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John (MO)
08-26-2005 08:56:18
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Re: Green Acres Help in reply to Steve Schemenauer, 08-25-2005 18:07:48
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Steve, I assume you have an understanding of the economics of farming 100 acres. So unlike many of the others I won't tell you can or can't make money. Besides, you didn't ask that, you ask what size tractor you needed, and about plowing and such. So here is my opinion on those issues. I don't think a 2 plow tractor is quite big enough. I`d suggest something more in the 3 plow range. Around 30 to 50 drawbar horse power. I like the older Allis Chalmers tractors and equipment myself, it's very well made and inexpensive. A lot of other tractors are very well made also, and you can go out and buy your self a brand new John Deere and have it custom painted with flames and sunflowers if you've got that kind of money. What ever brand and age tractor you get you are going to need several pieces of equipment to go with it. You ask about plowing, and yes somepeople still plow. A whole lot depends on they type soil you have and what has been done to it in the last few years. My opinion is, that a plow is just about the least expensive piece of equipment you can buy, so it's a good idea to have one. 3 bottom plows can often be found for $100 and so even if you use it very little, you won't have a lot tied up in it. You will need a disk for field work, something in the 8 to 12 foot range should be fine. You'll need a harrow or drag, and a planter or maybe a drill. Drills are usually a lot more expensive than planters. A small no till unit would be perfect, even if you do till, they still work. But, cost may be an issue on this piece of equipment. For hay, you are going to need to work the ground before planting it just like for the beans, same equipment. Then afterward you will need a mower, a rake and a baler. The baler may be your most expensive piece of equipment. Choose a baler based on your market for the hay. Do the area buyers want big bales or small, round or square? With a 30 to 50 hp tractor you won't be able to handle the biggest of big round balers, so be careful there. For a mower you will want a sickle bar mower or a disk mower, and not a rotary cutter or bush-brush hog type. You may however want one of those for the rest of your land. A 7` or 9` mower for the hay and maybe a 6` brush hog for pasture, road sides and brush. You will at some point want a front end loader. They are so handy to pick up a million different heavy things around a farm. You will also most likely want a rear blade for making ditches, grading your driveway, and or moving snow. You can spend well over $100,000 to get this stuff or you can be very careful and maybe get most of it for less than $20,000. It just depends on now new you want it to be, and or what you can afford to spend on it. Good luck!
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