PB—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 26,1984
Horsepower race
(Continued from Page D 6)
tool carriers, and designs which
permit faster road travel.
Best Power
Size
But no matter what new design
changes or features emerge in
farm tractors the next few years,
odds are the engines will be similar
in size to today’s ranges. And your
drive options won’t vary much
over what’s available now. So
where do you start in sizing up
your needs for the future?
“Right now, and for the next
several years, most major farm
power considerations are going to
revolve around farmers’ tillage
systems,” says Purdue’s Doster.
“And for many farmers, that may
mean less horsepower in the
future.” He cites the trend toward
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FSBOE
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ROGap, PA Box 183
1 Mile North Rt 897 From Gap
WES STAUFFER SALES & SERVICE
RD3Ephrata
PA Phone (717) 738-4215
Ephrata Exit New Rt 222 Vi Mile West on Rt 322.
Turn left onto Pleasant Valley Rd
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reduced tillage in many areas as a
major cause.
Just how much less, on a farm
by-farm basis, is indicated by a
comprehensive tillage comparison
study conducted the past four
years by lowa State University and
i several other agencies. Basic
' finding: The same 135 hp tractor
needed to produce 400 acres of
conventional corn and soybeans
can handle up to 1,500 acres in a no
till system.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean
you won’t have any problems
getting that much combined,” says
USDA’s Colvin. “But in terms of
hours in the field for tractor,
equipment and operator, it comes
out about the same for 400 acres
conventional vs. 1,500 acres of no
till up to the point of com
bining.”
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GOOD'S STORE
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717 354-4026
(717) 354-4971
However, as lowa State
University economist D. Williams
Edwards points out,' “reduced
tillage” doesn’t necessarily mean
reduced horsepower
requirements. “Where you’re
looking at the one-pass type of
tilling and planting system, you
can end up with a pretty expensive
sort of tractor,” he explains.
“When you figure the horsepower
needed for that type of system and
the relatively few hours you run
your tractor, the power cost per
acre can get pretty high.”
An interesting guideline for
horsepower in use on the farm is
offered by data from the lowa
Farm and Business Association.
Its 3,800 members’ machinery
records indicate the following
ranges of horsepower per acre:
HP per acre farmed
(primary tractor
used)
0 85
0 76
060
Farm size
(acres
180-260
260-360
360-500
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October 1, 1984
All Grinder Mixers and All Hay Equipment Have
Interest Free Waiver Until December 1, 1984
PEOPLE’S J & M MACHINERY
SALES & SERVICE Greensburg, PA
Oakland Mills. PA 412-668-2276
717-463-2735
BENNETT
A. L HERR&BRO. MACHINE CO.
Quarryville, PA 1601 g Dupont Blvd
717-786-3521 Milford, DE
302-422-4837
ELDER
SALES & SERVICE,
INC.
RT 1 Box 619
Stoneboro, PA
412 376-3390
412-376-3740
ARNETTS GARAGE STOUFFER BROS. INC,
Rt 9 Box 125
Hagerstown, MD
301-733-0515
R.E. SMELTZER
EQUIPMENT CO.
RD2, Box 2
Centre Hall. PA
814-364-1419
For example, lowa farmers in
this study (including both cash
grain and livestock producers)
who operate 400 acres of land i
probably own about 240 total |
tractor horsepower, on the
average.
“We usually figure the major
tillage tractors are getting 400-500
hours of use a year,” says Ed
wards. “If you’re with a major
tractor, you’d start to wonder
whether you’re making efficient
use of it or not.”
His figures for lowa farmers
indicate an annual machinery
power cost among cash grain
operators of $65-$7B per acre,
average. That includes fuel, lube,
repairs, tax depreciation and
custom hire costs. “That doesn’t
include any labor charges, nor
interest on investment,” he notes.
Edwards is co-author of a series
of 14 microcomputer programs for
machinery management to be
published by lowa State early in
1984.
BEHL
NICHOLS FARM
EQUIPMENT
Bloomsburg, PA
717-784-7731
Chambersburg, PA
717-263-8424
GEO. W. KINSMAN,
INC.
516 Mam Street
Honesdale, PA
717-253 3440
But no matter whom you talk to
about planning your farm power
needs, most of them agree on two
major points: 1) No formula can
make your final horsepower
selection for you, and 2) within
reason, you probably face less risk
being slightly overpowered than
you do by not having enough power
to get fieldwork done in a timely
manner.
“There are many things that you
have to consider, and some of them
you just can’t plug into an
equation,” says Nebraska’s
Bashford. “Sometimes, what’s
important is just getting the job
done.”
Illinois Siemens says his ex
perience meshes with Bashford’s.
“Even if you have a computer
select your tractor size, it probably
would be programmed to pick the
optimum size and that’s not
always the most desirable, nor the
best,” he says. “The risk is much
(Turn to Page 09)
LEBANON VALLEY HINES EQUIPMENT
IMPLEMENT CO., INC. Cresson, PA
Richland. PA 814-886-4183
717-866-7518
Bellwood
814-742-8171
CLAIR J. MYERS MILLER EQUIPMENT
Lake Road R 1 qq
Thomasville, PA '
717-259-0453 ' D ”... DA
Bechtelsville, PA
215-845 2911
UMBERfiER’ S MILL BINKLEY & HURST
Rt 4 Lebanon. PA
(Fontana)
717-867-5161 133 Rothsville
Station Road
Lititz, PA
717-626-4705
PAUL W. HISTAND
CO., INC.
697 N Mam St
Doylestown PA
215 248 9041
ECKROTH BROS.
FARM EQUIPMENT
RT2 Box 24A
New Ringgold PA
717 943-2131
Less risk?
PETERMAN FARM
EQUIPMENT, INC.
225 York Rd
Carlisle PA
717 249 5338
WEB SNYDER, INC.
RD #1
Watsontown PA
717 538 5555