Looking at a small Haybine

[tessiers]

I say gas hog, comparatively. The farmall burns 15+- gallons in a day (8 to 10 hrs) compared to under 5 for my JD diesel of comparable HP and 6 or 7 for my Massey 135 with perkins diesel. Even my Ford NAA will only burn 10 gallons or so. I rake and ted with the Ford or JD, Bale with the Massey, would probably mow with the Massey as well. As to the tires they need replacing, had 2 tubes come through the sidewalls last year, bolted patch in on 1 and found a used one in equally bad shape for the other side. I have $160 in tubes alone last year. They always go when I need the tractor and I plan to do something before haying season. The 1 acre per hour is real average for the season last year It is pretty conservative and probably includes some re-fueling time, maybe even a little driving time. From what I have heard so far I could at least double that.

 

[rankrank1]

Yes quality tubes are expensive for sure. It sounds like you have definitely gotten all the life out of those tires if you are bolting in patches. I had a nice matching used set of rears with good used tubes that I sold too cheap that I wish I would have kept now (Sold tires before my collecting disease went into full swing).

I mentioned in my previous posts, that anything I can do to make my masochistic hay hobby more interesting then I usually do it just for fun and entertainment. When I started my masochistic haying hobby, I only had 1 tractor (Kubota L285) that is an absolute real fuel miser. Since then, I have started collecting vintage antique tractors which is a separate hobby but I try to use them too. Anyway, I hope to eventually do some informal fuel use comparisons on my personal use hobby tasks when I get most of the junkers up to useable condition. My vintage junker collection now includes 1950 John Deere A, 1951 Farmall h, 1948 Case DC, 1953 Ford NAA Golden Jubilee, and lastly just bought a 1946 Farmall M 2 weeks ago.

I have sworn to my wife that I am done buying-LOL. This year I hope to try the Farmall M and possibly the Case DC on the mower conditioner. I would also like to try the Farmall h on the baler. Longterm, I would like to scale back to 3-4 tractors (instead of 6). I will keep the ones that I enjoy operating the best for my tasks. Fuel use doing those tasks will be a factor, but not the deciding one as I only do a few acres.

 

[AKfish]

My vintage junker collection now includes 1950 John Deere A, 1951 Farmall h, 1948 Case DC, 1953 Ford NAA Golden Jubilee, and lastly just bought a 1946 Farmall M 2 weeks ago.

I have sworn to my wife that I am done buying-LOL. This year I hope to try the Farmall M and possibly the Case DC on the mower conditioner. I would also like to try the Farmall h on the baler. Longterm, I would like to scale back to 3-4 tractors (instead of 6). I will keep the ones that I enjoy operating the best for my tasks. Fuel use doing those tasks will be a factor, but not the deciding one as I only do a few acres.

I'd sure like to come across a nice condition M or better yet; a Super M. :thumbsup: They could power everything I've got except the disc mower/conditioner. With less fuel!

AKfish

 

[rankrank1]

I'd sure like to come across a nice condition M or better yet; a Super M. :thumbsup: They could power everything I've got except the disc mower/conditioner. With less fuel!

AKfish

Not sure I understand your less fuel comment? Are you implying the M or Super M would be more fuel efficient than one of your modern diesels?

Well none of my junkers are even close to nice condition and none will ever be parade Queens. My JD A comes the closest to being nice as it had brand new rubber all around when I bought it. Actually it is in pretty good shape - mainly just has faded paint although it would clean up quite a bit if I put some elbow grease into polishing it along with painting the rims.

Most of the rest of my vintage fleet is much more rougher around the edges. My Farmall h looks awful but runs excellent. I like that Farmall so much that I picked up a used 3-pt hitch kit for it off Craigslist. Gave almost as much for the hitch as I did the tractor-LOL. The Farmall m runs but not well yet. That said, I do not think it will require much to get it useable. Really other than the John Deere A I have very little invested in each piece and I could not buy the 4 new tires for what I even paid for the A . Really my other hobby has been affordable thus far as it has all been low budget and I enjoy tinkering on the old iron.

 

[AKfish]

Not sure I understand your less fuel comment? Are you implying the M or Super M would be more fuel efficient than one of your modern diesels?

Well none of my junkers are even close to nice condition and none will ever be parade Queens. My JD A comes the closest to being nice as it had brand new rubber all around when I bought it. Actually it is in pretty good shape - mainly just has faded paint although it would clean up quite a bit if I put some elbow grease into polishing it along with painting the rims.

Most of the rest of my vintage fleet is much more rougher around the edges. My Farmall h looks awful but runs excellent. I like that Farmall so much that I picked up a used 3-pt hitch kit for it off Craigslist. Gave almost as much for the hitch as I did the tractor-LOL. The Farmall m runs but not well yet. That said, I do not think it will require much to get it useable. Really other than the John Deere A I have very little invested in each piece and I could not buy the 4 new tires for what I even paid for the A . Really my other hobby has been affordable thus far as it has all been low budget and I enjoy tinkering on the old iron.

I'm not much for gas tractors. So, I would only be interested in a diesel M or Super M. Not interested in having a "Parade Queen", either. I'd bet that either of those tractors would give my JD 5075M a run on fuel use - if I'm mowing in heavy hay @ 2,100rpm it's pretty much right on 5 gallon @ hour. Does better on the baler @ about 4 gallon/hr.

AKfish

 

[rankrank1]

I'm not much for gas tractors. So, I would only be interested in a diesel M or Super M. Not interested in having a "Parade Queen", either. I'd bet that either of those tractors would give my JD 5075M a run on fuel use - if I'm mowing in heavy hay @ 2,100rpm it's pretty much right on 5 gallon @ hour. Does better on the baler @ about 4 gallon/hr.

AKfish

For serious farmers, no doubt diesel is far superior and the way to go. That said, for tinkers like me, I like gassers as I can fix anything on them myself. One injector pump rebuild and new injectors on a diesel would take me years to pay for.

I am hoping that my Farmall M gasser will be around 3 gal/hour in heavy hay on the moco and hopefully even less in lighter hay. My JD A has been closer to 3.6 gal/per hour on it, but the carb was so badly mis-adjusted that I should have investigated it sooner (I think it will do better now that I have done some tune-up adjustments). Regardless 2 cylinders are not the best for PTO drivelines due to the uneven power pulses so long term I hope not to use it on PTO loads. Even pulling the Farmall h hard, I can not put 2 gal/hour through it and its less when not pulling it hard. The Kubota diesel I am not sure I could ever put more than 1.5 gal/hour through it and that was bush-hogging some tall thick stuff it is also much less when not pulling it hard. Case DC, runs but I have not used it yet so have no idea yet. Ford NAA jubilee sorta runs but needs work so have not used it either.

Of course, Nebraska test data is available on these tractors so fuel consumption data is available for them.

 

[Balerguy2]

Referring to the O.P. question.................. I have used my small NH 467 (7') Haybine for about 25 years (2nd owner). As most know a haybine is leagues ahead of any sickle bar mower. The only replacements have been the "insert bushing" on the sickle knife (it cushions the reciprocating attach arm off the wobble). About 20 dollars each and I've gotten 2 or 3 from Messich's in all that time. Our hay can be cut and conditioned and never run even close to 540 on the pto.
I grew up using a 2 horse drawn sickle bar and then a tractor sickle bar and finally a sickle/reel/rubber rollers/ conditioner machine (NH-467). No comparison IMO! You can get one for less than a thousand dollars.

Carl

 

[DJ54]

*** I grew up using a 2 horse drawn sickle bar and then a tractor sickle bar and finally a sickle/reel/rubber rollers/ conditioner machine (NH-467). No comparison IMO! You can get one for less than a thousand dollars.***

I can relate to this... I was young enough, I sat between Dad's legs on the ol' Farmall A pulling a horse drawn mower. My, the words I learned at a young age, when the mower plugged...!!

 

[Balerguy2]

DJ54,

Well said! Your words bring back the memories. The old team would slow to a stop as the clog would skew the mower sideways. Those horses knew without even checking them with the reins they would have to stop in a step or two and back-up!

Thanks!

Carl

 

[Blksim]

I am looking at the purchase of a small haybine. Currently we hay 25 acres mixed grass, mostly for our own use. Have been using a 7' sickle bar mower mounted on a Farmall H. Thinking of upgrading this year to a small Haybine. I have about 45 hp tractor and I would like to keep the price under $2000 or so. I am well acustomed to working with and repairing older equipment. That points me towards an older haybine. I figure with a 9' haybine I should be able to cut considerably faster than my current 1 acre per hour. Any insight would be helpful. Thanks!

As mentioned earlier, the Hesston 1110 7' cut is a good mower and if not on real steep hills would work good with that h.p.