Compact Tractor guys - What do you use

Greg,

Do you spread Ag lime or pellet lime? I'm going to 3-4 acres of plots so pellet lime is getting too expensive for my tastes now and want to work with AG lime.

 

I went to ag lime 2 years ago and spread it with my loader then ran it around with my landscape rake before tilling it in. This year I'm going to try and spread it with my 3-point broadcast spreader.

 

Can't you just have a spreader truck spread it for you. It would take a spreader truck longer to get there than to spread it. They are generally pretty cheap per acre.

 

No way can I get a coop spreader truck to my plots.


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That's how I plan to try and do it. Spread as good as possible with the loader. Then spread out more with the drag. Then disc in.


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I have a 30Hp Bobcat compact tractor.

I till anywhere from 5-6 acres a year with my 5' Buhler tiller. Would I love to go no till? Sure, but the cost is prohibitive. I have a couple disks, but they are pretty much worn out and worthless so I don't use them. If they worked properly, I would probably disk any virgin land before I put my tiller through it. It will save wear and tear on the tiller. Virgin soil is usually very tough to break up for the tiller, it will do it, but from experience your probably going to be repairing the tiller fairly regularly. Once the ground is broke up, the tiller runs through the ground like a knife in warm butter.

I have been spreading all my seed by hand with a bag spreader, including my 3.5 acres of Soybeans. I'd love to have a drill or a planter, but it's not as high on my priority as other things so I haven't gotten one yet. Just doing it the hard way. It's a back breaking couple hours for the soybean plot, and my body pays for it for the next week. It does the job though.

A cultipacker is a great tool and I have one borrowed for doing my plots. A similar result can be achieved my making some type of drag behind the atv or tractor though.

To this point, after about 5 years of plotting, I've not had to put down any lime yet. I have done a little fertilizer, but I have just used my bag seeder for that also.

I have a 40 gallon 3pt sprayer that I used a couple times a year. I find it to be a necessary tool to maintain my soybean plot.

A agree with Greg, the number one tool for my tractor is the loader. I use it all the time.

 

My plot spraying tractor at work. 1900

 

I hear they are good reliable tractors. How has it treated you?


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I love it! It's great for getting into small areas and turns on a dime. I'm 5'11" 175lbs and sometimes I struggle to get on/off of it because of the size but I guarantee I get on/off of it more in one spring that you probably will in the time you own it so that probably wont be a problem for you.

 

Seems like a good tractor. It has the same manuf. engine as mine which is said to be a good one.

TractorData.com Ford 1910 tractor information

More good info.

TractorByNet.com - Compact Tractor Forum

 

What size disc would you guys suggest for that size tractor?

 

I'd say a 6' disk. A 5' wouldn't cover your wheelbase and any larger would probably be too much for the 28hp.

 

I think it's a 60" wheelbase so a 5' might cover it. I'd rather have a 6' though.


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As long as the disk is wider than the wheels, you should be good. Remember that you lose some width on the disk when you set the angle sharper.

 

Brad, for seeding so far I have used my solo broadcast spreader ( works great ) and bartered with a farmer buddy of mine to plant my soybeans. I'm on the look out for a JD two row planter. I saw one on Craig's list with all the options for $2500. Otherwise, another friend and I might pick up a four row and make 2 two row planters out of it.

Also, there is a place near me that rents out plot planters. Might be a viable option until I get my own.

 

If I was going to do beans I would just broadcast and cultipack or lightly disc depending on how hard the ground was at the time. Sure drilling would be nice but I don't think it is needed. I would not do corn. Just not my thing and there is plenty of corn in Ag land anyway. The plan right now is to have clover, brassicas, oats/rye rotation. Probably splitting up the big plots 1/2 and 1/2. I might dabble with making my biggest proposed plot ~2 acres with beans.


I would use the cone spreader for oats, rye seed. Then do the clover and brassicas with the hand seeder.

 

$2500 seems pretty steep. Just bought a 4 row, one owner and always stored inside and that was only $2,900.
Insecticide boxes, dry fertilizer, monitor and all.

 

The 4 row planters are usually cheaper than the 2 rows because food plotters make them in high demand.

 

Just saying if you have the know how, get a 4 row and do fabrication yourself.