Compact or midsize?

headgear88 · May 17, 2015

Hi to all of you. I am new here and could use some advice. I have a small, 81/2 acre place in southeast IN. We got rid of our cows and goats and are turning our attention to large gardens, sweet corn and food plots. between my place and my brothers, I am moldboard plowing and tilling/cultivating about 4-6 acres and mowing etc. I have an Oliver 1365, 59 hp with loaded tires. It is a bit of pain in the shorts. whenever someone would ask how long it took me to mow, I would tell them 1 hour to mow and 3 hours to turn.

I,m looking for something new/newer. I will probably spend around 20k +/-. I was told by a nearby NH dealer that a 47 hp compact would be my best option. Large enough to pull a plow but easy enough for mowing and for my wife to drive with hydro stat. That sounds good to me but our ground is heavy clay with rocks or heavy rocks with clay.
Two questions:
Is this the right type/size machine?
Would the hydro stat hold up vs a normal clutch/transmission?

Thanks for the help.

nybirdman · May 17, 2015

Your dealer is correct as long as you stick to a "two bottom" plow and six ft.implements.I do about the same with my L4240 HSTC(44 HP) and it handles it well.
The Hydro has a good track record(stay away from NH's CVT).

jeff9366 · May 17, 2015

A 59-hp, 2-WD tractors and a 47-hp, 4-WD tractor will be approximately equal in power to the ground.

You will certainly be able to pull any two bottom moldboard plow. If you will be searching for a replacement plow I would consider a Disc Plow as well as a Moldboard Plow. There are a lot of old Ford Dearborn Disc Plows sold at farm auctions and on eBay.

HST is very fine for the tasks you have enumerated. In my opinion HSTs require LESS maintenance than a gear/clutch transmission for your uses.

DISC PLOW LINK: TDP2 Series 2 & 3 Blade Disc Plows | Tufline

Gary Fowler · May 17, 2015

My Dad used a disc plow because the recently cleared land was still full of stumps and the pans would just hop over a stump rather than hang up like a turning plow. He pulled 2 with an 8N and our land would be considered a clay loam. You do need a disc harrow to go over it afterward just like you do with a moldboard plow.

I think the pan plows pull easier than the moldboard plows also. One of the Cons of using either of these plows is the hardpan that happens with continued use. When this happens, water and plant roots doesn't penetrate thru it very well. You then need to subsoil or chisel plow it to break up that hardpan for better water absorption, better draining soil and better plant rooting.

flusher · May 17, 2015

My 2008 Mahindra 5525 (55 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 2WD, power steering, gear tranny partially synchronized 8F/2R) would handle your jobs. Cost about $19K with the ML250 FEL (6-ft wide bucket, 2950 lb lift to 10.5 ft high), skid steer quick attach on the FEL, and triple rear hydraulic remotes. Need to load the tires to get maximum traction for plowing. That would bring the weight to 7500 lb or so.

Good luck.

headgear88 · May 19, 2015

You will certainly be able to pull any two bottom moldboard plow. If you will be searching for a replacement plow I would consider a Disc Plow as well as a Moldboard Plow. There are a lot of old Ford Dearborn Disc Plows sold at farm auctions and on eBay.

HST is very fine for the tasks you have enumerated. In my opinion HSTs require LESS maintenance than a gear/clutch transmission for your uses.

DISC PLOW LINK: TDP2 Series 2 & 3 Blade Disc Plows | Tufline

What does a disc plow do differently or better than a moldboard?

jeff9366 · May 19, 2015

Did yuu read the Monroe Tufline Disc Plow LINK in Post #3?

A Disc Plow rolls over rocks and roots that would halt a moldboard plow. Probably less prone to soil friction wear in your clay with rocks soil.

There are a lot of old Ford Dearborn Disc Plows sold at farm auctions and on eBay.

KYDan · May 19, 2015

HST is great for mowing and loader applications, but geared works better for ground engaging applications. If you are primarily mowing with the tractor go with the HST as there is no comparison for ease of mowing between the two. You can plow with the HST, it requires more power and uses more fuel than a geared tractor.

Sawyer Rob · May 19, 2015

One thing i HATE, is all the noise a hydrostat makes! I also don't like that you have to keep the RPM's up when you are using them... Something you don't have to do with gear drive.

Then there's the loss' to the pto hp with hydro too...

SR