What a difference a large tractor makes!

[rScotty]

SNIP......
I have another neighbor with an old International agricultural tractor, sorry I don't know the model but it's about twice the physical size of my tractor. I called him up, he brought his two-wheel drive tractor over, hooked up a long chain and putt-putt-putt, my truck came out of the hole. Now I'm wanting a big tractor, darn it! There's one sitting in a barn up the road that hasn't moved in years. I wonder if the owner will let it go cheap.....

I gotta laugh out of your story because that's exactly what we did 30 years ago....We had a small 4wd utility tractor & loader, but one day got a chance to buy a perfectly good big old 2WD JD Ag tractor for $1800. Nothing really wrong with it; it was basically worn almost smooth everywhere, but still working and not even leaking. It wasn't worth selling, so the farmer had simply retired it. Best guess was it had 16,000 hours on it. Tires were old but reasonable because they weren't filled, and it ran fine. So we bought it. Driving it home on the road took half a day, but was easier than hauling it. All it needed for the next 20 years was keeping the battery charged. I would start it every few months just to check, but it always started. Nice machine. We didn't use it often, but that tractor sure solved a lot of problems over the years.

 

[Hay Dude]

The other thing large AG tractors have in addition to weight, is power. Another is large AG tires get incredible traction with their bar tires.
My 200HP Massey with 42 rear rubber and big SISU diesel will pull out a stuck triaxle like its nothing.
The little 35HP tractor tires are so small in diameter and the paddles (bars) on their tread are, too.
Just used My smaller Kubota M135x to pull out a Hino chipper truck and a big diesel chipper hooked to it stuck in mud. Guy thanked me and after he left, I realized I never put it in 4WD. :laughing:

I completely understand why many of you buy compact 4WD tractors, they are as handy as tool you can find (I had an L-35), but its ridiculous how cheap you can get a 80-100HP old diesel farm tractor for the really tough stuff. Get the tallest rear tires with the most tread remaining you can!
An old heavy Case-IH, Massey or Deere

 

[BrokenTrack]

From everything I read, Harry Ferguson, the inventor of the Three Point Hitch, figured the optimum balance for a 2-WD tractor is 40% front, 60% rear. Like the Three Point Hitch, 40/60 weight distribution varies only a smidgeon between Three Point Hitch equipped tractors.

Not quite sure if that is exactly the same with 4-WD, which became practical after Ferguson's death, but since the Three Point Hitch virtual hitch point is in front of the tractor, 4-WD may be an irrelevant factor relative to optimum weight distribution for traction.

He was spot on, and today the 40/60 rule still applies even for articulated and four wheel drive tractors.

Skidders are designed for the 40/60 split: 40% over the rear axle, and 40% over the front axle empty, but it reverses when the skidder is pulling wood. I can feel it when I am off on either with either my grapple (525 Cat) or my cable skidder. When the weight of the wood gets sucked in close enough to cause the proper weight transfer, the front tires bite, and out of the woods we go. Before that I am just spinning.

On a big bucket loader it is the same way, but opposite. 40% in the front, and 60% in the back when empty, but that shifts when it is loaded. Again, a person can put a bigger bucket on, but they are sized for that capacity for that weight transfer to take place, and it will only make a loader that struggles more to fill the bucket, and move with it.

 

[CADplans]

sometimes;
View attachment 648336

That fuel tank looks amazingly familiar,,,

 

[BrokenTrack]

Big tractors use a lot less fuel too.

My little 25 HP Kubota would take about 10 gallons of fuel, to till this 10 acre field, pulling its 8 foot harrow, and took all day.

The bigger 400 HP New Holland takes about 7 gallons of fuel, to till this same 10 acre field with its 32 foot disk, and takes 20 minutes.

On 1600 acres of corn, we averaged 3/4 of a gallon of fuel, per acre.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

That fuel tank looks amazingly familiar,,,

Yup, it takes serous traction to move bigger boulders! Especially, when having to pull them out of a low spot, like I had to do with this one.

SR

 

[tmcj]

My guess would be that along with size and weight, comes torque, which is probably more the key to your success with a larger tractor. Think of those large wheels and tires like gears, and the additional weight keeps it planted for traction. Of course it is a combination of things, but the key feature is the resulting torque.

 

[defranks]

"The bigger 400 HP New Holland takes about 7 gallons of fuel, to till this same 10 acre field with its 32 foot disk, and takes 20 minutes."

I couldn't turn that tractor and 32-foot disc around on my piddly little 20 acres! But I'd enjoy driving the tractor!

 

[Cougsfan]

When applied to tractors, in most cases, too big is rare. Too small is more common.

How true. A friend of mine once gave me advice: "The proper way to decide how big of tractor to get is to decide how many hp of a tractor you want, then double it." It took me years to learn that he was right.

 

[BrokenTrack]

How true. A friend of mine once gave me advice: "The proper way to decide how big of tractor to get is to decide how many hp of a tractor you want, then double it." It took me years to learn that he was right.

That is not always true though. I know it is not true for me.

As much as I can justify having a bigger tractor, that being with me having hundreds of acres of land, and a working farm, it just does not make sense. That is because my Grandfather and my father have bought plenty of farm implements, and they were all sized for our former 900 Ford farm tractor.

Buying a bigger tractor is not the issue, it would be the ginormous cost of buying bigger implements to replace all the ones that I have, that would be expensive. But this is just how life works. Having the right tool (implement) at hand, really helps get work done. So while it might take me longer to do something, like plow with a single bottom plow, what is an extra $20 in fuel? I can buy a lot of fuel for what a double-bottom plow would cost. And I could buy an awful lot more in fuel, for what a bigger tractor would cost.

As long as my implements are in working order, or repairable, I am better off to spend my money on buying new, but different implements to make my tractor more versatile, not on spending money on what I can already do.

 

[BrokenTrack]

In all the farming articles I have read, they say the best economy is to double the size of the tractor.

So while it does not make sense for me too because of other reasons, I should go from my 27 hp tractor to a 35 hp tractor. However, it would make sense for me to double the size, so to jump to a 55 HP or 60 HP tractor.

What I have found is; I use my 27 HP Kubota for about 95% of what I do. Yes it may take a bit longer, but it can do 95% of the work. For the stuff it just cannot do, I just rent, and I rent specific equipment like bulldozers or excavators that really are made for the work needed to get done.

 

[Hay Dude]

I learned the financial lessons of buying too small to try to get by in both HP and frame size. Took a few hits when selling ones that I bought for a great deal, but sold for less to buy bigger.
I’m a little small for the large square baler I want right now. Looking at a Case IH 5250 or a Ford/NH 8970 to make it easier, but even we’ll used, they’re expensive (cheap compared to these little compact tractors though....
My advice is to try to think ahead if your operation will be expanding, then buy accordingly. Never buy for your current conditions unless youre locked into retirement or youre operation size will not change.
Decisions, decisions.

 

[chim]

Large is fun, and extra large is really fun. Back in the 90's we had a big snowstorm and they were short-handed at one of the inlaw's farms so I bagged work. They had a number of chicken houses (layers) and were getting several tractor trailer loads of new birds. They were able to open up just enough to get the trucks in, but there was no place for them to turn around. My job was to take the big Massey and drag the empty trucks through the field in a big circle and get them pointed back out in the right direction. That tractor was the most powerful piece of equipment I've ever used. Wherever it went, the tractor trailers followed along like pull toys. This is one of the few pictures of the Massey I can find. The row of equipment is what they sold off when they sold that farm in the early 2000's.

The second Case is one that I borrowed to clear snow when the Ford 1210 was down one time. Wish I had a picture of that. With my 5' rear blade all bushed down to fit it resembled the picture Lou posted. I always cleared the driveway for an old couple across the road. Standard procedure was when the heard the tractor they'd raise the garage door so I could drop the rear blade inside the garage and pull snow away from it. Then we'd wave HI at each other and I'd clear the snow. The old guy was expecting the little Ford as usual and was quite taken aback.

 

[Industrial Toys]

An old seasoned woodsman and jack of all trades once advised my Father. When you go into the BUSH, you take the biggest tractor you got.

 

[hosspuller]

sometimes;
View attachment 648336

Lou ...It's not the tractor... It's the spreader that's too small. :laughing:

 

[RalphVa]

In all the farming articles I have read, they say the best economy is to double the size of the tractor.

So while it does not make sense for me too because of other reasons, I should go from my 27 hp tractor to a 35 hp tractor. However, it would make sense for me to double the size, so to jump to a 55 HP or 60 HP tractor.

What I have found is; I use my 27 HP Kubota for about 95% of what I do. Yes it may take a bit longer, but it can do 95% of the work. For the stuff it just cannot do, I just rent, and I rent specific equipment like bulldozers or excavators that really are made for the work needed to get done.

If you're an advocate of the heavy tractor thing, go to something like the L2501, not just more hp. If you have any hills to run it up or down, you'll spend a bunch more fuel to do so then.

I've found that the 18.5 hp in my first 4wd tractor, a 4010 (like a 2019E now), is enough for what I need.

If I need more, I'll hire it done or rent a bigger tractor. Doesn't makes sense to lug around a very heavy or high hp thing for the 5% or less time when you need that weight or hp.

Ralph

 

[BrokenTrack]

If you're an advocate of the heavy tractor thing, go to something like the L2501, not just more hp.

Yep...that is just what I have too! :thumbsup:

Mine is a 1999 Kubota, so it is the 2500L, but the same thing as a 2501L. They only made the 2500L for two years before they changed the model a bit.

 

[Richard]

I have another neighbor with an old International agricultural tractor, sorry I don't know the model but it's about twice the physical size of my tractor. I called him up, he brought his two-wheel drive tractor over, hooked up a long chain and putt-putt-putt, my truck came out of the hole. Now I'm wanting a big tractor, darn it! There's one sitting in a barn up the road that hasn't moved in years. I wonder if the owner will let it go cheap.....

Howdy Neighbor! (side question.... do you know anyone in TCRS?)

Aside from that.... if your tractor suffices your needs, you can also look into something like an industrial backhoe/loader for more toys. I've used my backhoe to so something very similar to what you did with the big tractor but in my case, it was also the tractor that was stuck and backhoe pulled it out.

Tractor was International 866 (if I have the correct number), was a cab version and had a 10' heavy duty Rhino mower behind it and it was stuck to the axle in mud. Backhoe & chain yanked it right out.

Bigger toys can always do bigger things.

Used to take (literally) half to all of summer to cut the farm here.... farm owned International 444 with a 5' mower behind it (which was stupid nuts). I finally stopped. I've bought my own tractor (International 1066) and now with a 15' mower, could cut the entire place in a long hard day.

Heck, there is a hill I used to cut in low range, 1st gear and the 444 would struggle at times. Now, with the 1066, I CAN cut in high range, but I CHOOSE to cut in low range, 4th gear up the same hill and it just purrs along..... so I'm cutting much faster ground speed and three times as wide.

Yeah, size can help.

 

[Richard]

Big tractors use a lot less fuel too.

My little 25 HP Kubota would take about 10 gallons of fuel, to till this 10 acre field, pulling its 8 foot harrow, and took all day.

The bigger 400 HP New Holland takes about 7 gallons of fuel, to till this same 10 acre field with its 32 foot disk, and takes 20 minutes.

On 1600 acres of corn, we averaged 3/4 of a gallon of fuel, per acre.

That's an awesome pic!! Love it (and your point is well taken!!!!)

 

[Hay Dude]

Another thought: If you have a choice, buy a bigger/heavier tractor even if it has lower HP rather than a smaller tractor with high HP (unless it’s a yard chore tractor or where compaction is a concern). Take it from a farmer, weight IS power and bigger IS generally safer & more stable than smaller. Other pluses of bigger tractors is bigger tires, which pull and ride better because larger diameter. With low range and gearing, you don’t usually run out of power. You usually (not always) run out of traction or weight before power.