Will 10 Horsepower actually matter on the same size tractor?

[Outlawmoon]

My grandfather always said buy as much horsepower you can get - you can't get too much!

I was buying a 35hp, went to a 47hp and forwent one implement so I could buy 10hp more. It has paid off on more than one occasion! And even at 47hp I have called on a neighbor with a 55hp to give me hand....

My advice - buy all the hp you can!

 

[yanmars]

I have 37 HP and 45 HP tractors. A noticeable difference.

 

[GoldenCityMuse]

Hi all, I wont lie, I am totally new to the tractor world. Very familiar with cars and trucks, not so much on tractors. But, I have been reading articles, posts, and watching videos like crazy for the past 2 months learning what I can as we shop tractors.

Lets take the Kioti NX4510 and NX5510 for example. Both HST. Same basic tractor, 10 more HP. Otherwise between the 2, its larger (wider) tires, and a better 3 pt hitch, thats it I think.

So does 10 Hp matter, say your using a decent sized PTO Snowblower in what the town plows leave behind after a 12" snow fall, is that 10 Hp noticeable?

What about if your just pushing snow around with a pusher box, will the extra HP and TQ help?

Is there other benefits of more HP other than running the PTO?

Have you ever in your 35 or 40 Hp tractor, wished you had 45 or 50 Hp?

Curious to hear everyone's opinions, thank you!

Are you at any elevation?

HP is rated at Sea Level. They are de-rated every 1000 feet.
Definately want to go higher if you are 3-4000 ' or higher
I'm at 7600' where the air is clear [and thin!]

 

[JRH02]

Hi all, I wont lie, I am totally new to the tractor world. Very familiar with cars and trucks, not so much on tractors. But, I have been reading articles, posts, and watching videos like crazy for the past 2 months learning what I can as we shop tractors.

Lets take the Kioti NX4510 and NX5510 for example. Both HST. Same basic tractor, 10 more HP. Otherwise between the 2, its larger (wider) tires, and a better 3 pt hitch, thats it I think.

So does 10 Hp matter, say your using a decent sized PTO Snowblower in what the town plows leave behind after a 12" snow fall, is that 10 Hp noticeable?

What about if your just pushing snow around with a pusher box, will the extra HP and TQ help?

Is there other benefits of more HP other than running the PTO?

Have you ever in your 35 or 40 Hp tractor, wished you had 45 or 50 Hp?

Curious to hear everyone's opinions, thank you!

Its a curious and worthy question and well worth asking. To me it completely depends on what you are doing. If you are pushing snow into a pile and you start to bog you can just lift the bucket and make a second pass. If a snow blower then just slow down a bit. But if you are pulling a harrow and under almost full load or baling hay and almost to a full bale and start bogging you can't slow down. You're screwed.

But we are talking about small tractors here a nobody is doing field work with those. With most of small tractor stuff the issue is more weight and traction. There are ways of improving traction and adding weight but adding horsepower isn't reasonable.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Remember the HST will eat at least 5 hp.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

For many of us, the choice is simply "get another 5-10HP" or "get another implement". Which would I get the most use out of?
For my use, would the additional HP likely be needed? For me, I went with the size/weight, then what PTO HP I needed for mowing.
The Geared DK4501 has 45HP/42 PTO HP. I was able to move up to an 84" cutter which more than meets my requirements.

"For many of us, the choice is simply "get another 5-10HP" or "get another implement". Which would I get the most use out of?"

This is another way to skin the cat.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Its a curious and worthy question and well worth asking. To me it completely depends on what you are doing. If you are pushing snow into a pile and you start to bog you can just lift the bucket and make a second pass. If a snow blower then just slow down a bit. But if you are pulling a harrow and under almost full load or baling hay and almost to a full bale and start bogging you can't slow down. You're screwed.

But we are talking about small tractors here a nobody is doing field work with those. With most of small tractor stuff the issue is more weight and traction. There are ways of improving traction and adding weight but adding horsepower isn't reasonable.

"

There are ways of improving traction and adding weight but adding horsepower isn't reasonable.

That's where you look at lower horsepower implements if you are in that situation.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Putting those tractors on the same 6' rotary cutter in tough conditions, the difference is dramatic! I mean really noticeable in how hard the engine has to work, where the 42 would be right against the governor, the 51 easily powers right through.

Thanks Rob for the feedback. Straight answers like this is what the site lacks a lot of time.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

To try to help:
-what size blower do you plan to use?
-what types of loader work are you planning?
- how much weight will you be lifting?
-are there other implements you plan to use?

This is good advice. What you're really saying is there are several questions that need to be asked and answered first before the final determination can be made.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

With traction and hydrostatic transmission you can slow a tractor to operate at its maximum horsepower / speed. It just won’t do job as fast as a bigger HP, but can do job as long as there’s traction. Don’t throttle down to go slower, gear down.

Well said. Hydrostat transmissions allow you to find the maximum efficiency the machine will run with a given amount of HP at a particular work load.