Horsepower required

[Hfd Cattle]

Thinking of buying a combination drill instead of paying contractors .
What horsepower required for 4m set up . Fairly easy ground .

 

[Bob lincs]

20 years ago I had a 4m combi on 105 hp today we have a 4m on 210hp and a 6 m on 310 hp so somewhere between 105 and 210 will do depending on much Land you want to cover and how fast you want to get it done .

 

[milkloss]

I’d say 150 to drive the harrow reasonably well, don’t know what you’ll need for the drill.

 

[Richard98]

I’d go 150 minimum, we killed a 105hp tractor on a 3m Combi drill a few years back, on a range of soils. 120hp deals with 3m ok so I’d say 150 + for 4m to make good progress

 

[Bobthebuilder]

Depends on the combi as some take more driving than others and the weights make a difference

 

[Phil P]

There’ll be a few more factors at play than just hp, are you thinking rigid or folding, box drill, front of rear hopper?
The weight difference between a 4m rigid box drill and a 4m folding drill with rear hopped is massive. Also disc coulters can add significant weight.
Also the number of rotors/m will affect how much he is required.

I use to run a 4m rigid box drill with Suffolk coulters and 3 rotos/m on a 130hp tractor no problems.
I now run a 4m folding with disc coulters and front hopper on a 255hp tractor. One of the main reasons been lift capacity but also 4 rotors/m takes extra driving. But my work rate has probably nearly doubled, mainly trough the time saving of a bigger hopper and not needing to drop the drill of to move down the road!

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Oh dear it's getting complicated ! I only run a JD 6630 for the main work . I would be thinking of a 4m straight combi with a trailer to transport but it would very rarely need to go on trailer.
Perhaps I should go down to a 3m set up. I would only do about 170 acres ....?

 

[Barleycorn]

Have plenty, round here neighbours need 260 HP on their hedgecutter!!

 

[KB6930]

Oh dear it's getting complicated ! I only run a JD 6630 for the main work . I would be thinking of a 4m straight combi with a trailer to transport but it would very rarely need to go on trailer.
Perhaps I should go down to a 3m set up. I would only do about 170 acres ....?

Get a 3m for that we've just went up to a 4m from 3m since 2007 been drilling 800 acres a year which then rose to 1200 in 2017 and managed fine but the drill driver is getting busy with other stuff so wanted to go wider

 

[deleted user 837354]

On a JD 6630 a 3m combi drill will be about right on kind land. It's when stiff dirt, a press on the front or slopes come into it you will wish for a bigger tractor.

 

[aled1590]

Contractor does ours with a 3m combi and front press with a 6630 on medium to heavy clay on the edge of snowdonia so flat it is not

 

[nick...]

Used to run my 3m amazone on a 6620 with front press and it was perfectly fine most of the time.when drilling heavy land after late beet it was a struggle sometimes.now use it on a 7710 which is better but certainly does not play with it.3m is far easier to get about.if ring fenced and easy going im sure your 6630 woukd manage 4m.in the good old days a ford 7600 would run a 4m power Harrow but most people want double or Tripple that nowadays.lifting is more important than the powering aswell
Nick...

 

[Muck Spreader]

You wonder how folk ever managed to sow a field 50 years ago. I would think a 6630 more than adequate, but I would stick with a 3m setup and buy a big front weight (or a press) with the difference.

 

[Nearly]

You wonder how folk ever managed to sow a field 50 years ago. I would think a 6630 more than adequate, but I would stick with a 3m setup and buy a big front weight (or a press) with the difference.

That's the problem, 4m is cheaper than 3m.
That's why I finished up with Kuhn 4m on NH 8340.

If you said I don't need a combi then you're right, in this field.

 

[Dman2]

We do 200acre with our 3m
Last year we were finished in under 2 weeks
140hp on front

 

[texelburger]

Oh dear it's getting complicated ! I only run a JD 6630 for the main work . I would be thinking of a 4m straight combi with a trailer to transport but it would very rarely need to go on trailer.
Perhaps I should go down to a 3m set up. I would only do about 170 acres ....?

I would think a 3m would be fine on that acreage.We have a 3m on a 175 hp 4 cyl tractor that does approx 670 ac/ year whichever includes autumn and spring drilling of cereals, OSR, St. Turnips etc

 

[Lazy Sod]

4m is cheaper than 3m.

Is that because the 4m is less saleable second hand?

40 -50 years ago, virtually everbody around here had MF tractors and combines. The dealer would cut down 12' MF combine headers to 8'-6" and 20 row MF drills down to 15 (12' to 9'). They couldn't sell the older big kit to the smaller farmers.

When I first started on the farm we had a MF 732 13 row drill, a hopeless little thing. Because we were virtually ring fenced, we went for a 20 row drill before finally changing to 4 metre and tramlines.

 

[Muck Spreader]

Is that because the 4m is less saleable second hand?

40 -50 years ago, virtually everbody around here had MF tractors and combines. The dealer would cut down 12' MF combine headers to 8'-6" and 20 row MF drills down to 15 (12' to 9'). They couldn't sell the older big kit to the smaller farmers.

When I first started on the farm we had a MF 732 13 row drill, a hopeless little thing. Because we were virtually ring fenced, we went for a 20 row drill before finally changing to 4 metre and tramlines.

Certainly noticed that with some grass equipment like mowers. Couldn't give old trailed ones away, whereas mounted ones were still good money.

 

[sticky]

I have P reg 6600 with 12500 on the clock and with duals on she handles a 4m rabe ph with a reco drill with Suffolk coulters no problem. It was tweaked slightly when younger (may be 125hp now) and I have banks and clay.
I was told years ago by a rep 30hp/m +30hp.

 

[Will 1594]

You wonder how folk ever managed to sow a field 50 years ago. I would think a 6630 more than adequate, but I would stick with a 3m setup and buy a big front weight (or a press) with the difference.

Wonder what they would think now if you had to drill 2000 acres with a 188 massey and 4 m 30 drill and gangplank all seed ,
Get some duals on 66 and front press for between wheels and buy the best 3 m combi you can afford , do an extra hour a day