What tractor Hp would be needed for....

13spanner

What kind of horse power would be needed to work....

1. 8ft front mounted mower and a 8ft trailed conditioner.
2. To pull a 2000-2200gal tanker comfortably.

Thanks in advance,
13spanner

djmc

130 HP but it would depend on the type of mower some type disc mowers with
conditiners can be driven with small hp tractors
You would need that power to pull tanker could do it with smaller tractor but have no power pulling up hills

pajero12

Definately need more than 130hp. My summer rig is chipped to 202hp and you'd need it in heavy first cut meadows, Using two 10ft mowers. Id say 150-160hp anyway!

Grecco

Have to agree, 130Hp is not only barely enough power for two mowers, you`d redden the sh1t out it and end up guzzling a load more diesel than a 200Hp

vanderbadger

pajero12 wrote: »

Definately need more than 130hp. My summer rig is chipped to 202hp and you'd need it in heavy first cut meadows, Using two 10ft mowers. Id say 150-160hp anyway!

what you driving pajero, john deere i take it? serious power, you must have a diesel bowser following you around

13spanner

Back to ye again lads
Just as regards the mowers, a 228a John Deere front mounted and a 1355 John deere trailed (both 8ft disc conditioners)
The kind of ground we'd be travelling would be hilly enough and wet in spots, county clare's finest :rolleyes:

Thanks again, 13spanner

pajero12

vanderbadger wrote: »

what you driving pajero, john deere i take it? serious power, you must have a diesel bowser following you around

Oh god no, You'd be shot if you were seen one of those yokes round here, It's an 09 Fendt 818 with twin taarups, Haha, actually got the tank brimmed in the field by a corrib oil truck a few times last summer

13spanner wrote: »

Back to ye again lads
Just as regards the mowers, a 228a John Deere front mounted and a 1355 John deere trailed (both 8ft disc conditioners)
The kind of ground we'd be travelling would be hilly enough and wet in spots, county clare's finest :rolleyes:

Thanks again, 13spanner

Really dont want to skimp on power with the twins....They start plugging like f*ck!

Did you settle on a tractor yet?

13spanner

pajero12 wrote: »

Did you settle on a tractor yet?

Well we were looking at a 2008 massey 6480, the local dealer has one in a nice condition. Supposodly around 140-150hp.
Would we want to go bigger? Or should we buy a Deere while we're spending money at all? We've Massey and Deere dealers close enough so we're lucky in that way...

pajero12

13spanner wrote: »

Well we were looking at a 2008 massey 6480, the local dealer has one in a nice condition. Supposodly around 140-150hp.
Would we want to go bigger? Or should we buy a Deere while we're spending money at all? We've Massey and Deere dealers close enough so we're lucky in that way...

Ooh, There a nice tractor..I'd say you'd be safe enough at that, and if she's struggling you could always consider chipping it!!
No buy the tractor that suits best, not the brand!
Yeah backup is very important if your going into this job.

Are you going full time or are you still in school or college?

beretta686s

def 200hp+ 2 mowers in heavy grass on hilly ground ull know all abt it

13spanner

pajero12 wrote: »

Are you going full time or are you still in school or college?

Well I'm in Mary I all the time for secondary teaching, but when I come out of there and (hopefully!) get work, It'll be silage during the summers.
Just doing my research as to how I'll go about it. By the way, what do you make of the front mounted/back trailed combination?
Thanks for the help,
13spanner

ihatetractors

beretta686s wrote: »

def 200hp+ 2 mowers in heavy grass on hilly ground ull know all abt it

In fairness he isn't looking to knock 100 acre a day out put, plenty of lads runiing 2x10fts and swarters on 175 horses around here.... 140/150 would be more than enough to boss 2 8fts.

ihatetractors

13spanner wrote: »

Well we were looking at a 2008 massey 6480, the local dealer has one in a nice condition. Supposodly around 140-150hp.
Would we want to go bigger? Or should we buy a Deere while we're spending money at all? We've Massey and Deere dealers close enough so we're lucky in that way...

6910/7710 jd is what you need, very light on fuel, unbelievably reliable, still hold it value well in 5 years, half the price what your looking at also

pajero12

13spanner wrote: »

Well I'm in Mary I all the time for secondary teaching, but when I come out of there and (hopefully!) get work, It'll be silage during the summers.
Just doing my research as to how I'll go about it. By the way, what do you make of the front mounted/back trailed combination?
Thanks for the help,
13spanner

Ah yeah, remember you telling us that on another thread!

Ah it's a brilliant set up, But it very much depends on the kind of fields your in! You can't use it for the rounds so that slows ya down abit but once you get going you can mow at a serious rate. In a long flat level field we can mow at about 25kph

13spanner

pajero12 wrote: »

Ah it's a brilliant set up, But it very much depends on the kind of fields your in! You can't use it for the rounds so that slows ya down abit but once you get going you can mow at a serious rate. In a long flat level field we can mow at about 25kph

Well to be honest we'd be in alot of smaller fields, so the other option was run two 8ft trailed conditioners (JD 1355) grouping the swarths to speed up the baling. The thing is that's another tractor to fill and lad to pay so I don't know at all

vanderbadger

pajero12 wrote: »

Oh god no, You'd be shot if you were seen one of those yokes round here, It's an 09 Fendt 818 with twin taarups, Haha, actually got the tank brimmed in the field by a corrib oil truck a few times last summer




Really dont want to skimp on power with the twins....They start plugging like f*ck!

Did you settle on a tractor yet?

ive heard that the front mounted mower can be a nightmare on tight roads ?

pajero12

vanderbadger wrote: »

ive heard that the front mounted mower can be a nightmare on tight roads ?

The 8ft we had 2 years ago wasnt too bad but ever since we upped to the 10ft,apart from main roads I have to have a trailer or a car in front of me stopping people!

agrostar

13spanner wrote: »

What kind of horse power would be needed to work....

1. 8ft front mounted mower and a 8ft trailed conditioner.
2. To pull a 2000-2200gal tanker comfortably.

Thanks in advance,
13spanner

Hey 13spanner, If its a bale silage contracting operation your at there is definitily no need of having to run a front and rear mower combination outfit. Your only following with one baler the lad i used work for had one mower for two balers working fulltime and he kept up with the work, granted he was under pressure if the land was spread around but if you have a good man on the mower he will be more than able to stay in front of one baler:rolleyes::rolleyes:. And we werent hanging around either as i was on a Claas Uniwrap 255 doing 12,000 bales/yr(99%silage) and the other baler was a Welger 235 which was doing about the same ammount of bales but he did alot more hay and straw as it was better suited to that operation.
The reason is not all farmers will want you to do the mowing for them, several will want to mow themselves for a better wilth or to save afew quid. Mowing is the easy part, its the baling and wrapping operation side of things you want to get right, eg you'll have no problem time wise mowing and baling it where the time is lost is if the farmer wants the bales drawn prior to wrapping whether you want the farmer to do this himself or you do it for him they will have to be wrapped max 8-12hrs after baling if not i wouldnt expect the farmer to be paying for bales that are heating before their in plastic:eek::eek:

13spanner

Thanks for the reply agrostar. It's obvious you know what you're talking about so I'll take your word for it!
So what would make most sense is have one 8ft trailed conditioner (only 8ft because of narrow backroads/gates) grouping the swarth to speed up baling. Have 1 baler and 1 wrapper at the tail end and keep all 3 of them flat out around the clock.
I figure keepin the costs like diesel/wages as low as possible while gettin the output as high as possible is the way to go. Basically run a small outfit (1 mower, baler and wrapper) but keep them flat out
Thanks again lads,
13spanner

agrostar

No bother 13Spanner, youve the right idea about building up your gear do it gradually as the work comes in. A small contracting business may possibly make as much as a large scale operation. Get the work, look after your loyal good paying customers and keep the gear in good order and the business will look after itself..............
Best of luck with your endevours:):)..............

djmc

You could use something like a 9 or 10 foot lely splendemo with a conditioner
They fold up like a disc mower and can be driven buy a 90hp tractor so they say
It would be lighter on diesel and forget about the grouper
I know someone baling with that setup.
I didnt realize you were talking about driving 2 mowers You would def need 160hp to drive them a trailed mower would be harder to drive than a disc mower also.