:23:34




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to Minn-Iowa boy, 04-17-2007 11:54:29  
You can't afford a line of equipment to hobby farm 300 acres. Better off to hire a neighbor and trade him work for the use of his machinery.



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Minn-Iowa Boy

04-19-2007 06:21:42




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to my 2 cents, 04-18-2007 18:23:34  
I would have to disagree on that when I pencil it out. I could buy a complete line of equipment in my area (1 tractor,combine with heads,small grain cart,grain truck,chisel,cultivator,planter,disk) all for $25,000-30000 if shopping around and hitting auctions. Now of course this would not be new equipment or have all the bells and whistles but thats OK I don't need that. I can afford that line of equipment and have $4000 yearly budgeted for repairs and mantaince. If I hired the job done custom it would run me roughly $16,000 yearly so it wouldn't take long for the equipment to pay for itself. I understand what you are saying about trading my time for labor but remember I also work full time and with 300 acres and an older line of equipment I would not have the abilty to work enough for a niegbor to justifiy him letting me use his equipment. I was considering maybe working some days for a nieghbor in liu of use of thier back up grain truck there are several around me who have a grain truck or two they seldom use and is more or less a back up, that would lower my overhead for the first few years. Thanks for your input if you see I am flawed in my way of thinking plaese let me know as I appercaite any feedback you fine gentlemen can give me.

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my 2 cents

04-19-2007 07:58:09




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to Minn-Iowa Boy, 04-19-2007 06:21:42  
If you insist on having your own equipment, then here's my honest opinion. If you want a tractor to do all the things your talking about, then buy an IH 2+2. I'm a Case man, but I've also put many hours on a 2+2. A 3588 can be had for 8,000 or less. We pulled a 28 foot disk, 32 foot field cultivator, a twelve row planter, 32 foot of press drills, rotary hoed and row cultivated endless acres of corn, beans and sunflowers with the 3 point equipment. It has the four wheel drive traction you need for heavy tillage along with the row crop capability for row crops. And most important, it will walk on water. The tractor can pull, yet it's nimble for row crops and has a light foot print. Our MFD Case tractors working in the same field during a wet spring would bury themselves if they spin out because of their weight. Unhook the disk and the tractor sits and spins in the mud. The 2+2, after unhooking, will crawl out of any hole you get into and with a log chain you can back right into the same area and retrieve your implement. Thats the positive side. On the negative side, it stinks for a grain cart tractor. The drawbar isn't stout enough for the verticle weight. Slide the drawbar in to the other position [make it shorter] to give it more support. We had 800 bu carts. A 400 or 600 bu might be ok. And its hard to haul azz with a full cart because you cannot shift on the go. If you want to use a higher gear after unloading on the go, you have to come to a complete stop to shift gears and lug the snot out of it when you take off in a higher gear. On the neutral side of things, the mechanical upkeep cost will be the same as a Case 4WD, meaning that when its working its great, when its not working, get out your checkbook. These old 4WDs have a way of making you pay for your tractor twice. 1st through the salesman and 2nd through the shop. If you settle for a 2WD, then get the newest tractor you can for your money. A 1370 is a good tractor like they said, but theres a 2594 on ebay yesterday for $5300 so far. It sounds like you have plenty of time to shop for a tractor, so scour the auctions online and read the ag paper classifisds. You'd be surprised how cheap some of this horsepower can be if your patient enough to find the right deal and willing to travel a bit to go get it. Good Luck!

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Minn-Iowa boy

04-19-2007 08:11:13




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to my 2 cents, 04-19-2007 07:58:09  
Thanks for the great info. 2 cents. I had thought that the 2+2 would be a good fit for what I want but when I talked to a few local farmers about them I had hear they were cheap horsepower but a mechanical nightmare, I hadn't considered them to much after that but I may have to re-think. Will the wheel base on them get down to what I need for 30" rows or am I limited on that?



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my 2 cents

04-19-2007 10:17:51




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to Minn-Iowa boy, 04-19-2007 08:11:13  
Not a problem for 30 inch rows.
If you find a good one it can be a wonderful tractor. Good ones are hard to find after 25 plus years. Ours was definitely a love/hate relationship leaning on the hate side. Not because of what the tractor could do, but because it would nickel and dime you to death. Also being a Case man, the cab had no leg room, the blower was too loud and the doors were on backwards and would tire a guy out fighting them on a windy day if you got in and out of the cab very often. I'd often thought the basic idea of the tractor was good, just that IH didn't know how to design long term strength and reliability into it like Case always did with their tractors. Don't buy off the dealer lot from a 2nd or 3rd owner. Find one from an original owner whos retiring who can tell you the history on it. If so I wouldn't be afraid of it, yet myself I'd spend a little more for a good solid MFD tractor. A 3394/3594 would do everything you want and last for years to come. Your asking a lot to find big horsepower, 4WD, row crop capable and at the price you've stated. The options get narrowed down pretty quick for a tractor to fit that bill.

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Minn-Iowa boy

04-19-2007 11:12:05




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to my 2 cents, 04-19-2007 10:17:51  
Thanks for the advise 2 cents, and I know I am asking alot for my budget, maybe even to much. I have enough time to make an informed decsion with the help of you fine gentlemen I can hopefully do this without alot of I should have done this or I wish I done that after the decsion has been made. Thanks again for all you adivise.



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bradley martin

04-18-2007 07:14:28




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to Minn-Iowa boy, 04-17-2007 11:54:29  
If everyone else in the neighborhood is 30", then you want to be 30"as well. As you indicated, you never know when you will need help. The other drawback to the crb steers is that inorder to do any major repairs to the clutch &/or transmisdsion, the engine must be removed. Consequently the labor bill goes through the roof. Splitting a tractor is bad enough, but pulling the engine really runs the clock.

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bradley martin

04-17-2007 15:51:16




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to Minn-Iowa boy, 04-17-2007 11:54:29  
The other thing to keep in mind, these tractors can not narrow down to a 60"wheel track, so unless you intend to grow wide row (36"or wider ) they would be totally unsuitable for planting and cultivating.I think you would find them very limiting if that is going to be your only tractor.



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Minn-Iowa boy

04-18-2007 05:55:28




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to bradley martin, 04-17-2007 15:51:16  
Thank you this is exactly the kind of feedback I needed. I was planning on 30" rows and did not know it could not get down to the spacing required for that, I have looked at the 1370's and think they are another excellent option, I was just looking for the best overall tractor and thought the crabsteer's might be the best fit. I am still on the fence between 30" and 36" rows. The line of equipment I will be buying will not be new stuff and I am sure will have its problems. I wanted to go 30" because that has became the standard and if I ever did need custom work done (combining, planting) I would have no difficultly finding someone with 30" stuff to do where as 36" equipment can be more difficult. Yield wise around here there is really no difference between 30 and 36" rows. Any more feedback you guys can give me would be apperciated.

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Nedd

04-17-2007 14:24:27




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to Minn-Iowa boy, 04-17-2007 11:54:29  
Is there any reason it has to be four wheel drive? You could by two nice 1370's for $8000-$1000 and leave one with narrow tires for row crop and one with duals for tillage and grain cart operations. Just a suggestion. Many nice 1370's in Iowa only run $3500-$4500.



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dboll

04-17-2007 12:28:36




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 Re: Case Crabsteer For Row Crops in reply to Minn-Iowa boy, 04-17-2007 11:54:29  
I ran a 4490 on a 20' mounted press drill, worked good, used front steer across field and 4 wheel steer on the ends. A good 2470 or 4490 would be ok but avoid a fixer upper, can be real money pits!



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