Tractor size?

[Jrebyank]

Hi guys new to the board! I'm in the market for a new tractor, I currently own a 6000 Mahindra that I really like. Here's the problem it doesn't quite have the hp I need for an 8-9' hay mower. What would be y'alls opinion on a hp? Going with 4x4 this time around too...

 

[dun]

60 horse should be plenty if it's a disc mower. I mowed with a 9 foot disc mower with a 50 horse (2wd) for years. With 4wd I would go to a minimum of 75 with a disc mower. All I've cut with for the past 15 years is either a disc or drum mower so not sure about anything else.

 

[Nesikep]

I have a Massey 165 with a 7 1/2 foot sicklebar mower/conditioner, tractor is 55 hp and could handle a 9' easily in heavy alfalfa. discbines do take more power from what I hear though.

I think Dun is about right on HP, a good 75 horse tractor can do a lot of work, especially a 4wd... I just find using a 4wd to hay is both expensive and inconvenient.. .each tractor hour is more costly, and they don't turn as sharp.

Welcome to CT too

 

[Chuckie]

Nice little 3020 would do the job.

 

[dun]

I have a Massey 165 with a 7 1/2 foot sicklebar mower/conditioner, tractor is 55 hp and could handle a 9' easily in heavy alfalfa. discbines do take more power from what I hear though.

I think Dun is about right on HP, a good 75 horse tractor can do a lot of work, especially a 4wd... I just find using a 4wd to hay is both expensive and inconvenient.. .each tractor hour is more costly, and they don't turn as sharp.

Welcome to CT too

My tractorsw are selective for 4wd. Pretty much only use the 4wd for pulling a 10 foot new ground disc, a 10 foot Hay buster drill and in the winters to feed and somtimes to move heavy dirt/rocks. It's just a handy option to have available. Kind of like 4wd in a truck.

 

[Nesikep]

But for the amount of time I'm actually in 4wd in my truck, I sure pay for it the rest of the time.. Ujoints still wear from spinning with no load, etc.. and the turning radius suffers.

We have a big old Ford County 90hp 4wd, about a 100 ft turning radius, but when we really need to pull, we get the heavy artillery out with that. It weighs about 7 ton.

I wouldn't even like to hay with our IH 684 as it's so long it doesn't turn too sharp either.. there's nothing like a MF165 for turning sharp... or turning over for that matter!

 

[dun]

... or turning over for that matter!

Speaking of that, to really tighten your pucker string try turning a narrow wheel base tractor with the disc mower raised all the way up and on the down side of a slope. Never realized how far you could go with only the right side tires on the ground. Probably wasn;t nearly as far as it felt like it was!

 

[Nesikep]

heheh, I have a similar feeling in one field where our big old 282 self powered baler is behind the 165... Making a right turn to face down hill again, and that baler pushes you sideways... I have learned to take that corner real easy.
The mf165's are a death trap in more ways than one... The multipower freewheels in low range, very light front ends, band brakes that never stay adjusted the same, and PTO controls that are easy to accidentally engage... list goes on! On the plus, they're really efficient and reliable machines.

 

[Banjo]

Hi guys new to the board! I'm in the market for a new tractor, I currently own a 6000 Mahindra that I really like. Here's the problem it doesn't quite have the hp I need for an 8-9' hay mower. What would be y'alls opinion on a hp? Going with 4x4 this time around too...

I have a 6000 Mahindra. It does fine with a 8' disc mower, but too small really for my 15' batwing. Gets too hot.

 

[Jrebyank]

I have no problems at all with the 6000 don't get me wrong. I had a 8' kuhn and it would do just fine in med to light fields but bog pretty bad in a thick fertilized field. Mahindra makes a 6530 now that is about 7 to 8 more hp at the pto than the 6000. Just not sure that 7-8 hp makes that much difference.

 

[skyhightree1]

Just not sure that 7-8 hp makes that much difference.

Not at all

 

[Nesikep]

If one tractor size is bogging down in a load, you should go up in steps of about 25-30% to be sure it's adequate IMHO

 

[Banjo]

I have a Mahindra 6000 as I mentioned earlier, but I probably wouldn't buy another one. I like the tractor, but the engine in them is too small IMO....the cubic inches is less than 200 I think. That is the trend these days with newer tractors, they get all this HP with smaller engines, thru pump manipulation, and turbos, etc. With mine, if you get the least bit of debris in the radiator, then it can't keep it cool enough. Whereas, I have a New Holland 4 cyclinder with about a 240 cubic inch engine and it never gets too hot, just sayin. Unless your just in love with Mahindra tractors, I would shop around.

 

[bigbull338]

to pull a 9ft disc mower you want a min of 80hp tractor.youll lugg at 50pto hp tractor down pretty good pulling a 9ft cutter.

 

[Jrebyank]

I'm looking at a JD 5075E, M7040 Kubota, and a 6530 Mahindra. Anybody have experience with these? I like the JD M series just way out of my price range!

 

[dun]

75 hp would be the minimum if I was starting out and planned on doing anything with a loader, brush hog or moving large round bales. I have a 5093E and really like everything about it except the fuel comsumption. Since I upgraded from 50 hp I guess it is to be expected, but I still don;t like it.

 

[bigbull338]

we run a 7040 for hauling and feeding hay.it lifts the big 5 by 6 bales with no prob.the smallest tractor id go with on a 9ft cutter is an 8540 or 8560.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have a Mahindra 6000 as I mentioned earlier, but I probably wouldn't buy another one. I like the tractor, but the engine in them is too small IMO....the cubic inches is less than 200 I think. That is the trend these days with newer tractors, they get all this HP with smaller engines, thru pump manipulation, and turbos, etc. With mine, if you get the least bit of debris in the radiator, then it can't keep it cool enough. Whereas, I have a New Holland 4 cyclinder with about a 240 cubic inch engine and it never gets too hot, just sayin. Unless your just in love with Mahindra tractors, I would shop around.

That is the exact reason that 1977 Massey is still in the barn A4-236 Perkins diesel.
I have no idea how many acres that old girl has cut. In all these years had to have the clutch
rebuilt and the injectors reworked once.

 

[dun]

If you are unsure about the specs of various tractors you can get all that from http://www.tractordata.com/

 

[tom4018]

I'm looking at a JD 5075E, M7040 Kubota, and a 6530 Mahindra. Anybody have experience with these? I like the JD M series just way out of my price range!

I have a Kubota M7040 and really like it. They are a little lighter than some tractors but the JD E series is light also in my opinion. In some ways I wish I would have got a 8540 but then it would be overkill for some jobs, would like to upgrade balers one day.