[Sunny Haymaker]

Hi Guys,
3rd year small acre alfalfa grower here. I'm looking to buy a second tractor so I can leave the 1st one hooked to the baler, in order to rake and re-corrugate. The first tractor is IH 766 diesel has 73 hp at the drawbar and pulls the corrugator just fine. We have silt soil where I am in Idaho. Anybody think I could get by with 50 hp? Or less?

 

[Markpnw]

If it’s 4x4 it should do fine. If you feel like your original tractor pulled like it ain’t no thing then the 50 may be just fine. I thought Nampa is clay correct me if I’m wrong. I do pivot inspections in that area and noticed mostly clay.

 

[Sunny Haymaker]

My mom's got a pivot on her farm. We are just north of where the New York Canal feeds Lake Lowell. I know that the Dry Lake area just south of us is sandy loam. We are silty loam on our place. And everybody's got a bit of caliche.

 

[Gearclash]

My experience is that the 766 diesel tends to punch above it’s weight so keep in mind that on paper you might not get away with going as much smaller as you think you could.

 

[Sunny Haymaker]

My experience is that the 766 diesel tends to punch above it’s weight so keep in mind that on paper you might not get away with going as much smaller as you think you could.

Yeah, that's what i'm afraid of.

 

[bool]

Can you borrow a neighbour's smaller tractor for an hour or two and try it?

Roger

 

[Sunny Haymaker]

Not a bad idea. .

 

[Beav]

How big is your baler? Maybe put the smaller tractor on it or buy a similar HP tractor to the 766 depending on your budget. The 70 series case tractors are cheap HP but are getting long in the tooth

 

[Sunny Haymaker]

The baler is a Case IH 8555 inline small square. Manual says it needs 50 hp at the PTO. You know, I've been thinking really hard about going to take a look and make an offer on a Case 830. It's got a 301 diesel. I can't find what kind of hp it gets at the PTO but it's supposed to get 66hp at the belt. He's asking $4000 and it's got a loader. Man it would be nice to have a second loader to tip the cab back on the 766, i could get in my shop.