Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[farmerjan]

A word to the wise on JD tractors. There has been a real problem with the technology... especially on the bigger farm tractors... IF/WHEN some of these stupid electronic sensors go bad/ something sets them off... the tractors can only be worked on by JD techs due to some "secret" agreements that will not let any other tractor techs work on them... I am not totally up on all the stuff, just know that there have been lawsuits and other stuff over all this because the JD computer information, specs and all that, are like NASA protected... and no one can have access... I am not sure if it ever was totally settled... your average mechanically inclined farmer cannot do some of the most simple stuff on them due to not having access to the computer info and codes.... NO OTHER TRACTOR COMPANY has this restriction...

DS said we will never buy a JD tractor because of this... and besides that, ALL the new ones, any brand.... have so much electronic crap on them.... don't know about the smaller "farmette sized ones"...
The big JD that he bought off doug's estate... is like 30 years old... and it is an expense any time anything needs replacing... their shop rates are exorbitant... JD parts are like gold plated xxxx.... and ours does not have near the electronic crap on it that the newer ones do. Plus the JD drinks fuel like we had our own oil well right there on the farm for it's personal fuel source...
When it runs, it does it's job... but he prefers the Agco, and the Deutz of the bigger tractors... or any of the older Allis Chalmers... which are now part of Agco...
Actually, Kubota has a very good reputation in larger farm tractors now, also. They make alot of very big earth moving and heavy equipment.... so have the reputation....

Whatever you buy, get a 4 wd tractor... you can do more with less horsepower with 4wd and the resale is better... plus the one time you need it, you will be sooo glad you have it... that is the saving grace of our JD... it is 4wd....

 

[Baymule]

I live Layne’s big 100 HP Kubota and I definitely love my small 23 HP Kubota.

Layne also likes Massey Ferguson. I think he said you can get up to a 75 HP without the DEF.

 

[Ridgetop]

DH likes the John Deere because with his bad knees that don't bend easily (and needing tummy space) it is more comfortable to get in and out of, and drive. He tried the Kubota but found it uncomfortable to operate since his knee won't bend enough to get his foot back far enough to operate the rocker type of foot pedal. We love the fact that John Deere is offering 0.9% interest rate to purchase. They also have a good warranty.

Still trying to decide what size to get. Started looking at the 4052R series (39.9 hp pto), then at the 4066R series (52 ph pto). Definitely getting 4WD. Have decided to just get the tractor and get the mower or hay spears separately from another maker. We will get those separately somewhere else, and mich cheaper. DH and DS1 decided to get the 3rd function for the grapple which costs more, because they think they might want to get attachments that will require it. DH is trying to decide between the 4052R and the 4066R - will the 4066R have better resale value with more HP? DS1 thinks that the 4052R is enough tractor and is definitely more affordable. Not sure that we will ever need or buy a grapple either but DH decided to get the 3rd function now just in case.

DS1 found a hay spear that will also convert to a fork lift on Amazon with free shipping. It is by Titan and is cheaper than the Frontier hay spear from JD. Still checking stuff out and looking at dealers and tractors. There is a New Holland dealer in Sulphur Springs I would like DH to visit with DS1 just to check out. We will still have the FarmTrac repaired for a back up.

DS1 finished the shelter in Pasture 2 today. He needed both of us to help move the metal roof panels and lift them onto the structure. First we took the teepee structure apart and dropped the panels flat. We picked them up and slid them onto the top of the pickup bed then DH drove the truck from where they were over to the posts. At the peak DH attached a pipe. We slid the panels onto the posts and DS1 used corral butterfly clips to attach the panels to that pipe. Then he attached the downslope edge of the panels to the 2x6's across the lower posts. Total cost about $100 for the pipe, 2x6's, and metal attachments. We already had the roof panels, corral clips, and upright posts which saved us a bundle. We have another 3 complete roof panels and another 4 or 5 frames without galvanized roofing. We will put the galvanized roofing on those as we build more shelters.
Photos showing downslope edge
of shelter. The lowest edge is 5' high so we can get under it easily and it gives plenty of air flow. We can also put the mineral feeders under the shelters and feed gran there as well when it rains.
The shelter is 12'x16' the center roof peak is about 6' high. The corrugated roofing allows for attaching tarps in the winter weather.
DH after we finished it with DS1 still reattaching the roofing panel screws (we had to remove some of the screws to get the pipe attachments over the frame and under the galvanized sheets to screw to the 2x6.)
The girls in front of the shelter. The blue thing to the right is a street sweeper brush that DS1 mounted in a pipe frame. The sheep like to use it to scratch when shedding. DS1 said it might be too low though so he might raise it a little. DS1 said that if he had the new tractor he could have done the whole thing himself. LOL

The ewes are all in great condition and we will put the new ram in with them in another week or two. He had a case of bottle jaw so we wormed him with Safeguard today. In a week or so when we put him in with the ewes we will worm them with Safeguard and give him a dose of Cydectin. Everyone will also get a dose of Bo-Se. We might remove the other ram from the other flock of ewes, but if we can move them so they are separated by more than the electric fence we may keep him with them and let the ram pens recover.

 

[Baymule]

Get the 52 HP tractor. The 39 won’t be big enough for the farm work.

The shelter looks good.

 

[farmerjan]

I definitely would go with the bigger one also... 39 HP is a large lawn tractor...
Any add ons, like a grapple... would not be near as safe on the 39 HP tractor...

 

[SageHill]

Yup - bigger tractor. Like everything else (i.e. barn size, etc) get the bigger one if you can because we all know the "extra" will definitely be put to good use. Smaller and there will be times you think - should've got the bigger one!