No chance it was 18 months old when we got it then we were putting a thousand hours a year on it so I bought the 121 to save its live ,first and only Valtras we’ve had like them a lot simple and straightforward
Number of tractors
- Thread starter Spud
- Start date
We do the rowing up ,chopping and buckrakeing then have three trailers for farmers to pull or hire someone in with tractors and trailers.staff,s the biggest problem it’s only seasonlly and self employed did have a good man for 15 years but he got sick of nights and weekends the JD 6145 was bought for him.things aren’t as sweet now
- Location
- Co antrim
So what about the mowin? Its hard to keep a good man, silage is a young mans game with the hours required when is difficult weather. When i was teenager early twenties i did plenty of it but the thought of cartin grass doesnt interest me now
Plenty mowers around here front & backs we did do a lot of mowing years ago but would rather keep the chopper working and that’s mainly a weather thing.I do 90% of the foraging I’ve one rake man Learning, so he jumps on when time fits.my old buckrakeing man is the relief copper driver he’s still self employed so has got me out of a hole once or twice .I did but 17 hours on the copper one day this summer.
I said that because it had the most hours on and likely the biggest workload
Yes I know where your coming from but the N121 has significantly cut its work load it still does most of the ploughing though it’s my favourite,along with the loader it has front linkage so can carry a big set of weights ,an N111 is eco model a has serious grunt in eco-mode.the JD is the one I would like to swap I hate it complicated uncomfortable wishy washy suspension it’s a big numb lump but is good with the buckrake on the front and that’s what it was primarily bought for. it’s a direct drive with the big daft screen, I would swap it for a auto quad plus with mechanical spools and electric mid mount spools for buckrakeing but have you seen the price of such like stuff madness.
Reverse drive Valtra must be a pretty awesome buckrake tractor?
Puma 240 3500hrs does heavy draft work mainly and odd day leading grain.
6155r 1700hrs does everything else on a arable farm other than spraying now
Househam ar4000 5500hrs got this 2 years ago to take hrs off the Deere and to travel better in wet backends.
newholland m160 10000hrs sits in hedgecutter will probably get sold and put hedgecutter on puma in winter to cut road sides.
Classic fords which are just shed cluttering apart from a ford 3000 that I top public foot paths with.
6155r 1700hrs does everything else on a arable farm other than spraying now
Househam ar4000 5500hrs got this 2 years ago to take hrs off the Deere and to travel better in wet backends.
newholland m160 10000hrs sits in hedgecutter will probably get sold and put hedgecutter on puma in winter to cut road sides.
Classic fords which are just shed cluttering apart from a ford 3000 that I top public foot paths with.
- Location
- Co antrim
So how many acres do you lift to the country?
Probably good in theory but cab in the way in low sheds big long John Deere Can poke grass in the corner.
About 3 to 3500 acre ish not looking for any more but not wanting to lose any either.think I need a new buckrake man again? I’ll do that any way necessary good man with own tractor I’ve done that before only trouble it set him up to be opposition but getting to the time of life I’ll sell him the lot but I’d like a few more years yet staff will be the biggest decider.
- Location
- Co antrim
If its not a cheeky question what do u charge for silage services? Round here contractors are very badly paid but the farmers cant really afford much more as we get a fair bit less for our milk than the mainland
- Location
- E Yorks
Far to many here in a lot of ways but it works for us 3 main Claas tractors (5 yrs old or less), 2 modern Claas classics (both 12 yrs old) and 1 Proper Classic (1984 Fendt 308), 2 loaders a 2021 Manitou MLA and a s/h to us this year 2014 Manitou 626 (traded a tractor loader against it). 10yr old Knight S/P sprayer and 8 season old NH CR combine.
£24 rowup and chopped,buckrake £46 hour we also do wholecrop and that’s like three in one price, all plus fuel.are we cheap or dear.price of new gear we’re to cheap
- Location
- Co antrim
1 of our customers is 48 an acre plus fuel complete job and hed be onthe dearer end of the scale but does a real tidy job ,another customer was pricing into bigger jobs at 100 an acre plus fuel for 3 earlyish cuts so 33.3 an acre in 2022 complete job. Not sure what he was this year.
That was mowin,rake,lifted,carted and buckrake with a shovel
Your customers ?what do you do or are you the contractor?
bravheart
Member
- Location
- scottish borders
Does the "e" after the model number signify eco-mode?
- Location
- Co antrim
As a sideline we hire out machinery, in a small way on daily hire of dumpers,tankers,rotary spreaders lowloader/baletrailer etc but our main hire comes from seasonal hire of silage trailers and bale trailer to larger farmers and contractors. Most of the trailers never come home they do the silage with them and store them over winter
Yes N111e or eh something like that pulls it’s hart and sole out down to 1100 rpm or less but will only rev to about 1900 rpm in eco if your climbing a hill on the road and run out of splits just press eco about 1500 it just keeps going.where as John Deere gets down to about 1500 and you’d think you had switched it off needs to be 1800 really very short power band .
Have "evolved" to 4 tractors and 2 loaders covering 1100 acre arable and grass, some 2/3rds organic.
Ford 3000 was used for slurry scraping and collecting dairy cows for milking. Stopped dairying over 2oyrs ago tractor currently residing in shed gathering dust.
JD 7800 bought 2nd hand in previous century. Was used for bedding/feeding store cattle and a hesston baler. With driver retiring some 15 yrs ago now used on post chapper, mobile dryer and occasionally carting.
Fendt 828 bought used in 2012 again mainly for big baler, 6 furrow plough and general carting. With operator sadly dying last year still doing same but to a lesser degree.
Fendt 818 bought used in 2006 mainly for big baler and general farm work, now main unit on farm does most grass operations, baling etc. Operator still alive and kicking.
Have considered swapping 3 in for a more up to date c 200 hp unit possibly with loader and guidance, but quotes were unpalatable So treated the 818 to a guidance system and the others can sit in the shed till needed.
Ford 3000 was used for slurry scraping and collecting dairy cows for milking. Stopped dairying over 2oyrs ago tractor currently residing in shed gathering dust.
JD 7800 bought 2nd hand in previous century. Was used for bedding/feeding store cattle and a hesston baler. With driver retiring some 15 yrs ago now used on post chapper, mobile dryer and occasionally carting.
Fendt 828 bought used in 2012 again mainly for big baler, 6 furrow plough and general carting. With operator sadly dying last year still doing same but to a lesser degree.
Fendt 818 bought used in 2006 mainly for big baler and general farm work, now main unit on farm does most grass operations, baling etc. Operator still alive and kicking.
Have considered swapping 3 in for a more up to date c 200 hp unit possibly with loader and guidance, but quotes were unpalatable So treated the 818 to a guidance system and the others can sit in the shed till needed.