Will a Ford 4600 run a 2 metre power harrow?

HillFarmer

Hi all,

I've recently bought a Ford 4600 tractor. Hasn't much PTO work done, I had her baling square bales this year.

A Neighbour of mine has a 2 metre power harrow he is selling and I was wondering would the 4600 be able for that?

Didn't buy it for reseeding, just round bales of silage and odd bit of topping.
If it would be able for a power harrow it would be an added bonus.

What are your thoughts.?

I've about ten acres of reseeding to do and I'd love to try it myself next Spring.

nashmach

Firstly, are you sure it is 2m? It is a small size for an agricultural machine.

It may be slow if you have heavy ground you should be fine as 100hp will handle a 3m fine and the 4600 will be 62hp.

HillFarmer

Cheers Nachmach.

yellow50HX

is it a power harrow or a rotovator? i'm not sure if there are too many power harrows down at 2m (other than for gardening and landscaping work). might be a 70inch rotovator. the 46 should be ok on one of these had one years ago on a 5000 and it was fine. depends on how deep ad how fast you go, if its for reseeding you can leave it shallow enough.

just to check to see how wide it is compared to the tractor. most of the smaller rotovators will only allow you go in one way as they a narrower then the tractor. so the machine will be pulled the right hand side.

bbam

I'm not sure it would be wise.
Smaller harrow, older tractor would make for slower progress. More and more the time window for completing these jobs seems to be getting smaller.
If you were guaranteed the weather and have plenty of time on your hands it would be fine but what are the chances of that.

My advice would be get a contractor to blast through the job when conditions are right. Then keep your tractor for jobs on the land. Imagine buying the harrow, then half way through a clutch or head gasket goes, just torture!

Bizzum

I've never used a powerharrow but I've used a rotovator plenty of times on smallish tractors. I've heard it said about rotovators that you need a hp an inch. Ground type/conditions have a big bearing on it. I've found it harder to stop at headlands than to keep going when rotovating.

jimmy G M

I'd say the tractor would drive the machine ok provided you're not harrowing too deep and your ground speed is reasonable. Years ago we had a 72'' rotovator on a mf 165 similar hp. From operating a 3m power harrow on a 80hp tractor, depth of the harrow is the critical load factor.

I'd be inclined to agree with bbam though.

bbam wrote: »

I'm not sure it would be wise.
Smaller harrow, older tractor would make for slower progress. More and more the time window for completing these jobs seems to be getting smaller.
If you were guaranteed the weather and have plenty of time on your hands it would be fine but what are the chances of that.

My advice would be get a contractor to blast through the job when conditions are right. Then keep your tractor for jobs on the land. Imagine buying the harrow, then half way through a clutch or head gasket goes, just torture!

HillFarmer

Cheers for all the replies,
Bbam is probably right but I'm still tempted.

jay gatsby

Ran a 2.4 metre power harrow on a 70 hp 2wd ford before, no problems but as was said the depth is key, if you let it right down it will sicken the tractor but for grass seeds should be no problem.

Also be aware of the weight of the machine, the 2.4 m was a Rabe I think and would rear the tractor if you were quick on the clutch.

If it was me I'd go with the contractor

milkprofit

Contractor cost probably 100e
If you buy harrow do ten acres what leave parked in ditch
It will probably kill 46
Put your money into something that might make more eg stock