Number of tractors

[Spud]

Inspired in some way by the gatecrash of the Fendt gearbox thread, just thought I'd see what folks did.

20 years ago we managed with two 6290's and a 3075, and up to three hire tractors at peak times and contractor help for beet drilling and harvesting, hedge cutting, square baling, destoning, ridging and potato harvesting.

Now, we're more independent, and do everything in house bar beet harvesting.

7 tractors that currently do between 200&900hrs each, and 4500 between them. Very occasional help by man & tractor.

For the most part it's convenient and provides backup. For any job there is at least two tractors that can do a given job easily. Most have free flow return, Anderson leads, and appropriate bracketry as required. Two with RTK

Take now for instance
7720 is sat on the Mzuri and has been drilling beans for someone. It's drill, ridger grain cart cultivation tractor as a rule. One main driver.
7620 has been on the taty harvester for 6 weeks, got a few left yet. Before that, a fortnight on the 7f plough, three months on the square baler, destoner before that. Two drivers depending on job
7618 currently sat on the combi drill from sowing wheat after spuds. It stays on the sprayer once it's come off the taty planter right up until topping spuds, then a bit of land work and drilling if the 77 is busy. My tractor as a rule except at planting time. It could be on the taty harvester in an hour if the 7620 let go.
6480 10 reg. Fleet tractor any driver pulls carts, cultivation, 5f plough fert spreading in spring on 800's if it's too wet for the 77. Does a lot of runabout random jobs. On 20.8's
6480 06 apprentice tractor as a rule. It's on 600's and 700kg lighter than the other 6480 so does more top work pressing and rolling, cart work, tedding etc
7490 done a lot of hours, sits on hedger Sept til Feb, back up for baling cultivating destoning and pulls the sprayer while the 18 is planting.
3075 does less than it used to but does a lot of raking, beet scruffling, irrigation, drain jetting etc.
Never had anyone say 'I'm not doing that if I can't take my own tractor' fortunately!

 

[daveydiesel1]

Got 11 here, 1 is a 240 that does practally nothin as it was done up, the rest is a mix of classic and newer stuff

 

[Jasper]

Inspired in some way by the gatecrash of the Fendt gearbox thread, just thought I'd see what folks did.

20 years ago we managed with two 6290's and a 3075, and up to three hire tractors at peak times and contractor help for beet drilling and harvesting, hedge cutting, square baling, destoning, ridging and potato harvesting.

Now, we're more independent, and do everything in house bar beet harvesting.

7 tractors that currently do between 200&900hrs each, and 4500 between them. Very occasional help by man & tractor.

For the most part it's convenient and provides backup. For any job there is at least two tractors that can do a given job easily. Most have free flow return, Anderson leads, and appropriate bracketry as required. Two with RTK

Take now for instance
7720 is sat on the Mzuri and has been drilling beans for someone. It's drill, ridger grain cart cultivation tractor as a rule. One main driver.
7620 has been on the taty harvester for 6 weeks, got a few left yet. Before that, a fortnight on the 7f plough, three months on the square baler, destoner before that. Two drivers depending on job
7618 currently sat on the combi drill from sowing wheat after spuds. It stays on the sprayer once it's come off the taty planter right up until topping spuds, then a bit of land work and drilling if the 77 is busy. My tractor as a rule except at planting time. It could be on the taty harvester in an hour if the 7620 let go.
6480 10 reg. Fleet tractor any driver pulls carts, cultivation, 5f plough fert spreading in spring on 800's if it's too wet for the 77. Does a lot of runabout random jobs. On 20.8's
6480 06 apprentice tractor as a rule. It's on 600's and 700kg lighter than the other 6480 so does more top work pressing and rolling, cart work, tedding etc
7490 done a lot of hours, sits on hedger Sept til Feb, back up for baling cultivating destoning and pulls the sprayer while the 18 is planting.
3075 does less than it used to but does a lot of raking, beet scruffling, irrigation, drain jetting etc.
Never had anyone say 'I'm not doing that if I can't take my own tractor' fortunately!

Don’t forget the Renault

 

[Goffer]

3 workhorses doing 2500 hrs between them plus tp , but only 2 drivers

 

[Spud]

Don’t forget the Renault

Renault cut the hay and baled the bunches for the taty heaps, currently on the sawbench! Not a frontliner though

454 Nash has some adapted wheels for damdyking and mans the tanker at harvest, ploughing matches in winter

Ford 5600 currently stood down from topping with hydraulic issues. Might put the loader back on it yet, just cos I can!

135 would be better than the Nash for ploughing but currently needs a lot of tlc

 

[Jasper]

Please excuse my ignorance but what are bunches ?

 

[76masseyman]

2 here, one does everything, the other does everything else, if they can’t do it, it doesn’t get done.

 

[Speedstar]

Inspired in some way by the gatecrash of the Fendt gearbox thread, just thought I'd see what folks did.

20 years ago we managed with two 6290's and a 3075, and up to three hire tractors at peak times and contractor help for beet drilling and harvesting, hedge cutting, square baling, destoning, ridging and potato harvesting.

Now, we're more independent, and do everything in house bar beet harvesting.

7 tractors that currently do between 200&900hrs each, and 4500 between them. Very occasional help by man & tractor.

For the most part it's convenient and provides backup. For any job there is at least two tractors that can do a given job easily. Most have free flow return, Anderson leads, and appropriate bracketry as required. Two with RTK

Take now for instance
7720 is sat on the Mzuri and has been drilling beans for someone. It's drill, ridger grain cart cultivation tractor as a rule. One main driver.
7620 has been on the taty harvester for 6 weeks, got a few left yet. Before that, a fortnight on the 7f plough, three months on the square baler, destoner before that. Two drivers depending on job
7618 currently sat on the combi drill from sowing wheat after spuds. It stays on the sprayer once it's come off the taty planter right up until topping spuds, then a bit of land work and drilling if the 77 is busy. My tractor as a rule except at planting time. It could be on the taty harvester in an hour if the 7620 let go.
6480 10 reg. Fleet tractor any driver pulls carts, cultivation, 5f plough fert spreading in spring on 800's if it's too wet for the 77. Does a lot of runabout random jobs. On 20.8's
6480 06 apprentice tractor as a rule. It's on 600's and 700kg lighter than the other 6480 so does more top work pressing and rolling, cart work, tedding etc
7490 done a lot of hours, sits on hedger Sept til Feb, back up for baling cultivating destoning and pulls the sprayer while the 18 is planting.
3075 does less than it used to but does a lot of raking, beet scruffling, irrigation, drain jetting etc.
Never had anyone say 'I'm not doing that if I can't take my own tractor' fortunately!

Do not think you are alone now adays having a back up tractor for most job , with the state dealers are in all looking for men to repair tractors & machines & what in coming year when low houred second hand tractors are very hard to come by & new ones are getting out of the question for lots of people ?

 

[lloyd]

Inspired in some way by the gatecrash of the Fendt gearbox thread, just thought I'd see what folks did.

20 years ago we managed with two 6290's and a 3075, and up to three hire tractors at peak times and contractor help for beet drilling and harvesting, hedge cutting, square baling, destoning, ridging and potato harvesting.

Now, we're more independent, and do everything in house bar beet harvesting.

7 tractors that currently do between 200&900hrs each, and 4500 between them. Very occasional help by man & tractor.

For the most part it's convenient and provides backup. For any job there is at least two tractors that can do a given job easily. Most have free flow return, Anderson leads, and appropriate bracketry as required. Two with RTK

Take now for instance
7720 is sat on the Mzuri and has been drilling beans for someone. It's drill, ridger grain cart cultivation tractor as a rule. One main driver.
7620 has been on the taty harvester for 6 weeks, got a few left yet. Before that, a fortnight on the 7f plough, three months on the square baler, destoner before that. Two drivers depending on job
7618 currently sat on the combi drill from sowing wheat after spuds. It stays on the sprayer once it's come off the taty planter right up until topping spuds, then a bit of land work and drilling if the 77 is busy. My tractor as a rule except at planting time. It could be on the taty harvester in an hour if the 7620 let go.
6480 10 reg. Fleet tractor any driver pulls carts, cultivation, 5f plough fert spreading in spring on 800's if it's too wet for the 77. Does a lot of runabout random jobs. On 20.8's
6480 06 apprentice tractor as a rule. It's on 600's and 700kg lighter than the other 6480 so does more top work pressing and rolling, cart work, tedding etc
7490 done a lot of hours, sits on hedger Sept til Feb, back up for baling cultivating destoning and pulls the sprayer while the 18 is planting.
3075 does less than it used to but does a lot of raking, beet scruffling, irrigation, drain jetting etc.
Never had anyone say 'I'm not doing that if I can't take my own tractor' fortunately!

Are you hoping to appear in classic tractor sometime soon ?

 

[Spud]

Are you hoping to appear in classic tractor sometime soon ?

Too many that are too new to be in CT I should think - the 3075 was in a few years ago though

 

[Spud]

Please excuse my ignorance but what are bunches ?

They are 3'*2'*8" high, used to cover temporary potato heaps

 

[Spud]

2 hear, one does everything, the other does everything else, if they can’t do it, it doesn’t get done.

We were like that way back when. Cba with all that constant implement swapping these days (and wheel swapping)
At one point I'd move an irrigator, go spraying til it was dry, swap sprayer for baler, bale til it was damp, baler off, move irrigator again - all with the same tractor.
Back then I had precious little else to do other than pile the hours on the tractor though!

 

[kiwi pom]

Got 11 here, 1 is a 240 that does practally nothin as it was done up, the rest is a mix of classic and newer stuff

How many drivers and yearly hours

Extra tractors are good to a point you always need some type of backup, but I think you can have too many as well. Everything with an engine needs some type of servicing, spreading that over the total hours worked perhaps isn't too bad but you can get to the stage where you are spending a lot just to have something do 40 or 50 hours a year.

I think you have it about right @Spud and agree you don't want a workforce that says, 'I'm not doing that, it's not my tractor'.

 

[Jasper]

They are 3'*2'*8" high, used to cover temporary potato heaps
View attachment 1147682

Thanks everyday is a school day . How many of them do you need to make is that a vintage baler can you use a bale sledge and a grab to gather them up .?

 

[ridger]

4 here and usually one driver, would rather an extra tractor or two than constantly hoping stuff on and off

 

[40 series]

5 here
1 driver
It’s horses for courses
I find this last few years I would be of the same mind as ridger

 

[mac102004]

Stick to around 10 here, most wouldn't get 100 hours a year. Tractor on the slurry tanker would see 250 or so. We like to have a bit of redundancy, and like to run older gear. I'm sure someone could do the same work with 2-3 newer tractors without any trouble.

 

[FonterraFarmer]

2 hear, one does everything, the other does everything else, if they can’t do it, it doesn’t get done.

By feck they must be loud.....

 

[box]

Down to 2 at the moment.

About 250 hours a year between them.

 

[Farmer Roy]

Err, 800 ha arable farm
2 x distinct cropping seasons a year, cool season & warm season crops.

I also used to do a fair bit of contract planting work as well, before I quit doing it

1 main farming / planting tractor of around 300 hp. Can also go on chaser bin or grain vac at harvest if needed. Maybe a few hundred hours a year if that

1 front end loader tractor of about 100 hp.
Used mainly for moving IBCs, lifting fertiliser bags, or using PTO on field bin, grain vac or 13” x 90’ auger. Less than 100 hours a year

spraying is done by contractor with a 36 m SP machine

Grain harvesting done by contractor with 2 x 12m machines, who also supplies chaser bin & tractor

cotton harvest by contractor

ALL freight / cartage is done by contractors with trucks, usually B Doubles or Road Trains now that they are legal here

even when we were fully conventional cultivation, prior to zero till ( say 30 or more years ago ) 1000 hours a year was pretty average for a main farming tractor.
When I was doing a lot of contract planting work, was probably about 1000 hours ?

Used for many years as main farming / contracting tractor. Since relegated to being used for PTO work at harvest cos it’s not worth anything & I don’t want to pour more money into it. Other option is to scrap it . . .

Probably does less than 100 hours a year on average, but definitely serves a valuable role.

only bought this last year to replace the blue POS as main farming tractor. Don’t bother contracting anymore, so it won’t ever have to leave the farm. 17,000 hours & over 30 years old, but solid & reliable. Will only do a few hundred hours a year ( if that ) on my 800 ha. All my planting equipment is 12 m, which helps