STUPID QUESTION OF THE DAY

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Ridgefarmer63

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As some of you might already know, we're looking to upgrade/increase the haying operation.

Have an opportunity to hay a 20 acre field. Which is big in my neck of the woods.

It's about 10 miles away. 60 % paved. I have r-1's on tractors.

I would have to rent a deck over to move the equipment.

How far is too far to drive a tractor down the road?
 
My neighbor has about a 10 mile trip between his hayfields and roads them there all the time.. also partly paved, partly gravel.. It's definitely going to wear the tires, but it's proabably going to be cheaper than renting a trailer over and over again.

Biggest question is if it's a high traffic road and risk of accidents, etc.. Neighbors usually have a pilot car ahead of them, a lot of it is a really windy road that's pretty tight
 
Thanks.
I wasn't even considering it until I googled and got on a web site where people are saying they have driven equipment home form a dealer or whatever and they're talkin' like 100 flipping miles !!

Most mentioned they had the wife in the pu behind them.
 
It's tiring mostly because the ag tires are rough riding on hard surfaces. If you get a self unloading trailer you would only need the tractor at the loading end. Haul the full trailer home and unload, then repeat. I've hauled hay in with 8 on the trailer with my wife pulling it with the truck and me following with a bale front and rear. Load it, drive a couple of miles then unload, repeat as required. That makes an exhausting day
 
its not unusual to see tractors moving equipment here sometime 50 miles between farms. The big row croppers here are always on the road with Duals and some piece of equipment behind it. One guy custom combines in the tristates he put a hitch on the back of combine to pull his header wagon. His son usually follows with truck and fuel trailer behind that . Year before last I drove all my equipment about 15 miles to hay a field .
 
Not sure if I should start a new thread about this, but one of the possibilities is to graze it instead.

Sounds like they want to raise sheep, but they have more grazing land than they need.

Looks like they got water, electric and high tensile fences all around.

How would I pay them? Whats the going rate in the northeast area?

I'm thinking weigh them on the way in, and weigh them on the way home and pay a set amount per pound they gained??

.25 cents a pound ??
 
Lots of guys farm property 10-20 miles from the base operation. I am actually one of the weirdos that likes all his property to be within a couple miles of home.
 
Ridgefarmer63":3efvqm3o said:
Not sure if I should start a new thread about this, but one of the possibilities is to graze it instead.

Sounds like they want to raise sheep, but they have more grazing land than they need.

Looks like they got water, electric and high tensile fences all around.

How would I pay them? Whats the going rate in the northeast area?

I'm thinking weigh them on the way in, and weigh them on the way home and pay a set amount per pound they gained??

.25 cents a pound ??

Ask renter what price he would like for rent. Toss numbers around in your head and see if it makes sense.

2 Golden rules to renting:

#1 Pay the landlord what he wants. Not a wise time to practice your Jewish money-saving skills. There are guys like me peeking around the corner waiting for you to screw up and take your spot.

#2 Look after the ground as if you owned it. Pride and effort do not go unnoticed.

You do those two things and you can foster a good relationship with your landlord.
 
Aaron":1wit92d0 said:
Lots of guys farm property 10-20 miles from the base operation. I am actually one of the weirdos that likes all his property to be within a couple miles of home.

I hay two small fields (6 acres and 9 acres) that are with-in 1/2 mile from farm. I drive to those.

I agree, it'd be great to have everything real close.
 
Aaron":3h3erofp said:
Ridgefarmer63":3h3erofp said:
Not sure if I should start a new thread about this, but one of the possibilities is to graze it instead.

Sounds like they want to raise sheep, but they have more grazing land than they need.

Looks like they got water, electric and high tensile fences all around.

How would I pay them? Whats the going rate in the northeast area?

I'm thinking weigh them on the way in, and weigh them on the way home and pay a set amount per pound they gained??

.25 cents a pound ??

Ask renter what price he would like for rent. Toss numbers around in your head and see if it makes sense.

2 Golden rules to renting:

#1 Pay the landlord what he wants. Not a wise time to practice your Jewish money-saving skills. There are guys like me peeking around the corner waiting for you to screw up and take your spot.

#2 Look after the ground as if you owned it. Pride and effort do not go unnoticed.

You do those two things and you can foster a good relationship with your landlord.

They're new to this and so am I . I'll go chat her up and see where it goes.

Thanks for the advice.
 
Mine concern is more safety oriented than distance..here its like holding a cocked pistol to your head,To get out on public road...theses idiots will run right into your back pocket... A lot of farmers been killed here by semi trucks...white line fever.
 
The guy that sprigged my place drove 45 miles and it was only 25 acres. That was a tractor pulling the sprigger and a pickup pulling a gooseneck. He did not charge many any extra. When I ask him about it he stated, it was better than having the equipment sitting idle. He also said that any tractor he buys has to have a highway gear.

I drove 12 miles last year to spray a buddies pasture and that was about as far as I care to go.
 
I have some fields 30 miles from home and drive the tractor to them without batting an eye. By the time I would load up and chain down a big tractor on my trailer and then unchain and unload it's just easier and less hassle to hope in and drive. Usually haul the discbine with the tractor to the field and then haul everything else with the truck, leaving the tractor in the field until the hay is done and hauled home.
 
We drive up to 30 miles away and don't even think twice about it. Usually the pickups with header trailers go first to help get the combines and grain carts over hills and such. The combines will run right at 25mph and the tractors on the carts can run up to 27mph so it doesn't take long. As for haying 20 miles is about as far as we have to go, generally we stack the hay somewhere near the meadow if we have a pasture near by. Our hay tractors run 20-26 mph, some of our neighbors use some old massy equipment and I could see where traveling much distance with those could be an issue. Just guessing I bet they only run 10-12mph max
 
M-5":1hxn06jw said:
its not unusual to see tractors moving equipment here sometime 50 miles between farms. The big row croppers here are always on the road with Duals and some piece of equipment behind it. One guy custom combines in the tristates he put a hitch on the back of combine to pull his header wagon. His son usually follows with truck and fuel trailer behind that . Year before last I drove all my equipment about 15 miles to hay a field .
Same way in the farming country down here.....tractors all ready to rock and roll and river inside having a few beers before he starts the hard stuff.
 
If you own a truck and trailer to haul with, anything over a mile or 3 is too far to drive the tractor. If you don't have a truck or trailer but could easily borrow or rent one, 10-15 miles would be my range. If you can't easily rent or borrow a truck/trailer 20-30 miles would be my limit.
 
Lazy M":2yx09c9a said:
If you own a truck and trailer to haul with, anything over a mile or 3 is too far to drive the tractor.

A mile or 3......? I could drive the tractor there and be started mowing hay before I could even have the trailer hitched up let alone tractor loaded and chained down, then unchaining and unloading.

Heck I drive almost that far to get to the other side of the home farm.
 

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