Re: city boy looking for tractor advice

Posted by paul on September 13, 2004 at 19:42:13 from (66.60.197.209):

In Reply to: city boy looking for tractor advice posted by City Boy on September 13, 2004 at 12:10:21:

You would need 35 hp more is better less is possible but no fun, you will be _much_ happier with live pto, and you need some fairly ok hydraulics to run some of the cutters.

If you have a worse tractor, you can 'get by' baling as I'm sure others have mentioned below, but since this is what you are buying for, don't sell yourself short with a N Ford. They were lovely tractors 60 years ago, but the lack of live pto, live hydraulics, no power steering, and very few gears to change speeds, and a bit light & low hp for hay makes them far from an ideal choice.

A baler needs live pto to make it enjoyable. It needs a tractor heavy enough to be an 'anchor' for the baler - and possibly a wagon you place behind the baler. You need 15-20 hp to run the baler with a strong enough pto to handle the backlash from the stored 50 hp in the baler flywheel. You need an additional 10-20 hp to pull the baler & tractor through the field, and maybe 120 bales on a hayrack behind the baler. That makes about 35-40 a real good size for a minumum. You need enough gear choices to have a real slow speed for big windrows, and faster speeds for lighter hay.

Most anything works for a sickle bar mower, but a haybine again needs some real power & real live hydraulics and live pto and enough weight to move the haybine - you don't want the tractor being pushed around.

This farm has baled 2000 - 6000 square bales a year for the past 35+ years with a 35 hp IHC 300 row crop tractor with a TA for 10 forward, 2 reverse gears. A 270 NH baler has been behind it all that time. Nice combo. I use a heavier tractor for a 9' haybine/ moco, but it might pull a 7' ok.

--->Paul

Follow Ups:

• Re: city boy looking for tractor advice Steve450 06:34:14 09/14/04 (0)

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