First Tractor Questions

[south0085]

Good morning. My Dad and I own a small hobby farm (8 acres). Just getting started this year. No experience farming. Having a blast so far. Our plan is to start with a couple cows this year (beef) and then keep growing.

Anyways, this week, we purchased our first tractor. A 35 Massey Ferguson (1958). The previous owner did some things to it. Among those, he changed it from a 6-volt to 12-volt. It has a three-point hitch. It started great and runs great.

I have some questions about this tractor (or any tractor).

1. Does anyone have experience with this tractor? Like? Dislike?
2. What does changing it from 6-volt to 12-volt mean? Is it just the battery?
3. Basically, the only things we will be doing with this tractor is moving hay bales and bush hogging. (*spelling). Is this tractor big enough to do those things?
4. What are some key things we should do to take care of a tractor?

Thank you greatly for your input!

 

[dun]

Don;t know anythign specific about that tractor. Based on this link: http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractor ... on-35.html
The HP is pretty low to move round bales. Plenty big enough for a 5 foot brush hog.
Changing from 6 to 12 can be as simple as changing the battery but usually also entails changing the charging system and sometimes the starter.
Change filters and use quality fluids, use a good summer/winter coolant and keep the zerks greased and the tires properly inflated. That's about it for maintenance

 

[Kell-inKY]

1. No, but they are very durable and popular machines around here.
2. They change to a 12V GM car alternator and 12V coil (some use an old 6v coil with ballast resistor) simple and big improvement.
3. Yes, absolutely, you might? need a little weight for front with very large bales
4. These are extremely durable, just check fluids/filters. Check hydraulic fluid to see if it is milky (water contamination) and needs to be changed, that might have been overlooked if you are not familiar. They sit out in the rain and usually some gets in.

 

[John SD]

No personal experience with a 35, but my impression is that they were a good little utilty tractor in their day.

Dun covered it well. Obviously you need a 12V generator or alternator to go along with your 12V battery. Your 6V starter should be OK. Also if you plan to use the lights you need 12V lights :shock: If the previous owner already did these things, you should be good to go.

A 5' or possibly 6' bush hog should work well with your tractor. Given a choice, I'd probably go with the 5'. Tough weeds higher than your head are pretty tough to make the first pass through :shock: Now round bales are a problem ...... I don't see that happening unless they are pretty small and/or light.

Regular maintainence is important with a tractor as with any other motorized equipment. Check fluid levels and change on a regular schedule. If you don't put that many hours on per year (<100hrs/yr) , annual service should work for engine oil. Don't forget the air cleaner when you change the oil, or more often if working in extremely dusty conditions. If the transmission oil stays looking clean and not milky looking, I would run it and just add the proper oil when necessary. If it does get milky looking, you have moisture getting in someplace.

Good luck with your purchase :tiphat:

 

[True Grit Farms]

I know nothing about a gas powered MF 35. But I have a MF 35 diesel that's 50+ years old and still in operation. I've owned the tractor for 30+ years, and haven't done anything besides rebuilding the engine.

 

[south0085]

Thank you for all the input. I'm glad to hear that we purchased a good tractor. A couple of guys at work have told me similar things.

I do expect to be moving round hay bales. Not this year, but starting next year, I will have to feed my cattle through the winter. I have a small lot next to the barn where I'm going to put the bales for feeding. So I won't have to move them very far. But it is something I will be doing with this tractor. Do you think this is a big enough problem that I should do something about it? Like get a bigger tractor? Is there anything else I can do?

Thank you.

 

[Bigfoot]

I had one back in the day. It was my first tractor as well. It will move a small roll, but not safely.

 

[M.Magis]

Weight in the front will help. Driving backwards also helps, but obviously not ideal. It'll just depend on the bales and how much they weigh. I don't see a 4x4 being a problem. I certainly wouldn't buy 5x6 bales.

 

[Bigfoot]

I believe I'd feed small squares to the number of head you'll have.

 

[south0085]

Thanks guys. Bigfoot. That leads me to another question. It was my understanding that I should purchase a round bale hay-feeder to keep the cows from tromping all over the hay. How do I feed square bales? Just throw it out into the field?

 

[Brute 23]

I believe I'd feed small squares to the number of head you'll have.

That's a good option.

We have an old family place that has a lean two with hay racks in it. Little hay barn attached so you just walk from the hay barn through a door the feeding spot. It has troughs built under the racks for cubes or ground feed. There is little to no waste. Its a neat set up and is perfect for 10 head or less even in not so favorable weather. ;-) That is my idea of livin the dream. Just don't let the cattle in with you while your feeding. Make them stand outside the gate until you are done.

 

[John SD]

Weight in the front will help. Driving backwards also helps, but obviously not ideal. It'll just depend on the bales and how much they weigh. I don't see a 4x4 being a problem. I certainly wouldn't buy 5x6 bales.

+1. Driving backwards definitely helps, IF you can get the bale off the ground in the first place. According to dun's link, the 35 only weighs 3093 lbs. You're going to need some extra weight out front, and the tractor hydraulics are going to have to be in top notch shape. Otherwise, I don't see round bales happening.

Not sure what my old Fordson Majors weighed but at least 2000 lbs more than a 35. While the Major would easily handle a 800 lb bale, it really struggled with a 1300 lb bale. Both bales being the same 5x5 size. The only way to handle the heavier bale was to drive backwards. That got kinda old fast if I had to go more than a quarter mile with it.

 

[Bigfoot]

I believe that's how I would feed it. Just giving them what they'd clean up a couple times a day. You can build a decent feeder with lumber for small squares to. If you limit feed square bales, and supplement that, I bet you'd end up spending less than you would on rolled hay.

 

[skyhightree1]

No major benefit to 12v that I've found coming from 6v. All the 6v tractors I sell I convert it to 12v just cause people aren't familiar with 6v in general. I have owned some 35's long enough to fix up then sell I think picking up some bales will give you issues. If tired aren't loaded I would do that. The ones I have bought weren't but I loaded them before selling. Good luck and have fun.

 

[John SD]

If you are handy with a torch and a welder, you could raid the scrap iron pile and build something like this on a low budget. Would work with a small tractor or a pickup :idea:

Caution: This link will only work a couple times for free, then they want you to subscribe or pay to download :shock:

http://www.farmshow.com/a_article.php?aid=11998

 

[hillbilly beef man]

You could use a tumblebug behind the tractor to feed, or get a neighbor to set out your hay like this in the fall.

That way you will only need a tractor big enough to put out hay once a year. Just move the electric fence and the feeders to the next row when you run out of hay.

 

[Rafter S]

I'm not sure what you mean by a round battle feeder. I assume you mean a hay ring. If so, it certainly isn't necessary but if you do get one it won't take long for it to pay for itself. Especially feeding a small group of cattle like you're going to be doing.

And if you do feed square bales instead there's nothing wrong with feeding it directly on the ground when it's dry. If you only put out small amounts at a time they won't waste much.

 

[dun]

I'm not sure what you mean by a round battle feeder. I assume you mean a hay ring. If so, it certainly isn't necessary but if you do get one it won't take long for it to pay for itself. Especially feeding a small group of cattle like you're going to be doing.

And if you do feed square bales instead there's nothing wrong with feeding it directly on the ground when it's dry. If you only put out small amounts at a time they won't waste much.

I've been known to throw a couple of square bales in a round bale feeder!

 

[boondocks]

South, see my post on your other thread re ROPS (roll-over protection). To me, that's the first order of business, especially if you're thinking of round bales.
Our tractor is underpowered for regular round bales so a neighbor makes us some a bit smaller that our tractor can handle. We try to split our hay between rounds and squares--it's always good to have some squares you can toss to get them to go where you want, or when it's blizzarding or sleeting and you don't wanna/can't get out the tractor.

We have an old hay ring (round feeder) in the winter pasture area, and we also have a long rectangular feeder attached to the side of the barn for feeding squares from inside the barn (thru a hole). We made the square feeder from panels.

 

[south0085]

Thank you everyone for your input. This is very helpful information.

Boondocks - sorry, I replied on Monday, but apparently it didn't post my reply. I saw your post. Thank you for the safety concern. You are absolutely right about that. A roll-over is something I think about. It's not worth my life to have this hobby farm. We lost someone at our church to a roll-over a while back.