Is my system right?

[J 1177]

2020 Case IH Optum 300 CVX – Paxtons

paxtons.co.uk

 

[JJT]

If you got for a 300hp and 150hp, you've still only got one tractor that can drill. Where as if you keep your 230hp and get another slightly bigger one you will still have 2 tractors that can do everything if needed.

 

[IOW91]

What about hiring an extra one for harvest and drilling?

 

[Flatlander]

What about a tracked challenger to pull the drill and for ground work. Cheaper than a fancy deere or fendt. After all your trying to equip fir 400 acres not a 1000. Your cost per acre for tractors seems high. your right in thinking two tractors a great insurance for breakdowns but if only one can do the main grunt jobs then the other isn’t going to help much.

 

[Bossfarmer]

What?? You're having your leg lifted!!!
£102,500 for NH T7.245PC, front links, sidewinder, elec spools and mid mount. Autosteer to Rangepoint incl although still waiting for my elec grease gun freebie

a case 240 is a bigger higher powered machine, nh badge their power as boosted hp, case dont

 

[icanshootwell]

Just to add I don’t want to change the drill as it does a good job and suits the soil type.

Fendt 828 Profi Plus Tractor (ST12266) | RJ and KD McLean Ltd – Tractors and Plant

You could get this just for the drilling and heavy work, high hours but looks tidy. Keep your other tractor as well, trading up at the moment don't look a good business sense if you own the tractor. I have a 5 year old tractor with lowish hours to px for a new one like for like would cost 50k and that's 160 hp. It won't be going anywhere.

 

[Ali_Maxxum]

Can you find another of what you have and buy it as an addition? You would definitely thank yourself having 2 tractors the same if not very similar. 4k hrs at 7yr old isn't too bad at all, assume you had it brand new? For us it's more tractors, keep longer, spread the hours.

 

[Flat 10]

Hi just joined but have been looking in for a while. It’s my first post and I’m looking for some advice please. So I’m covering 400ac on my own alongside some farm diversifications. The arable is very much part time though. The system I’m running is I have a contractor doing combining, hedge cutting and baling . I do everything else myself with one 230hp tractor and 1 telescopic. I’ve converted to mostly direct drilling although I rotationally subsoil where required. I run a large 32m trailed sprayer which was left over from when we were covering 1000ac. My quandary is that I’m completely reliant on my sole tractor which is now 7 yrs old with 4000hrs on it. It’s fully loaded spec wise with cvt gearbox, front links, front pto etc. it’s also running RTK auto steer. It’s current value is £60,000 having just had it valued. To replace it is going to cost £135,000 for a new one less my tractor but I’ll still have one tractor.

My tractor isn’t quite on top of the drill (rapid with front subsoil tine bar) as traction is an issue on my heavy clay soils. So I’m thinking of selling mine and buying a 300hp well used tractor like a JD8530 or Magnum 315 for drilling and subsoiling. I’ve also got a 5m set of discs used very occasionally. Then also buying used 150hp tractor that could do the spraying (liquid fert as well), corn cart, rolling and topping.

Basically it’ll spilt my annual hours between 2 tractors instead of relying on one. Bit of a you turn as I always thought running one was the most efficient but it’s making me a bit nervous. Last harvest mine had a bit of breakdown and was out of action for 5 days. I couldn’t get a contractor in as they were all busy and I ended up with 250ac of wet straw in the swath. Had I got another tractor this wouldn’t of happened. I’ve got a spare JD Mobile RTK steering kit as well so as long as one of tractors I bought had an auto steer kit on it then I can sort the other one out.

Any advice?

I think you either need to run 1 tractor in warranty with dealer support or 2 older ones. Either way you seem to have a massive amount of gear on 400ac but hey whatever works for you and if it was paid for by the 1000ac previously it makes more sense. This is a meaningless figure but to buy your newer replacement works out at £337/ac!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nearly]

Better the 240hp devil you know than start again with 150hp.

 

[alomy75]

What about a tracked challenger to pull the drill and for ground work. Cheaper than a fancy deere or fendt. After all your trying to equip fir 400 acres not a 1000. Your cost per acre for tractors seems high. your right in thinking two tractors a great insurance for breakdowns but if only one can do the main grunt jobs then the other isn’t going to help much.

I agree. I have a 7530 and a challenger as main tractors on 400ac. We do have a 6420 but it’s surplus really; does a bit of rolling and sits on a trailer at harvest. Heavily diversified business so can’t afford to be swapping stuff over but bought the crawler as a backup. 26000 for 212hp…what’s not to like. Also OP, prob worth checking with your sprayer of choice…we nearly bought a chafer trailed and that came with its own compressor so you might not need air and they don’t need that much oil flow either. 50k also unnecessary imo especially if you have roads like I have round here. Puts way more strain on implements and the tractor especially brakes. Not to mention illegal to drive at 50k anyway in a conventional tractor. Lose all that and your second tractor could be a lot cheaper than you think

 

[Thomas5060]

I agree. I have a 7530 and a challenger as main tractors on 400ac. We do have a 6420 but it’s surplus really; does a bit of rolling and sits on a trailer at harvest. Heavily diversified business so can’t afford to be swapping stuff over but bought the crawler as a backup. 26000 for 212hp…what’s not to like. Also OP, prob worth checking with your sprayer of choice…we nearly bought a chafer trailed and that came with its own compressor so you might not need air and they don’t need that much oil flow either. 50k also unnecessary imo especially if you have roads like I have round here. Puts way more strain on implements and the tractor especially brakes. Not to mention illegal to drive at 50k anyway in a conventional tractor. Lose all that and your second tractor could be a lot cheaper than you think

The law changed, 50k is legal now

 

[Flatlander]

I agree. I have a 7530 and a challenger as main tractors on 400ac. We do have a 6420 but it’s surplus really; does a bit of rolling and sits on a trailer at harvest. Heavily diversified business so can’t afford to be swapping stuff over but bought the crawler as a backup. 26000 for 212hp…what’s not to like. Also OP, prob worth checking with your sprayer of choice…we nearly bought a chafer trailed and that came with its own compressor so you might not need air and they don’t need that much oil flow either. 50k also unnecessary imo especially if you have roads like I have round here. Puts way more strain on implements and the tractor especially brakes. Not to mention illegal to drive at 50k anyway in a conventional tractor. Lose all that and your second tractor could be a lot cheaper than you think

What model number are you running. I like my challengers but find them rough on the road, fuel wise per acre they are not thirsty but once a repair come it’s painful but I’m cheap apparently.

 

[e3120]

The law changed, 50k is legal now

The law changed to make 40k legal (subject to width). Unless that sea border has moved up a gear - are you not in another 3 years of no new laws anyway?

 

[MrNoo]

a case 240 is a bigger higher powered machine, nh badge their power as boosted hp, case dont

Yes I know

 

[Thomas5060]

The law changed to make 40k legal (subject to width). Unless that sea border has moved up a gear - are you not in another 3 years of no new laws anyway?

My bad, you are correct. Whereas your smart comment about NI is wrong, we have a government that can pass legislation but just don’t have an executive until our next election in May. Some extra research would do you no harm before making smart comments like that, I will do my part and research the tractor rules, will save having to talk to a nescient being such as yourself.

 

[Cmoran]

Personally if your current tractor is going well I’d be keeping it and adding a bigger tractor to the team

 

[Flat 10]

How much gear do you lot really thing you need to dd 400acres?!?!?

 

[Mc115reed]

My old man changed from 2 tractors too 1 couple years ago and said it’s best thing he ever did, changed too 1 150hp tractor for day to day work then hired in a 250hp all singing and dancing tractor for drilling for a month cost him £19 a clock hour but he only put 100 clock hours on it, makes more financial sense surely than spending 40k just too own it?

 

[alomy75]

What model number are you running. I like my challengers but find them rough on the road, fuel wise per acre they are not thirsty but once a repair come it’s painful but I’m cheap apparently.

We’ve had a 45 in the past and now on a 35 after a business restructure. 45 was quite rough and high hours but never went wrong; 35 was 1 owner from new but needed 3k spent on the engine nearly straight away they do go wrong but compared to modern stuff even a whole new gearbox is an economical repair with the hp for £ figure. Very rough on our bouncy roads but I’m in no rush; we are moving to dd and it just floats across the soil; so more than worth it. Got a jd ATU on it so if my 75 fails then it will just swap straight over and isn’t silly big; we even roll with it and it sinks less than than the 6420.

 

[alomy75]

How much gear do you lot really thing you need to dd 400acres?!?!?

OP is farming part time. I can appreciate where he’s coming from. It saves so much time to be able to just jump on something and be doing productive work straight away. But like you say; solely farming 400ac would be easy with 1 tractor apart from harvest maybe.