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Markus, I have been administering all aspects of the CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) here in south central Idaho since the program began (about 14 years ago). Over the years this means taking many established CRP fields out and replacing them with new seedings of CRP or crops. Plows will work of course, but by far farmers prefer discs, like Art said, in the 250-400 pound/foot range, to use as primary and secondary tillage. Benefits of discs over plows are many, i.e. don't bring up buried weed seeds, don't create a plow pan, preserves some residue on erosive soils, better moisture conservation, etc. etc. In short, on hundreds of CRP fields and farms across a variety of soils I've never seen a plow used. Back to your question, no your light compact probably isn't going to do the job, you may have to plow. Better alternative may be to hire out someone with heavier equipment. One alternative I rarely see mentioned on this board is to use a chisel plow, your 29 hp with 4 wheel drive can probably pull a 3 or 4 medium-shanked chisel plow easily enough through your CRP field first, making it much more receptive to a light disk thereafter, and rototilling if you desire a smooth seedbed for new grass seeding. Of course planning is the best tool, working your field out this spring and letting the organics decompose over a year will provide you a much smoother seedbed in spring 2002, but I don't know your situation or ground. Some food for thought.

Disc Harrow or Rotary Tiller
Operating and Attachments
Replies 8 Post by Bob Josaitis

John, take the good information from Steve and add to it by going down to your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) office (there is one in about every county of the nation). They will give you all the farming and local wildlife habitat growing information you need at no cost, and can lead you to local people in your area who have done what you want to do. Local is the key. Never buy seed mixes or ask for that type of information unless you provide the necessary site information, i.e. soils, climate, water conditions, first and last freezing dates, previous weed species in your fields, fertilizer and chemical conditions, hard pans and/or plow pans, etc. Sure, maybe you're just having a little fun with your fields, but get the local experience and you'll be raising the right stuff for your place and may save some headaches along the way.

Cultivating planting with 30hp
Parts and Repair
Replies 7 Post by Bob Josaitis

Michael, a dealer told me NH was going to come out with a quick detach bucket feature this year (not to be confused with the Quick-Latch system as advertised in the Boomer catalogue, which does nothing for fast bucket removal). If that is important to you, you may want to check out the rumor and if true consider waiting on your purchase to get the upgraded FEL, or consider ordering your tractor now without a FEL and getting the upgraded FEL later when it shows up.

Option consideration on a TC 40
New Holland Tractors
Replies 15 Post by Bob Josaitis

After contacting NH in early January with the TC(45) "option discrimination" complaint addressed above, they contacted me promptly and informed me the issue was on its way up the corporate ladder. To date, (Feb. 11, 2001) not a word has come down from NH as they had promised.

New Boomer Options Availability Needed
New Holland Tractors
Replies 8 Post by Bob Josaitis

Does anyone know anything about the Rhino (not to be confused with the tractor brand) 6' rotary cutters with 40 horse gearboxes? My NH dealer says they are one of the best quality cutters and has never had one returned, but I've never even heard of a Rhino cutter and have never seen a word about them on this board. Perhaps so pricey nobody buys them? Your info appreciated.

Rhino 6 rotary cutters any good
Mowers Field and Finish
Replies 6 Post by Bob Josaitis

Daren, I have searched wide and far to answer the same question, hydro (TC45D) vs. gear (TC45), and was disappointed but not surprised to hear in your post yet another remark from a dealer, "the factory says.....", or somebody thinks...the hydro can handle discing, plowing, stump pulling, ag work, etc. I'd just like to find somebody on this board (and so would you and others I'm sure) who has actually in real life down on the farm done this kind of work with their TC45D, but apparently they are awfully shy. I'm resigning myself to the fact that I may have to lease a TC45D myself this spring to do what apparently nobody else has done: find out if a hydro can pull a light 6-foot disc (1000 pounds), do some cultivating, pull a grain drill, chisel some ground, pull some stumps, and have enough PTO power left after hydro drain to spin a half-way decent (tractor wide) tiller. I'll try it and let you know how things go. If the hydro burns up or the tractor runs an hour on a tank of diesel, no loss, I'll change the lease over to a TC45 or outright buy the gears. It wouldn't be such an issue for me if I was the only one driving the tractor, would just get gears. But would like to accomodate the wife with hydro. Practical real life info on the way....

Hydrostatic vs 12 x 12 SSS tran
New Holland Tractors
Replies 16 Post by Bob Josaitis

Michigander, would also like to mention that besides the wealth of farming and conservation information that resides at your local NRCS/SCD office, chances are one of the SCD's board members lives near your farm. They often know who has pasture renovators in your neighborhood or can lead you to someone nearby who has similar equipment to get the job done that you want. Also, they usually can lead you to someone in your locale who has recently done the kind of (pasture) work you are desiring to do, and a phone call or two and a visit to that farm will get you set up with all of the information you need to do the job. Most importantly, when you visit that farm with similar field conditions as your farm, you get to see their results and how they came to be and can assess if that's what you want for your place.

Subsoiler in pasture
Parts and Repair
Replies 14 Post by Bob Josaitis

OldForge, I forgot to mention 4x4 on the quotes, I assumed your quotes for the TC45 included 4x4 as mine did. I looked at the TN55, but turbocharged TN70s are infinitely more popular in my area and are the same physical size as the TN55. The TN55 4x4 is a lot more farming tractor than the TC45 because of the extra 1500 pounds weight and higher 3pt hitch capacity, but provides little more PTO horsepower over the TC45. If you don't need more PTO horsepower than the TC45 (ie for large tractor-wide rototillers or huge mowers) but do need more pulling power, no doubt the TN55 will serve you better than the TC45. The TN70 however, will do it all (higher pulling power and PTO horsepower vs. both TN55 or TC45) for the small farm, even if you're at moderate to high elevations. For me, I'm leaning towards the TC45 for majority work (light discing, drilling, harrowing, spraying, mowing, medium tiller work, loader work etc.), and custom hiring the heavy jobs such as plowing/offset discing/chisel plowing heavy crop residues, which occurs infrequently. (see my thread on this board under the "Implements" section, titled "Heaviest 6-foot disc top-end compacts can pull?". Only you can decide if the extra size and cost of the TNs are worth passing by the TC45 for what you want to do. If I were to go the TN route, no doubt I would go for the TN70 or at the least the TN65 to avoid the embarrassment of "big tractor" with "little PTO".

NH TC45 Price
New Holland Tractors
Replies 7 Post by Bob Josaitis

Thanks Greg, that's exactly the kind of information I've been looking for. The L4310 with R1 ag tires and 4WD is very strong compact and similar to what I'd be looking for in a compact. Seems to me the disc I'm talking about using (twice the weight of your 750 pounder) is out of the question for the sake of the machine. Strike one up for a heavier utility tractor in my situation. Thanks!

Heaviest 6-foot disc top-end compacts can pull
Operating and Attachments
Replies 13 Post by Bob Josaitis