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ain't it amazing....

R

rrlund

Well-known Member
Ain't it amazing how the perspective of how big of a tractor we need has changed over the years? I think about it alot,but the post below about the Oliver 880 on a 20 acre farm brought it back to mind again. Back when I was growing up,pretty much all the farms around here were 80 acres. 2 plow tractors were the rule. Dad had an Oliver 66. The whole neighborhood was peppered with those,with Farmall Hs,8N Fords,JD Bs,AC WC and WDs,Case SCs,etc. You didn't see 3 plow tractors on anything less than a 120 or 160 acre farm,but there weren't that many of those. When my uncle went to about 800 acres,he went from an Oliver 88 to a brand new 4010 Deere and a 4x16 semi mount plow. Unprecidented around here.

Now anybody with 40 acres think they HAVE to have a 5 plow tractor. I'll be the first to admit that my 135 horse tractor is more than I need for 240 owned acres (about 300 with rental land) but it sure is nice to have the extra power for silo filling. I was actually working more acres in the 80s with a 90 horse tractor.

All a matter of perception I guess.
 
maybe its their prespective on working, lol i remember my grand dad on his 160 acres plowing with a farmall m, and we thought that m was huge, back in the day , seemed like he was out there for weeks doing that then back out again with the disc and do it again, then planting, then cultivating, seemed the only time we saw him unless we were helping him was at night and sundays, nobody wants to work like that now
 
Just doesn't seem to be as many hours in the day or days in the week as there use to be,does it? There's a retired guy here in town,moved here from Nebraska after he retired to be nearer to his daughter and son in law. He says he used to farm an entire section with an AC WD45. Shoot,most folks want more tractor than that anymore just to plow their garden.
 
My dad and grandad raised strawberries on 5 acres, and the only tractor they had was a 2 wheel walk behind, from Monkey Wards. Neighbor came over to plow with a 8n and they thought that was just awesome. One of my neighbor's had a JD 100HP, cab with all the fixin's, and he didn't farm anything. He mowed about 10 acres with it. House is about 12K sq ft. His real estate development biz went bust. All the toys went away.
 
In 1948, folks bought another 160, so had 360. WC and Model C. Traded the C for another WC and mounted picker in "51, sold the second quarter in "54. Bought another 320 (170 tillable, balance pasture) in "61, along with the first farm now being 240. Had a WD45, WC, and another C for those 560 acres. Big day was when we got a WD with a loader, about "62- no more pitching everything by hand.
 
Dad farmed 160 acres with horses when I was a kid. He got a John Deere B when I left the farm for the Navy. Now I have five acres and three tractors. 5740 Kubota (50 hp), MM 335 (? hp) and a MM BF (20 hp). Of course I do not farm.
John
 
Biggest thing we had was a two plow tractor on 115 acres, but we had two of them. A Massie "30" and a WC. Guess we were pretty well off. Didn't mind the long hours in the field either till we discovered GIRLS.
 
When I was little in late 50s my grandpa and brothers farmed 700 acs with 3 vac cases and 2 8n fords. The three of them worked at same time got lots done for those days. Now we have a 16 row split row planter with 31 units. Use a 275 hp tractor to pull it. I know a 4020 would hardly move it around the yard. Grain cart empty weighs more than all those old tractors together. Gotta have big tractors to pull the equipment now days
 
When Dad took over the farm in about 1936-7 he had two teams of horses to work 180a. It was 4-5 years later when he bought a tractor. A used F12.

WhenI took over in 1983 I had 1 70 horse,2 40 and 2 30 horse and 4 row equipment. Same amout of acres.

steveormary
 
You should be around here. You ain't &^% unless you've got a couple of 450+ HP 4X4's and a Challenger or two.
 
I see that when someone will come on the board ans ask what is the best tractor to buy for his newly acquired 10 acres. Frequently you will see folks reccomend a Massy 165, Ford 4000, JD 3010 or some such. I wonder if they are recommending tractors that are appropriate to the tasks ahead or just recommending tractors that they know and like.
 
Here's what I've always heard, "You can do small chores with a big tractor, but you can't do big chores with a small tractor".
 
My great grandfather always had a good outlook on things. He said farming with the horses was alot of hard work but they didnt know any different. He always said he was lucky because when he was old enough to help with the farming alot of the implements had seats on them but his dad had to walk in this horrible sticky dirt behind the horses and that made riding a sulky plow or a cultivator seem like a joy.
They farmed as much with horses as some guys around here do with 12 row planters today, and they ran a herd of brown swiss dairy cows.
Its all perspective.
bill
 
We've got probably more tractor than we need. Mainly use a D19 and a D17. We operate a large market garden. We don't plow, just disc, till and every few years subsoil the beds. In summer we make hay for our grazing animals, but we make small squares. The D19 I use because it has a loader and in the hay can really work. The D17 is more than adequate for the hay, but if I haul it to where we're making hay, it won't be available here. The D17 is the one we use the most for the market gardening as it is smaller.

We could easily get by on one MUCH smaller tractor than either of these. The thing is that these machines have proven themselves over the last half century and are still in good condition and ready to work. They've got a lot of useful features (they aren't antiques) and are heavy enough and powerful enough to do anything we ask and more so. PLUS, they are very cheap to buy compared with newer, smaller machines. I would have to say that that last argument is the one that carries the most weight with us.

Now, we (or should I say "I") have a few other tractors that I'm working on, but that has nothing whatsoever to do with commercial farming. Mostly they are an opportunity to work on engines and machines and have something to do in the wintertime.

Christopher
 
Around here a lot of it is plain ego. One fellow farms with a 450hp articulate (new), 200hp mfwd (2 years old), 165hp mfwd (2 years old), and 2 other very late model tractors on less than 1000 acres. He is the only one to operate these tractors during the season. These are all owned (no leased equipment). His old stuff would make a young starting out farmer envious. He's at retirement age and his kids have zero interest in taking over. Another guy runs 2 new combines on less than 1000 acres and has 5 150hp plus tractor none of which are over 5 years old. There's probably a half a dozen guys around me that have equipment that are pretty much toys for them. And the worst part is that they look at a guy like me (just trying to make a living) as being in their way.
I'd welcome a guy to be my neighbor that was only worried about an 880 on 20 acres.
 
I have 5 newer tractors I use for putting up hay. I don't like changing implements and I can afford them all.
I remember 4 am until dark on a JD"B" and I don't want to do that again. Thats my take.
 
The farm that I am on is 240. Remember back in the 50's old guy farmed it with a 8n and a team of horses..He drank alot. Maybe that was the reason..now I cant get it do with a 4010 and 4 row equipment..must be me. Might have to start drinking and have some fun.
 
"Being in their way"???? Isn't it your land? What right do they have to covet it? Or am I missing something here?

Christopher
 
The neighbors farm I grew up working on had MF 165 and 1100, the era before that they used an Oliver 88 and Cletrac AG.

I remember them telling me, at one time the 88 was the biggest tractor in the area.

The guy that rents their ground now blows through the whole 200 acres in a day or two either in planting or harvest.
 
You make a tractor related comment and it's not very accurate either. As other posts have mentioned, years ago all the farming was done with smaller tractors. The only advantage to bigger tractors is that you can get more done in less time. Some implements need a larger tractor to run them but for a chore tractor, a smaller tractor can do things that wouldn't be possible with a larger tractor. Working in tight spaces is one example.
As far as recommending a tractor, For a smaller acreage like 10 or 20 acres a 35 to 60 HP is generally considered an ideal size depending on what you actually use it for. I would always recommend an MF 135 because I have one and know what it's capable of and can vouch for it's reliability and dependability. For 10 acres and under a 135 would still be a good tractor but if all you need a tractor for is some light mowing or clearing snow, a tractor like an 8N would work fine. An 8N doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a newer tractor but for the money, they'll do circles around a garden tractor. We used to have an 8N and it was a very good tractor but didn't have quite enough power to run a flail mower in heavy grass. That's why the 135 replaced it. Our 8N pulled a 6 1/2 cultivator or disc just fine and went through snow better than the 135. Dave
 
Back then you could earn a decent living on 80 acres and you were doing it full time. Today, many work off of the farm for their "day" job and only have weekends and vacation to do the work. This is why I have a 4630 JD, I simply cannot get it done with the weather and all without a larger tractor and a dry weekend.
 
one thing no one has yet mentioned is the yeald increase over the years. 50 bu per acre corn once made news. A cow giving over 50 lbs. of milk per day was the most talked about at the county fair, and two crops of hay was the norm, now it's 5. more yeald per aces needs more hp to get the job done on time.
 
Yes, it is my land and yes, they do covet it. I know this because of direct comments made to me by them. As far as they are concerned it should be a rich boy-only club in the neighborhood. Obviously, I can not spend a lot of time worrying about it and just try to do the best I can.
 
Can you put a CAT II 7-1/2 ft double auger snow blower on one of those little tractors?
Can you connect a loader large enough to carry a ton ease and safety on rough or muddy ground with one of those little tractors?
Is it possible to pull two furrows on the blue clay hills here with one of those little tractors?
Can you run a 30KW+ pto generator with one of those little tractors?
Can you haul a wagon load of bales or a gravity bin of grain weighing 6-12 ton up or down one of the hills here with one of those little tractors?
Can you run an air-seeder, backhoe,log splitter or loader hydraulics with a live high volume/high pressure hydraulic system. From one of those little tractors?
Is there live pto or live hydraulics on those little tractors?
Is there decent lights and a cab on those little tractors?
Those little tractors were made and sold as a replacement for loads normally pulled by a team of horses. Those team sized loads no longer exist.
 
Growin up we had 200,160 open on our dairy farm,ran 30,later 45 head of cows and the young stock.First tractor I remember was a Fergie 20,later supplemented with a used 9N.Fergie had 2-14 plow,3pt 6' disk,manure loader which it shared w/9N.Still threshed a few yrs with neighborhood shared combine and thresher.Fergie got tired and was traded on a used 8N.First new implenet I recall was a JD 14T baler(replacing Wisconsin powered NH?The 9N got swapped for a used 860 Ford and 3-14 plow and we began renting 80 acres from elderly retired neighbor.Grew all our own hay,corn,oats for feed,but hired local custom harvestor for haylidge,silage,combining.He had"huge"tractors,for the time,IH 760 choppin,IH 460 on the silage blower and a 16' combine(WOW).Remember well trying to make the hill on gravel with 8-10 ton of silage behind the N,scratchin and snortin in low.As time passed the 8N became a Jubilee w/indy loader,and implements grew.About 69 Pop swapped the loader,weights etc from the Jube to the 860 and bought his 1st new tractor,a Ford 5000 diesel with 4-14 plow and that was it til he retired in late 80s.That 5000 was the"big dog" in the neighborhood for several yrs and we were about the only Ford Farmers in the area,cept for a couple N's held as spares.Pop did the routine maintenance and except for an issue with the Sherman hi=low on the Jube and an injector pump failure on the 5000,don't ever recall a tractor"leaving home" for repairs.
 
You forgot one. Maybe the most important one.
Do you have $250,000 or more to purchase all this "big" equipment? If not are you willing to take the risk of loosing everything because of a bad year(s), economy or unforseeable circumstance with huge monthly payments? The new tractors have some better features but a lot of them are just convenience features. People nowadays have gotten a lot lazier than people from 35 or 40 years ago. The little tractors still out sell the big ones by a big margin. Dave
 
Of coures you need that big of a tractor today. And no the "team sized loads no longer exist" How many small farms are left anymore? Ever read Hoards Dairyman? The amount of land dairies are farming today is unbelivable 1500 to 2000 acres, and the amount of cows on some the big farms, up 15,000 cows. Like they say "get big or get out" Personally Id rather see many small farms and less factory farms. But, sadly thats a bygone era.
 
Accuracy is a matter of interpretation. If somebody asked me whether they should get a small tractor (30hp) or a big tractor (60hp) I would always say to get the big tractor. Now if you're trying to read into that saying to get a big 175hp 8-wheel tractor, that's kinda ignorant.
I've never thought I'm glad I got this small tractor(32hp) because it would fit in small spaces. My tractor has done more than I thought it could.
"You make a tractor related comment" if you're feeding off of IRs comments then you don't know any more than he does.
 
Yes, they do exist in the Amish world, Im sorry. There are a few Amish around here,And they do comb there hair from the side and swirl it around.
 
Got overkill on the tractors myself. Two mfwd"s with cabs on on small acres. One a 50 hp compact and the other a 100 hp, both with loaders. The big one is high hours.

I would have only one but the little one can"t run a discbine and I"d lose a lot of money selling it.

With a full time job this stuff has to squeeze into my spare time. I don"t have all day with a half dozen brothers. The "real" farmers probably laughing at me out mowing with the lights on.

I have to work my spare time in the winter too plowing snow to make my equipment pay for itself. A bit depressing look at the books actually. Time you add up equipment, building and land I"ve got the price of a fancy house into a small time outfit. Oh well, a fancy house doesn"t make its mortgage payments though.
 
My two-bits as a young guy trying to get started. A few years ago I bought a junker JD A for next to nothing. about 30 hp with a loader, no live PTO, only live hydraulics because of a messed up homerigged system off the flywheel. Got a farmall A for $100 and 2 cord of firewood, same situation. Now a few years later I got an IH806 for a few thousand. Why would I want a 60 year old low tech tractor worth about 2,000 when for about 4,000 I can have a 30 year old way more HP than I'll use with live PTO and 2 live remotes. (I'll keep the 2 A's because their loads of fun and aren't costing me anything accept the loss in opportunity to sell them)
The reason to buy the vintage stuff is because you love it, not because it is necessarily the best finacial decision.
 
My father is like that he farmed 80 acres of potatoes and 20 mixed acres of wheat,cabbage and cauliflower with a J.D 2630 and a oliver 77 in the early 90's he got a free ford 5000 out of a hedgerow he fixed up, and he was awlays perfectly happy. But their aint many guys left around here like my father, STILL FARMING
 
When Pa reached 70 yrs he rented half the farm out. My uncle laughed and said you sure got a lot of big equip for only running 120 acres now. Pa said what's the difference it's paid for.
 
I was thinking about hauling your firewood out.
Would a team be able to pull more than an Allis B?
Somebody tell me because I don't know.
I hauled a lot of firewood as a kid with a B.
And I suppose the folks here who still burn wood don't usually use a 70 horse tractor to fetch their firewood. They'd use some little old tractor for that.
And I'm sorry to say most of my hair has already fallen out. wink
 
I agree with you, and who needs 150 hp to run a 3pt wood splitter? or a back hoe? My father has a Ford 1510 compact with a back hoe and it works fine for that size tractor, around 25 hp. No he cant dig like a Cat 320 excavator, or a 555 Ford hoe can. You have suit the job to your tractor size.
 
I skimmed down through quickly, and saw references to tractors ages- what about the people running them? It wasn't that many years ago my large extended family worked fewer acres than I do alone. It was more enjoyable when there were 3 or 4 of us running "little" tractors together. I'm on the far side of 50, and I'm glad I can finally afford a little luxury in machinery size and condition. I'm alone and probably the last one, unless a 2 year old grandson shows interest, (if I can keep the body going that long)!
 
In the 1950's Dad farmed from 160-200 acres (half tillable) with an 8N Ford.

Heres what other neighbors had back in the 1950's.Lots only had one tractor and about half their farm was tillable.

160 acres with a Styled WC Allis
80 acres with a D Case
240 acres with a DC Case
280 acres with a A JD
240 acres with a A JD and F-20 Farmall
160 acres with a 30 Massey
160 acres with a WD Allis and F-20 Farmall
80 acres with a WD Allis
80 acres with a F-20 Farmall
160 acres with a A JD
160 acres with an M and H Farmalls
80 acres with a H Farmall
640 acres plus with a 630 JD,M Farmall,Z MM
160 acres with a styled WC Allis and a F-12 Farmall
160 acres with a DC Case
80 acres with a unstyled B JD
240 acres with a 800 Ford and 8N Ford
40 acres with a F-12 Farmall
120 acres with a VAC Case
640 acres with a 60 JD,A JD,8N Ford
80 acres with a Ford Jubilee
120 acres with a 44 Massey and a B Allis
160 acres with a 88 Oliver
160 acres with a M farmall
320 acres with a 88 Oliver,VAC Case,and 40 JD
160 acres with a WD Allis

They always got it done but it took lots of hours.At haying time lots of the neighbors worked together with 2 tractors mowing,1 raking,1 baling,and 2 hauling bales.The combining was all done mostly with AC 60-66's and Massey Clippers

Probably only 4-5 families are now farming all these same acres today.
 
My Great Uncle's daughter told me how she would help before and after school and after supper, taking turns to run the B John Deere and two bottom plow on 240 acres of fall plowing.

They plowed round and round the whole thing.
While she plowed, he ate his meals and did the chores etc. It was an all day, every day job until it was done.

Anybody want to guess how long it would take to do this? I'm guessing 2 1/2 to 3 mph with 2-14" bottoms. The first round around the whole thing is 2 1/2 miles distance and would take an hour.

12 to 16 hour days less time for fueling, greasing, repairing etc. I suppose weather delays and Sundays should be considered.

Nowdays my neighbors plant 240 acres a day easily with daylight to spare.
 
It happened in later years, also. In about 1972 we farmed 240 with a 1600 Ollie and a Case 830. I started working for the neighbor that year at 14 yrs old, he put me on the 806 with DUALS and a CAB!! Thought I was in heaven. He farmed 720 with the 806, 2 Deere 4020s, and a 6600 combine, 4 row equipment, also had a dairy herd. When I left 6 years later, he farmed the same with a 4630, 4430, 4320, and 2 6600 combines, and 8 row equipment. I guess farming was good, so money was spent.
 
i have 3/4 of an acre thats mine i have a jd b a jd a a jd 70w45w loadre and a dc case i hay some neighboring ground for my wifes 2 horses lol
 
Seems to me the weather does not give us as big of a "window" to plant and harves as it use to.
You need to get the job done quick or you may not get the crop planted.

But for me personally, the less I farm the more money I make. We have been letting someone else do our row cropping since 1996. And I dont miss the cows too much, and sure as heck was glad when the hogs were gone!

Gene
 
I know that for my dad and myself, we need bigger equipment so we can still get the farmwork done on weekends, as I work a fulltime job off the farm and now I have a house to take care of as well. Back when I had summer vacation, you could find me on a tractor almost everyday. When I wasn't in the field I was learning the art of fixing old rusted out hunks of iron.

Came in quite handy, as now I've rebuilt my first tractor and fix even larger rusted out hunks of iron. Just aren't as many days a farmer can farm anymore. Used to take my dad a month some years to chop our 25-35 acres of corn. Now if we get our ducks in a row we can have it done in 2 days. 3 if we have a minor breakdown.

Dad came onto our farm when he met my mom. At the time Grandpa had the 1600 (the big tractor) and then a 77 or super 77, and a farmall. I think it was a Super C. Also had a Ford 600 I think for a loader tractor.

Dad traded the 77 and Farmall for our 285. He rented one when the powersteering went out on the 1600, and he needed to get the hay off. Liked it so much he bought one. I think it had around 250 hours on it when he got it. Lots of neighbors had 285's. Was our big tractor untill we got our 1755, but even then it still did all the spring fieldwork with the 285. Only used the 1755 for plowing. Now we got the 1855, and got some bigger implements to pull behind it. Works great on the chopper too.

He also traded the old Ford on our 165 w/ loader about 20 years ago now. It's a great tractor, but it's about time to replace that one I think. It's seen better days. Maybe I'll get a loader to put on the 1600.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
An old friend who died a couple years ago used to farm his place with a WD 45 and an H International. I was touring his 50 X 100 machine shed not long before he died, and he had a 4020, a 3020, a low profile JD about 70 HP, an International 1086?, a JD B, the old H, and the old WD 45, all in spotless condition. I asked him what happened to make him need that much machinery to do what he used to do with so little. He said as he got older, he got tired of changing equipment, and got setup so each tractor stayed hooked to the same piece of equipment, year round.

A good friend, and I miss him.

Paul
 
An old local story - Abe's neighbors were comparing notes - they all noted that he was always in the field with his team when they got there. One of the neighbors decided he was going to be the first man out. The moon was full, and as he was pulling into the field, hours before daylight, he could hear old Abe across the fence, singing to his team.

That's how they got so much work done with so little - they started well before daylight and quit well after dark, rotating teams as the day wore on.
 
I can relate to that.

Dad farmed with a Oliver 88.

I got a Ford 7700, TW-20, and only added 30 acres tillable.

But then: In dad's day, you didn't dare plant corn be4 May 9th or it froze out. Now they tell me you lose yield for any day after May 5th you plant corn. Seed corn genetics & treatment allows it to survive cold & wet.

Beans dad didn't get in the ground much before June. Now they like to be planting those May 10th.... Turns out they survive cold temps in spring better than corn nowadays....

Dad planted a lot of wheat & oats to spread out the work load. Hard to make much money on those crops 'here' any more with the advances corn has made.

Then dad harvested about 9000 bu of crop off the whole farm in a good year. I hauled a bit over 25000 bu off. To do that takes a lot more attention to getting things done on time, plus getting more done in fall harvest.

Really, I'm wishing for a 160-80 hp tractor to get things done right around here, the TW20 is a tad light to get things done.

--->Paul
 
I remember working for a neighbor during the summer when I was in high school. We farmed 400 acres with a WD Allis and a C Allis.

The year after I got out of high school, I farmed a quarter section with a VAC Case. Only tractor on the place. Thirty years later, I farmed the same quarter with an 856 Farmall, D19 Allis and H Farmall.
 
Comparing a 30 hp tractor to a 60 hp isn't exactly what I would call the difference between a small and big tractor. With most manufacturers it would only be 2 sizes bigger at the most. You even associate the word big with 175 hp. How can big mean both a 60 hp and 175 hp tractor? That would be much closer to the definition between small and big tractors! I was reading just what you wrote. I would associate a small(AG) tractor in the 30 to 45 hp range(ie/MF 135) and a big tractor around the 100 hp(ie/MF 1100) and up range. A 60 hp would be a mid size. For a smaller acreage 60 hp might be overkill for the work needed. I agree that you appear to post a lot more to not only off topics, but contraversal ones at that, than you do to tractor related topics. If someone questions your post's it makes them "kinda ignorant"? Myself and other's are only reading what you wrote. Maybe your envious of people with a big...tractor? Dave
 
Been around here a long time and asked and answered probably in ever type of situation. And I've gravitated to most any OT because they're more interesting than; are my tractor tires round, what color is your tractor, what's the little lever under the seat...
And if you watch I've never started any political OT, I only answer to some asinine comment with what I believe to be the truth, and there are a lot on here that think not ever thing has been rosey and if this Adminstration doesn't fix some of it we're in for a worse time.

You're reading a lot more into that saying than there is and the posts of this threads follow along the lines of the jest of that saying, and anybody would be "kinda ignorant", if they thought it was comparing a 30hp to a 175hp.

"Myself and other's" Nobody else said anything about my post, just you. And the general consensus of the people who answered the thread would rather have a big tractor with a loader, not a MF135.
 
Let's see, a post about inflation, the economy, stupid and lazy people. And ignorance, little tractors out sell big because they are cheaper and there are more small tracts than large.
 
My BIL and his dad farmed 360 acres with a Farmall B and a 25 JD D for many years,long hours for my BIL,His dad had retired. He bought a WD and then a JD 4020 and then even bigger tractors,He started out with a Farmall 4 ft combine,ended up with the biggest combine that JD made,he had to get by with 5 hrs sleep back then,(never got over that,still dont get much sleep after being retired for 15 yrs.
PS he still had the JD D,his brother has the Farmall B
 
Yes, it truely is amazing how times and views change. Growing up, our biggest year was 350 acres of corn done with a 560D and a Super M. Along with Dad having a full time job as a rural mail carrier and myself going to tech school.
 
Several good points already made in previous posts. My Dad farmed 120 acres (110 tillable) with a Farmall H. But.....only about 30 acres of that was in corn each year, as we also had oats, hay, and pasture. Today, livestock is essentially gone from this area, so there's no pasture, and almost no fences. Dad did that when he was less than 40. Not many farmers in this area under 60 now.
Higher crop yields, a smaller window for planting and harvesting (that Farmall H was sometimes pulling a corn picker into late December or early January) put more pressure on the need for larger equipment. Dad did it with the H, but he would have LOVED to have had a Farmel M instead! Many of those 1940s-1960s farms were operated with "small" equipment because that's all the farmer could afford.
 
When I was a kid growing up I used to tell dad we needed something bigger and his answer was "those are for wheatland". In his later years he changed, with the same acres he went from two tractors, 2 bottom plowing to 4 bottoms (80 horse), then 5 bottoms (140 horse) and that was definitely a "wheatland" tractor by his old standard.
 
As I have said before if all I had to do was farm what I have (60 owned, 100 rented, cows, some hay, tobacco, corn, and beans) I could get by with a 45 horse tractor. With my night job I only get to farm half the time. With my work schedule the way it is it seems like it only rains on my days off. This year I had corn on my creek bottoms that are wet most years anyway on the 8th of June. I had fert down and disked when I got home that morning, got done at 10:45 that night just as it started raining again. If I was raise'n corn for food plots or just playing a 2 row corn planter and a 6' disk would be fine. On my days off I have to go, I have an 80 hp tractor, 12' disk and 6 row 7000. I am really in the market for a 100-120 hp tractor to cut down on tillage time and make life a little easier on my tractors I have now, just ain't got the funds and ain't take'n on more debt.

Dave
 
Fifty years ago the tractor size in the neighborhood I grew up in was about like everyone else's. One neighbor farmed 320 acres with a Deere 60 and a Minnie U. Then in 1959 he traded the U off for a 730. In 69 he traded the 730 for a HUGE 4020. We thought he was way too over-powered. Another neighbor farmed a 320 with a Farmall 450 Diesel, then HE traded it for a HUGE 4020. Dad farmed a 240 with a '51 Deere A as the main tractor and a 35 A for the light stuff. The 630 came in 1960, complete with a three point hitch. The two A's stayed and all three tractors are still on the same farm. For quite a few years I farmed 700 Acres with a 1086.


The neighbor with 320 acres had .17 HP per acre with the 730 and .30 HP per acre with the 4020. Dad had .15 HP per acre with the A on 240 acres and I had .19 HP per acre with the 1086 on 700 acres, so everything is relative. The 1086 was a heck of a lot more comfortable than the A.Jim
 
I'll second that. I've got a loader on a 1600 Oliver and one on a 1020 Deere. I have pens where I can't even turn the 1600 around. Even loading out of the bunker silo with it takes longer because it's more cumbersome.
 
At the peak, I had just over 200 acres. My biggest tractor was 60 hp. It would do anything I needed done. I had a couple 40 hp utility tractors also. A small farm has such limited profit potential, there was no practical reason to own bigger equipment. If I had money galore, which I didn't, I could have rationalized owning more HP. There were times, albiet just a few, where a bigger tractor would have been usefull. All in all, I was able to do 99% of what I needed done with 60 HP. (2wd to boot) Besides being able to buy a new 60HP tractor cheaper than a larger one back then, the implements I used were such that they were more affordable due to being relatively smaller than what would be common on say a 100HP rig.

Nowdays, it's not uncommon to see 100hp (and larger) tractors that are a few years old that can be bought CHEAPER than a good, late model 60HP model. If the bigger tractor is such that it will do the job of a smaller one, and the price is equal (or less) why not? Used implemets that are useable on 60HP while still useable on 100HP are all over the market.

If the prices on used tractors were a sliding scale with HP, then I'd be more inclined to stick with the "just big enough" theory. But when MORE HP is often less expensive, overkill is often better than "underkill".
 
Keep them hooked Up ,, I can relate to that , especially during hay season ,, I usually dedicate the 800 Case to the Haybine , The SC to Rake , DC to Square baler, 4020 JD to Round Baler , 1070 CASE for Heavy Tillage, chisel and Disc , Yanmar Will Load Bales and hop on Trailer at a moments notice to far flung Hay Fields ,, My darling versatile 430 Case runs the 4 row planter ,sprayer and PINCH HITS everywhere as needed , LUV !that HI gear to get somewhere fast and ready .... So True about all the time needed years ago to hook up and tune a piece to a tractor, I recall When DAD used a VAC and a 35 Ferguson, It was not until the 430 Case came to the farm , that we started to really Gear up and Farm ,,soon got a 800 , 300 , 530 CASE , and we farmed all the way to the OHIO River ....
 
I wish I had some small farmer neighbors. Most operators around here have 3 times as much equipment than they really need. When I am out in the field doing something, those guys make me feel like I an standing still!
Brian(MN)
 
I, as well as others were reading what you wrote! You said small tractor and big tractor and that's all. In your mind you may have been thinking only a couple size differences in tractors but I'm not a mind reader. You never mentioned HP or anything else for that matter, just small and big and then in your next post you also used big to describe a 175 HP tractor. You are the one who wrote "kinda ignorant" to compare a 30 HP tractor to a 175 HP tractor, yet you are the only one who compared a 30 HP and 175 HP tractor in the same sentence. Where is this general consensous that people would rather have a big tractor with a loader, not a MF135? (I was using an MF135 as an example of a smaller tractor for reference purposes but they are one of the most desired used tractors). The first thing people need to determine is the definition of big. You call a 60 HP tractor big as well as a 175 HP tractor, now that's a "big" difference!
As far as your only responding to some asinine comment with what you believe to be the truth, maybe others feel the same about your posts? That's why the admin. removes a lot of off topics. All they are, are someones opinions about something. Dave
 

My brother in law farms about 450 acres with a 200+ HP Case/IH 7140 Magnum. The differance is he works a full time job and when he gets in the field its time to haul arse and get it done. That and the 7140 is a nice tax deduction for the depreciation.

If he had all day and a week to work his ground worked he might have kept his 706 - but when they are talking rain and he's got one or two evenings to cover ground he wants to do it 12-14 acres an hour and not be on the turnrow trying to figure out why it won't run this time.....
 
Dejavu fellas, I just posted a similar thing on the combine forum a while back. I feel like my dad when he would make a statement and would get a Yah right from us. Wake up people! Try buying a new 30 or 40 hp tractor now for under 30grand with cab w/ loader etc. OK let's buy a big used 100+hp tractor to do light work or what it was designed for now all of a sudden the transmission has a problem and now let's shell 5 or6 grand to fix that going a long great now and now we have antifreeze in the oil ouch! another 5 or 6 grand on and on thanks to most of the previous 70s owners who decided to do the same thing as you and buy the smaller tractor to do more work hanging weights and pulling the half the farm behind it knowing with 3 dollar corn they would just trade it off in acouple years. The small farmer is on the downhill slide and I don't like it! CT
 
in the 40's and early 50's Dad and Grandpa farmed around 400 acres with 2 Ford N's and 2 Farmall B's. Mid 50's traded a B for a 300 Utility International. Dad used to do custom baling with a 50T baler pulled with 8N Ford.
 
Who would come up with some silly number like 150HP for a logsplitter? We are talking 25-30HP tractors vs. 50-100HP tractors.
 
Going by your theory that bigger, what ever that means, is better. How come the big tractors don't out sell the smaller ones? That the work can be done with a lower cost outlay is one reason. What are the others? Now you're using the word ignorance in your post. Are the people buying the small tractors ignorant? Dave
 
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