How much HP?

jwcinpk · Sep 30, 2003

Ive taken a huge leap and decided to replace all our aging hay equipment and had a few questions. How much weight and HP do you say it takes to round roll hay with the 4ft rollers? How much weight and HP would you say it takes to safely sqaure bale with just the baler? I will be buying new and it will be 4x4 with a FEL. I want this investment to last atleast 10 years before trading again so I wouldn't want to overly stress the tractor by having it at it's limit all the time.

HayDR · Oct 1, 2003

If you are going to round bale hay you need 40-45 HP min. in a utility size tractor.

rambler · Oct 1, 2003

You are looking at utility type tractors, not compacts. ou need the heavier drive train of a utility.

45 hp will make 4x4 bales.

35 hp will square bale, altho most new balers require more, an older baler in good condition will be fine. And yes, people can bale with a 25hp N series Ford tractor - but it's not so much fun....

In both cases, more is better, of course. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--->Paul

cowboydoc · Oct 1, 2003

If you're talking about 10 years I'd go for the biggest tractor I could afford. Like CCI said you can get by with 40-45 hp. But that doesn't leave anything. Are you going to have a cab? If so plan on 10 hp above that just to be at the minimum hp for the baler. Now if you are on hills at all plan on 10-20 hp above that. Plan on doing other things with this tractor? How about plowing that hayfield up and discing? Not going to pull a very big plow or disc with 40-45 hp. How fast do you want to go? Rains coming and you have 20 acres to finish in 3 hours. Not going to happen going 2 or 3 mph max.

How much do you want to fight the tractor? Do you want to be pushed to the limit everytime with the minimum hp tractor?

Personally the smallest tractor I would go with is a 65hp without a cab and a 75 hp tractor with a cab. With this tractor you will always have plenty of power. You will have the size and weight to use that hp effectively. You will have a big enough tractor to do all of the other jobs that maintaining hay fields requires. You will also have a tractor that you won't always be kicking yourself in certain situations wishing you had gone bigger.

cowboydoc · Oct 1, 2003

One other thing I forgot to mention. What about the big fertilizer buggies as well? I haul 15 and 20 ton buggies over our hay ground. We fertilize our hay two and three times a season. I sure wouldn't want to pull those fert. buggies with a 40 hp tractor.

slowrev · Oct 1, 2003

Lots of good posts on this subject. I would say that 40-45 hp is your minimum. But another consideration is the weight of the tractor. a 4000 lb 40 hp tractor will do better for baling than a 3200 lb 40 hp tractor. I personally would recommend something around 60 hp and heavy. My friend and have used 42 hp 3900 lb tractors to bale 5 foot rolls with and it is touch and go, especially on the sides of slopes.

fivestring · Oct 1, 2003

I'm with cowboydoc on this one...
65 hp minimum with 4wd.
Who knows what else you'll be doing with it in the next 10 years.

jwcinpk · Oct 1, 2003

Thank you all for your input. I do plan on plowing and discing. I'm thinking I want more than 40 hp, say 55 or 60. I believe that's all I can afford. Ive been looking at Mahindras since they are good and heavy. Like I said I want new so I don't end up with someone elses headache. I don't have to go fast, but don't want to crawl either. As for the fertilizer buggies I pull them all the time with my MF 135 so that's not that big a deal. Most of the feilds I cut are small so this stuff is hard to figure out. You don't want too big and you don't want too small. Like on O Brother Where Art Though "Dam# I'm in a tight spot"! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

cowboydoc · Oct 1, 2003

If you're on a budget I would seriously look at that 5103. You can get that for less than that 990 you were looking at. It's a 65 hp turbocharged unit. For the money you won't find a better deal. It is not sync shifting and not 4wd but it's quite the bang for the buck.

MikeF · Oct 1, 2003

I am buying a new tractor for the same type of work. I have been bailing with a L4310 kubota and it does a fine job but not fast or safe on the hills! I have decided on the TN75D 4x4. I test drove one the other day and was very inpressed and the ride was very good too! I plan on getting a full rack of wts. and filling the tires, for a little extra safety.

Mike