I need some tractor help...

[raiquee]

but, I'm not a farmer! (yet.)

So, that about explains it. You are pretty much explaining evolution to an infant. Use dummy talk, please. Here is what I need it to do:

May grow hay. So let it do hay things? Cut? Bale?....does a tractor even bale? I DON'T KNOW!!
Move stuff. So I need a bucket of some sort
Dig things. So a backhoe?
Tiller
Chicken tractor mover...that will probably consist of a hillbilly rig of rope and a pray for the best approach.


There are probably other things I need. I am going to have a FARM people. And, I'm a city person. What other attachments did you find super useful?

What brands do you like? Hubby wants a John Deere. What model? etc etc etc.

Hubby also wants a "zero turn" mower. I have a funny feeling john deeres don't zero turn.

 

[Icu4dzs]

Hi Raiquee (Reiki?)
Welcome to the life of a farm. Your first question tells me that you have NO idea so I will in my "City boy out on the farm" tell you about hay. But first the tractor.

Depending on how big your place is will probably determine what size tractor you will need. I have a New Holland TC29D and a John Deere 5425 both with front loaders which are "INDISPENSABLE" on a farm. Just to be able to lift heavy things, use if for movable scaffolding when building or reparing or carrying stuff the front loader is absolutely necessary for farm life "IMHO".

Once you have a good tractor and that will depend on a few things. If you are NOT skilled enough to repair your own (assuming you bought an old one) then by all means buy a brand new one. The reason is that it will be generally dependable for quite some time and you will not enjoy the lack of fuel efficiency of an old one at the current cost of gasoline. Diesel is expensive (but CAN be made at home if you know what you are doing.) Gasoline is dependent on fossil fuel, so think about this for the future which currently is in question.

Now on to hay. The tractor replaces the horse. Period. It pulls really hard. That is really all. It probably will have a PTO and 3 point hitch with at least a rear hydraulic pump and maybe a mid hydraulic pump. Both is best. Rear is REQUIRED. You need it to operate attachments. Attachments need to be sized to be able to be operated by your tractor. You can undersize the tractor with too big an attachment so be careful and choose the two to be compatible. Sales guys usuall know the right things to sell you because they generally live in the same town and don't need BAD rep's by selling you stuff that will NOT work with what you have. But be careful none the less; "E caveat emptor" still applies.

Hay has to be cut, raked and baled (and stored). The haying procedure is weather dependent. You need at least 3 days without rain or your hay will be ruined. The mowers they build today can do multiple functions but are very spendy. A "moco" (mower/conditioner) will cut the hay and leave it in a windrow for the baler. There are basically 3 types of balers. Small, square bale, round bale and LARGE square bale. Round bale appears to be the most popular right now because you can make large round bales that won't deteriorate in the weather as quickly as small square bales. Small square bales can be stored indoors though and you can keep it dry, thus prolonging the value of the nutrition. If you go with round bales remember they will weigh nearly 1000 lbs to 1500 lbs depending on how big you make them. Moving them is going to require a large tractor with either a bale fork or a grapple hook on the loader to lift the bale. We're talking big stuff here.

If you don't have a MOCO, then you have to have a rake. The most common now is the wheel rake and that will do a nice job of pulling the hay into a windrow for the baler.

So, you see, you need 4 pieces of equipment just to make hay. If you have the money and the time, go for it. If you are starting out with a "austere budget", you'll want a good tractor and you can buy hay from folks in the area who are always willing to help. You have to realize that you need to know how much hay you need to start with. How many animals do you have and how long is the "feeding season"? Winter when there is no grass to eat is the "feeding season". Here when the ground is covered with 3 to 4 feet of snow for 4 to 5 months, you feed a lot longer. Horses don't eat as much hay as cattle do.

A Zero-turn mower is a luxury if you want to keep a fancy lawn. You can get a mower attachment for the tractor and mow what you need to do. Mowing is a waste of energy, time and equipment but often a "social necessity". Moving a chicken tractor, properly built will be easy and can be done by anything that can pull. Your tractor may be too big for that. A 4-wheeler will do it, a lawn tractor will do it and even that zero turn mower will do it. It has to be able to pull.

All tractors now have 3 point hitch for power take-off. That means it can lift the piece of equipment and the PTO will turn the shaft to operate the equipment. To my way of thinking if you are just getting started on a raw piece of land and it is overgrown you will need a bush-hog to help clear it, a chain saw to fell trees and a tractor that can pull the bush-hog.

Once the land is cleared (and that is a really long job...plan lots of time for that) you will probably do best with a tractor PTO mounted rototiller rather than a hand one. It will save your back and they come in 4 and 5 foot size. One swipe with the roto tiller, in say, two or three passes will give you a garden in no time at all. Make sure you go deep enough and clear the soil the best you can.

A Box blade will help you scrape the ground and define road/driveway areas. A landscape rake will also be very useful to clean places. All these connect to the 3 point hitch and can let the tractor "do the work". It is advisable to be in fairly good physical condition because these things (even the smallest ones) are quite heavy and take some serious grunting to hook them up to the tractor.

My favorite landscaping tool is the TR3 rake. It does 3 things in one pull. They use it to groom race tracks, baseball fields and all kinds of places that need quick good grooming.

The best place to buy some things is a farm auction. Look to see how the farmer took care of his stuff. If it is well maintained it is a safe buy. You will find dates on all the filters (air and oil) if he knows what he was doing. If it is something with NO MOVING parts, you can assess the condition easily. A field cultivator is a good example. Anything with moving parts needs to be very carefully assessed before putting money into something that will cost more to repair than to buy new.

A back hoe is important only if you are starting from bare land and will need ditches for pipes, etc. If you are building a house, the back hoe is indispensable but you really need to know what you are doing with one. They have moving parts so second/third/fourth, etc. hand may be ok but you might, if you only need it for one or two small things, do better either renting one (assuming you know how to operate it) or just hire a guy who DOES know how to operate it. Your safety is in question when you try to do something for which you have no training or experience, especially if you try to be in a hurry. Plan all your work no matter what you do and remember to always have a grease gun and lots of grease to keep your machinery properly working.

I can go on for days like this. I moved from the city 5 years ago and have learned a lot. I am not a farmer by profession, but have learned enough now that I can give you what I learned so it won't take you quite as long.

If you really want a farm, go where there are a good number of OLDER farm people and watch for a sale. If you go where the "fancy folks" want to be (i.e. nice weather all the time, etc,) you will pay millions of $. If you go where folks are not all that picky, you will get a lot of land for much less money. If money is very limited, don't expect to build a house and barns and buildings very soon. You'll be lucky to have some place to live for the first two years. If you buy a farmstead from someone who is selling that, be careful and assess the condition of the buildings because repair is time consuming and expensive.(Don't ask me how I learned this!)

You need a welder, a table saw and lots of hand tools. Buy them at auctions and farm sales. Buy gardening tools at sales. A shovel is a shovel. When you buy new, be certain that it is a required item to be new rather than one someone has used and works just as good. You'll save a lot of money that way and the stuff will work just as good as a new one.

In 2006 I bought a farmstead and 20 acres in South Dakota and I am the happiest I have ever been. THe Dakota's have a lot of opportunity and not many people (750,000 in the whole state). Land is becomming expensive but that is true every where. Buy, don't rent. Learn the people in the area who will generally accept you on a very "superficial level" once you are working hard there and putting money into the economy by taking good care of the farm you bought. It will take years, if ever for them to accept you at the "inner circle level" unless you really find a way to "fit in" and then it will still take time. I have been here 5 years. I am now the Mayor of the town, because I won an election. I've been the county coroner for 3 years. I do a lot of stuff so people know who I am.

Let me give you a very important list of advice. While not all inclusive, these are things I learned very quickly out on the high prairie.

1. NEVER repeat, NEVER "dis" anyone you meet because in a small town you will be talking to either their best friend from school, or one of their family members.
2. Always tell anyone who asks" how you like it here" be sure to tell them you LOVE IT. Because if you don't love it, they will get an attitude toward you and you'll be miserable there. Remember it is the people, not the geography that makes a place good to live.
3. Be active in the community, church, school etc., and help your neighbors ALWAYS. Don't ask for help at first, but if it is offered accept with grace and be certain you make them glad they helped you.
4. Learn to dress for the weather and don't complain about how cold or how much snow. They all know it and have lived with it all their lives. THey like it here so you should too, or you'll be miserable.
5. PAY ALL BILLS IMMEDIATELY. Don't miss paying anyone who you contract or ask to work on your place for any thing, such as plumber, electrician, carpenter, etc. Do NOT buy what you can't afford. Pay cash when possible or pay with credit card and be sure NOT to get behind in keeping the credit card payed off. Folks with poor financial management skills don't do well when they come to a place where other folks do have good skills of that nature.
6. Speak to people, wave to your neighbors and treat everyone as though you think they are worthy of the utmost respect. You'll integrate much faster and have an easier time of it when the going gets rough. Don't let folks know how much money you have (assuming you do) because if they don't, it annoys them less.
7. Do your own work. Always buy the shop repair manual for any piece of equipment you buy. Even if you can't repair it, the guy who can will like to see that manual.
8. Be able to "carry your own weight" in a new place. Don't come there and then apply for welfare and unemployment. It gets around real fast that you are "not their kind".
9. Make sure that what you do contributes to the betterment of the community, no matter how small. Work in the food pantry, give some of your time to the town/community. Don't worry about the "good ole boys club" because if you are a contributing member of society, they will let you in a lot sooner.
10. "When in Rome, Do as the Romans do" Take care of the animals BEFORE you eat. They can't feed themselves and can't get the feed. You have taken that responsibility so they come first. Start with animals you either know how to take care of or can learn REALLY quick by reading books.

Lots of farm stuff is common sense but NOT all. Time and experience are the best teachers after you have the concept firmly in your mind; "measure twice, cut once" Buy some books on Country Living (Storey's collection is excellent) and come prepared to WORK HARD but enjoy life more than you ever have before!

Hope this helps. If you want any more "city transition advice" please let me know. I know you'll enjoy your new life if you plan well, and don't spend more than you have. "Felix Qui Nihil Debit"

//BT//
Trim sends

 

[k0xxx]

but, I'm not a farmer! (yet.)

So, that about explains it. You are pretty much explaining evolution to an infant. Use dummy talk, please. Here is what I need it to do:

May grow hay. So let it do hay things? Cut? Bale?....does a tractor even bale? I DON'T KNOW!!
Move stuff. So I need a bucket of some sort
Dig things. So a backhoe?
Tiller
Chicken tractor mover...that will probably consist of a hillbilly rig of rope and a pray for the best approach.


There are probably other things I need. I am going to have a FARM people. And, I'm a city person. What other attachments did you find super useful?

What brands do you like? Hubby wants a John Deere. What model? etc etc etc.

Hubby also wants a "zero turn" mower. I have a funny feeling john deeres don't zero turn.

I have a tractor, but I'm still pretty much a tractor infant still, so I don't know a whole lot about them. So far all that I have done with mine is pull a plow for the garden, and move things around with it.

Hay - A tractor is used to bale hay. Of course you have to have the machine to pull behind the tractor to do this.
Move stuff - A bucket is nice, but all I have is a 3 point boom that I use to lift things up with and carry them where I need them.
Dig things - A backhoe attachment would be great to have.
Tiller - I'd love to have a tiller, unfortunately my old tractor's lowest gear, is still a little fast for a tiller.
Chicken tractor mover - If you need a tractor to move your chicken tractor, you have a BIG chicken tractor. ;?)

I have a two bottom plow, a disc, a middle buster plow, a hipper (makes my raised rows and then adds the furrow), a boom pole, a trailer hitch ball on my drawbar.

My tractor is an ancient 1939 Ford 9N model. It's what I could afford, but it does require A LOT of maintenance. I would love to own a newer, diesel tractor.
Yes, John Deere does make zero turn mowers.

Did I miss anything?

 

[Wannabefree]

I don't know much about tractors. JD does make zero turn mowers though, and I much prefer other brands of mowers. JD makes for a smooth ride, but that's about it. Performance is better with other mowers in my experience. Kubota has always been my choice in zero turn. You almost can't kill them. I cut grass for a summer with a friend and I drove the lil' Kubota mostly and never broke down. She drove the BIG JD and I was constantly hooking a chain to her and pulling her back to the trailer to load her up to haul it into the shop My mower never broke and I put that thing through a LOT of rather abusive situations. Truly we had no business not weedeating some of those areas, but the Kubota was tough and got the job done easier and faster, which made me partial to the Kubota brand. I hated the JD just for it's propensity to get stuck or die :/

 

[aggieterpkatie]

In our area hay has to be tedded first, so you'd need a tedder. This is a rotary type piece of equipment that is pulled behind the tractor and spreads the windrows of hay that has just been cut. Our hay would never dry in windrows here (but I hear out west they do just fine!). After the hay has been tedded, then let dry, then tedded again, you can use a rake (pulled behind the tractor) to put it back into windrows for baling.

Unless you're doing a LOT of hay, it will probably be cheaper for you to have someone custom bale for you. That would save you a lot of money in equipment, but you'd be relying on them to get your hay in properly. It might be a good option for the first couple years though, so you can have a way to learn how to do it properly.

I like JDs and I like Kubotas. The only type of tractor I've never liked (after using several different ones for work) are Internationals. Can't stand 'em.

 

[raiquee]

We are probably going to get a new tractor, if not a few year old one if we can find a deal with some attachments. We may just rent the backhoe, as we would only need it for initial building of structures (chicken coop, shed, deck...etc)

Thank you for your very long post ICU I like your list of advice, and I understand those rules as we live in a very small community now. Everyone knows everyone here. We are very good to our neighbors (well one, the other neighbors have a severely large stick up their bum! Maybe I can use my tractor to get it out! ) We snowblow their drive, we cleaned up their leaves, we give them extra veggies and duck eggs. Both me and my husband are VERY neighborly! We even brought them some home brewed beer! Who wouldn't want to be our neighbors? We do your yard work, feed you and get you sloshed!

Thanks for the help. So, I think they hay thing is out of the question. We wouldn't need a lot of hay, for a cow, a couple head of sheep, annnd thats about it. I may as well just buy it I suppose. We are planning on planting 1 full acre with assorted feed for the poultry, etc. We also plan on having a VERY large garden..donating the rest to the harvest.

We plan on buying a small "hobby farm" as it's called...or homestead. We are limited on where we will go, as the move is bringing me closer to my job. We wouldn't mind buying a piece of large land and building our own barn and fencing. Luckily we are finding a lot of nice places that fit our needs, our budget (some below!) and the only thing holding us back and we aren't ready to sell our house yet. So finding a farm isn't an issue luckily!

Thanks for all the tips! Keep em comin'! When it comes to farm machinery...i'm pretty stupid.