Go Bottom25-30 HP implement choices
 | Mark_in_NH
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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1999-04-20 3138
Just bought a John Deere 4300 and would appreciate some help selecting some implements. While not made of cash, I ascribe to the local Yankee wisdom that it's better to go ahead and pay for something that won't have to be replaced because of inadequacy or wear.We'll need to cut about 3 acres of overgrown pasture and ex-pumpkin field with raspberry canes and 1-inch maple saplings. I've priced a Bush Hog SQ-600 and Deere 513 at equivalent prices. Does anybody have any thoughts about how these compare?The plan calls for about 2 acres of row crops as well as herb and flower plantings in rocky New Hampshire soil that was probably last tilled about 20 years ago. The land would likely benefit from growing a crop or two of legumes and tilling them in. I suppose I could get a 1-bottom plough and a little bitty disc harrow but have been able to locate neither. Alternatively, some of the (pricey) rotary tillers such as ones from Kuhn and Landpride I've seen look as if they'd be lots quicker. Any ideas how these do in rocky soils? Who makes good small ones?We also plan to plant an orchard and maintain some fence, so a posthole digger could be useful. I've not been able to find used and the prices of new ones have shocked me so far. This is not an item that would likely get especially hard use. Are there any economical (okay, cheap) models?I'm also wondering if I'm stuck using Deere's rotary brush and front snow blower or if someone else makes ones that fit.Basically, this forum provides lots of data about loaders, backhoes, and mowers but less about other implements, especially agricultural ones. If I collect any useful information I'd be happy to set up a web page with different categories of small implements and info about specs and prices.
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| guest
Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 0
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1999-04-20 3145
I have very rocky soil as well, and till using a tool that I made up which I call a "springtooth harrow". Your dealer could make one for you by mounting a some "S"shaped spring teeth to a tool bar. Mine is fancier than this with several teethstaggered behind each other - with a gage wheel to set the depth, and a self-levelingtype 3-pt hitch. It works very well, and the spring teeth have enough flex towork around medium rocks. I normally run it quite deep.....say 12 to 18". Like Isay, if you get a tool bar and some spring teeth you can give the system a try. As for the Bush Hog vs JD rotary mower, I prefer to ge with the Bush Hog. The one I have is made by someone else, I forget who....but it is old, industrialyellow color and very robust by modern standards. It takes amazing abuse out inthe field and never has broken down. It does go through a lot of shear pins inan afternoon. I bought it used for 500 bucks a few years back. The width is 5',which seems about right. Any larger would be not be handy. I noticed that new ones by several manufacturers are cheaper new than mine was used....but thenI'm pleased with mine. The right angle drive on top of them is the weak point. one thing to look for is a lot of additional support and gusseting for thisright angle drive. Brush hog blades are not very sharp. Mine has about an 1/8"radius at the cutting edge and several dime-sized divots. It cuts fine. As for the post hole drill, it takes a lot of abuse, as you will discoverwhen you use it. I don't hear much about them breaking or wearing out, but theydo tend to leak out their oil and fry the bearings. The difference in cheap andheavy duty is in the size of the shaft that connects to the auger portion andparticularly in the auger itself. Better augers are much heavier built andwill often have several offset and replaceable teeth and auger tips. These things take a lot of wear when drilling in rocky soil. Make SURE that your 3-ptlifts high enough to lift the post hole digger completely out of the ground. Itwouldn't hurt if it lifted it a foot or more above the ground.Part of the abuseon a posthole drill comes about because as the 3-pt rotates down, the postholedrill is forced away from the vertical. Enjoy you Tractor! Buy lots of implements! Roger L ....
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| guest
Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 0
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1999-04-21 3150
Try www.easternfarmmachinery.com ....
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| Steve Hansen
Join Date: Posts: 1
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1999-04-21 3160
Mark, There is an implement board at [http://www.ytmag.com/]. A posting there may get you some additional help.FYI most three point implements interchange between tractors reguardless of manufacturer so you are not stuck with John Deere. Your tractor has a Cat 1 hitch. Any implement made to fit a Cat 1 hitch will fit your tractor. Bush Hog and John Deere implements are top-of-the-line and priced accordingly. You may be able to find what you need for less at an independent dealer or tractor repair shop. Lots of good used stuff out there as well. Caviat empratur (ot however that is spelled). ....
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| guest
Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 0
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1999-04-21 3175
You could also look at the tractor supply stuff. Unfortunately the nearest store to you is in upstate New York.However, you might be surprised to see what the savings arefor their line of tillers, plows, York Rakes, bush hog look alikes etc.Their stuff seems to mainly run to the medium duty line.I bought a single bottom 12 inch plow there last year for $70.I also bought a auger with 12 inch bit (42" depth of hole) for 350 plus 100 for the bit.Tillers in the 50 inch range go for just under a grand.5 foot 3 point rotary mowers go for about 500.Their stuff isn't pretty green or orange and the welds haven't been totallyfiled down but the equipment is reliable.If you find enough savings you might take the trip one time for the whole group of stuff if you have a truck and trailer. ....
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| Mark_in_NH
Join Date: Posts: 1
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1999-04-21 3196
> Any implement made to fit a Cat 1 hitch will fit your tractor.Right - on the back. How about things that mount on the FRONT, such as the front-mounted rotary brushes and snowblowers I mentioned? They mount on the mid PTO, and my sense is that unlike rear hitches, there isn't much of a mounting standard for mid- and front-mounted implements. Thus my concern that I may not find a number of manufactureres for those implements. ....
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| Richard
Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 0 ky
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1999-05-02 3379
I have 40 acres with lots of brush and scrub to control. I had an old MF TO35 for a number of years on which I moved with a used ($250) bushog type cutter. It worked like a charm except it had a slip clutch that always seemed to be too tight or too loose and burned clutch plates like crazy. Three years ago I bought a used Ford 1900 and put a new Howse mower on it for $450 which works fine and has shear pin protection. Except for the gearbox mountings coming loose (after a lot of hard mowing in scrub) I am very peased with it. The gearbox bolts are very hard to get at since they must be tightened from below, which is possible but tricky. I have spent a lot of time looking at new and used Cat 1 implements in my area and have come to the conclusion that implements painted green or blue (JD and Ford) are grossly overpriced and do not seem to be any better constructed than cheaper ones. I recently saw a JD that didnt even have a stump jumper on it and they wanted $1300 for it. By the way a stump jumper is a must iin my opinion. Good places to get implements are places like Tractor Supply Co. Farm and Fleet, Rural King, etc. Good luck ....
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