Tractor? Or not?

[Robert MoonShadow]

@Jen Judkins 35684 wrote:

George, While I agree with all the comments made so far, I’d like to just add….owning a tractor is not that big a deal…karmically speaking. Like Mitch says, I work my horses because its important to my sanity and it always will be. But I have a thousand irons in the coals and sometimes getting something done in ‘x’ span of time is important to my sanity too:o.

I admire those who do it all with horses…serious admiration. I just don’t see how I could do that, the way my farm is set up. Maybe its a mental block, or a physical weakness (us girls have wimpy upper body strength) or maybe its because I owned a tractor before I owned my first draft horse, I’m not sure. But I run a small John Deere sparingingly. The big risk with a tractor, in my mind, is that when push comes to shove, and you are in a tight spot in regard to time, you will bypass the horses and put the key in the ignition. Happens to me a lot. Just last week, my nosey teamster neighbor caught me in the act of dragging my riding arena with the tractor. I’ll not live that down for some time.

You say that as if “sanity” is important…:p

[jen judkins]

@Robert MoonShadow 35704 wrote:

You say that as if “sanity” is important…:p

Sometimes it seems like the only important thing….:o

[mitchmaine]

everyone has their own kind of sanity robert. i’m sure of it.

[drafthorsey]

I don’t have a tractor but I’m looking at one to rebuild. One big reason is I’m getting a little longer in the tooth, and next drought has run me out of horses twice since 1997. Well with no horses the dairy farmer comes over and handles the cut/bail chore. Well that costs me a little money and a couple loads of hay. No question the horse is theraputic and quite frankly the pasture looks pretty stupid with nothing but a dozen head of beef.

And I am lucky enough not to be leasing. Been and worked with folks in Wisconsin for 40 years in and around Madison. Don’t know if I’d want your situation as I’ve already had a Dad. In that sense criticism or advice has a cut off point. So which way do you want to push? One way may get you out this lease with a buyout from him, the other way you get to farm the way you feel you need to. Bring acouple of Deli sandwiches and something to wash it down. Sit on the bed of the pickup and see if you can’t work things out. He may be saying one thing and feeling another. All it is business, you have something he wants, and he has something you want.

[gwpoky]

Well, for the time being I have compromised and bought a small skid steer to help clean pens, load the spreader, unload rounds, and other odds and ends. Though it will not fix our haying problem it should relieve some stress on the other end of things. We shall see.

[Billy Foster]

George
IMHO These are my thoughts
Like a good number of people I have a full time job in the city and full time job on our farm. Trying to balance all my responsibilities is really tough. I find a bucket tractor helps out a lot for speeding up work when needed BUT I really try hard to use the horses for every job I can. I figure the more they do the better, and faster, they will be able to work in the future. I am always looking at what we do and how we can do it with less labor or maybe not do it at all if it is not cost effective.
Owning old equipment is one of the reasons I got into using horses around our place. The money I have spent working on equipment is much more then the initial cost of the equipment. Time is as much a commodity as money and the time lost because of a break downs always hurts.
I no nothing about it but being out in Amish country all last week I saw more than one team pulling a PTO cart with a mower conditioner. They sure did lay down a lot of grass and alfalfa.
Billy

[PeytonM]

you go through with buying anything yet? I’m from wi and I’m willing to help you out. let me know if you went through with anything yet and I’ll PM you my offer.

[Marshall]

I am jumping in a little late on this discussion, but here is my two cents. I have both and find that it is too easy to jump on the tractor and leave the horse in the barn. I also work out so I have limited time. I would like to use the horses more but need to get things done. To sum it up, I don’t know what the answer is other than do what you want and not what someone else wants. Remember with a tractor there is gas at $4.00 per gallon and maintainence(sp) plus the purchase price.

[gwpoky]

Here’s what went down:-) First of all I want to again thank this community for all your input and support, I lean on you all many days for encouragement and incite and have never been disappointed, Thank you. For the last five years we have been pretty much all horse powered, with the help of a neighbors tractor once and awhile. We purchased a small skidsteer which has help quilt a bit and ended up getting a Allis Chalmers WD from a customer of mine this is my “stationary power” for the most part and as we move through this stage of our farming (having to have a significant off farm income, I am a full time Farrier) and into the next, as our CSA continues to grow and farming become more of our living. Currently the WD is our “insurance” policy and I hope it gets little use and even less as time moves on. I believe strongly in the great value draft power can and should play in our modern society. I aim to be an example in my community of what is possible. Thanks again for everything, I hope the harvest finds you all safe.

[bird]

Hey! That team is Misty and Molly, isn’t it??? I know them. They used to live with my neighbor Paul. Glad they’re well. Paul misses them.

I have read through this thread with interest. I think we all know the ground you’re walking on, George. And it sounds like you made some good decisions. I’m going to be putting more land into hay this year, and I know it’ll be a long time before I can take care of it with horses. Dollars and cents wise, I think I can hire someone to bale for many years before it’ll break even with buying some decent equipment. But I can see how it’s better on the neighborly-path to have one person in charge and calling the shots on how the job gets done. Too many cooks in the kitchen and all of that.

I’m just down south of you. Maybe we’ll cross paths sometime.

[Mac]

I’m late getting into this thread, but wanted to give a little “encouragement”, so to speak. I have a 1939 Ford 9n, with a 2-14 plow and a 2 row cultivator. I find that these are nice to take some of the work off of me and the horses. I used to think that “Henry” (as my wife named the tractor) would get me out of a lot of tight spots. I have found over the course of the year, however, that its the team getting Henry out. Yes, I can break more land in a day than with two or three horses and a disk-plow. Yes, I can cultivate faster. But, I can plow straighter, cleaner furrows, and plow out more weeds with my team. And, when horsepower comes right down to horsepower, the team can walk off with that little tractor. And they start every time too. The whole reason I use horses has nothing to do with being “green” or going “back to the land”. I was raised with them, and I enjoy doing things the old way. Which is why my tractor is 73 years old. I like the old stuff. That WD45 is a good machine. Take care of it and it’ll take care of you. But remember, when push comes to shove, your horses are 10 to 1 better at anything you’re going to do on your place. When it suits me, I use the tractor. And when it suits, I use my horses. The other day we were getting our ground fitted for winter, and I had 3 on the disk and the wife came behind with a 9 foot harrow on the tractor. They can work as well or as awful as you make them.
Mac

[gwpoky]

Good points Mac, pretty much went like you said, I ended up only using the WD for baling what we don’t put up loose and picking a little corn, it is now parked in the back of the shed I do not even want to fight with motors in the winter like you said “the horses start every time.” We plow all our snow, feed, and skid logs with our teams, they need something to do so they don’t get too soft by spring. I need to remember two steps foreword and sometimes one back still means your moving ahead. Take care.

[gwpoky]

Bird, Yep that is Misty and Molly and they are well, they have become our main team as my other team is a bit older, good workers, though Molly thinks she can farm better than me some days:-) Where are you located? I am just four miles north of Ellsworth, WI give me a call some time. 715-821-6775. Take care

[Eli]

Gwpoky is the Ellsworth Creamery still running I did some work their years ago? I drove through a few weeks ago on my wat to Minasota to pick up some harnesses. Beautyful country my brother lived in Blomer for a few years 25 years ago. My neighbor has a collection of Allis Challmers tractors good old tractors. Oops didn’t mean to hijack this post. Eli

[gwpoky]

Eli,

The Creamery is running like crazy, they are currently adding a huge addition plus their little store is always busy. If you are ever this way again give me a call, I’ll buy you lunch. We are only 12 miles south of HWY 94/Baldwin or 4 miles north of Ellsworth. Where did you go go to get harnesses? My brother and folks are in Princeton and my wife’s folks are south of St. Cloud.

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