[AT] Orchard tractors

David Bruce davidbruce at yadtel.net
Wed Nov 7 11:12:08 PST 2012


Even here in the foothills of NC where most farm fields are rather small 
the toys just keep getting bigger.  As an example there are several 
combines here now that even with the header removed they need most all 
of the road to pass by.  I met one the other day - header being towed by 
a pickup with the pickup driver also being the flag man.  I had to pull 
into a driveway to allow the combine to pass - dual wheels on all four 
sides.  Even more of an issue are those no till planter rigs.

In the past this area had rather small tractors and other AG equipment 
because of dealing with road transport.  These days the limit has almost 
been reached.

David
NW NC

On 11/7/2012 10:31 AM, charlie hill wrote:
> Oh I agree with that Larry, however, I have to take you to task on
> horsepower.  You are correct, no one is pulling 20 bottom plows now but
> horsepower requirements have soared in
> the last 20 years.  In the 80's a 100+ HP tractor was huge except in
> wheatland country but now days 200 hp tractors are common.  Folks aren't
> pulling 20 bottom plows but
> they are tilling increasingly larger acreage with conservation tillage
> equipment that requires big horsepower.    An acquaintance of mine makes up
> his cotton rows 14 rows at a time with
> a GPS steered tractor.  There are guys down this way that are pulling rigs
> that I don't even know how to describe to you but they rip the hardpan,
> prepare tillage strips for planting, fertilize, spray and plant all in one
> pass with a rig that is longer than a tractor trailer.   What is necessary
> now is reducing labor and fuel cost by minimizing the number of trips over
> the field.
>
> Charlie



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