Your Tractor and Small-Farm Hay Production

A compact tractor is the heart of any small-farm operation. Therefore, you likely already own one and would like to use it for hay production too. And guess what? Contrary to the folks at the local coffee shop who have laughed at you for even mentioning it, you likely can. Even subcompact tractors with as little as 20 horsepower can be used to bale hay. Here are a few tips to help you make the perfect match between your tractor and your needed hay equipment.

Before shopping for hay equipment, you must know the specifications of your tractor. Besides the horsepower, you need to know the weight of the tractor and its width. These factors, combined with others, will determine not only the size of hay equipment you can run, but also how safely you can run it. A tractor with too little weight and a high center of gravity on any slope at all can be a recipe for disaster. Knowing your tractor’s specifications and the power/weight requirements of your intended baling equipment is essential. Your tractor’s manual should have this information. However, if you don’t have the manual, there are many websites that can provide this information.

When matching an implement to a tractor there are several factors to consider. These include:

• Horsepower--for both the tractor’s engine and at the power take-off (PTO).Most implements are rated for minimum horsepower at your tractor’s PTO. While a tractor’s engine horsepower is usually known, PTO power may not be. A good rule of thumb is that the PTO horsepower will be about 80% of the engine (tractor) horsepower. This is generally the case with hydrostatic tractors, while gear-driven tractors may be a bit higher. PTO ratings also depend on how hard the tractor is working, i.e, how fast it’s going, what the terrain is like, whether hydraulics are being used, and how much weight it’s pulling.

• Weight--for both the tractor and the implement. It doesn’t matter how much horsepower you have if the tractor isn’t heavy enough to do the work. In addition, a lightweight tractor, though it may be able to pull a heavy implement, may not be able to do so safely. With implements that are towed, like square balers and manure spreaders, the weight of the implement plus whatever it is carrying should not exceed the weight of the tractor. If your ground is hilly, this is particularly important. For implements that attach to the 3 point hitch, it’s imperative that the front wheels of the tractor are still firmly on the ground when the implement is lifted. Additionally, for hay mowers that slide along the ground, it’s important to have enough front weight so that the tractor can maintain maneuverability with the drag of the mower constantly trying to pull the tractor to the right.
• Hydraulics--are they required and compatible? Most small tractors do not come standard with extra hydraulic ports. Be sure that if the implement needs hydraulics to operate it, that you have a way to hook the hoses up to your tractor. If you have a front end loader, you may be able to use the hydraulics on it, provided you have the right adaptors or couplings. However, when you are using the loader hydraulics your front end loader will be inoperable, so keep that in mind and plan accordingly.

• Connection/hitch--what type is required?Small tractors come with Category 1 three point hitches. Some are classed as Narrow Category 1, meaning the arms will not spread as wide as a bigger tractor, but they should still be able to work with nearly all Category 1 implements. Many people now use some sort of so-called “quick hitch” to make attaching the implement to the tractor easier. However, quick hitches require a standardized pin spacing on implements. Some tractor manufacturers have made their quick hitches to only be compatible with their brand of implements. Since there is not a standard among implement manufacturers for the proper pin spacing (and good reason for them to be different in many cases due to implement geometry), many implements will not work with quick hitches. If you are determined to never remove the quick hitch from your tractor, be aware that your choice of implements will be severely limited. In the end, you may find that your quick hitch doesn’t save you enough time to be worth the trouble and expense.

Some implements are towed behind the tractor rather than being connected to the 3 point hitch. Make sure your tractor has a drawbar if you plan to tow anything. Some very small tractors will benefit from an aftermarket drawbar that is farther off the ground and extends farther off the back of the tractor. Another option is to use a crossbar in the lift arms of the 3 point hitch, as long as the implement does not also have a PTO.

• Tractor width--both the maximum and the minimum. It may not be clear at first why the width of the tractor is important, but once you have used one with several different implements, the significance will become clear. If you’re using a finish mower, flail mower, or rotary cutter, you will want the cutting width to be wider than the tractor’s width, so you can get up close to obstructions. A similar issue arises when using a power harrow or tiller. If you’re cutting with a hay mower, you want to make sure that the cutter sticks out beyond the tractor tire, so that you are not running over the hay before you cut it. Conversely, a wider tractor is preferred when working on hilly terrain, for better cross-slope stability. It also is safer for loader work. In general, you will also get a smoother ride with a wider wheel setting. It’s important to check the manufacturer’s specifications to make sure your tractor is neither too wide nor too narrow for a given implement.

Be sure to keep each of these factors in mind when matching your tractor to your desired hay equipment. If you do, you’ll find that compact tractors do real work too--even baling hay--some of the most demanding work on any small farm. Here at Tractor Tools Direct we make picking the right size of equipment for your tractor a breeze. Our simple naming prefixes tell you the smallest size tractor that can be used to operate any of our implements. Click here to learn more about this sizing system.