massey 1734

Hi all,

I'm new here as historically we buy our hay, but I've used the forum quite a bit over the years researching knowledge. The Massey 1734 holds my interest for 2 reasons, it is rated for 30 pto hp, and we may be moving to a new farm which will allow us to make (some, most, all) our own hay. I have a JD 3520 which yes is a compact tractor, with 37 hp and 30pto hp, I've spoken with the dealer who claims yes I can do this. I'm sure some will tell me I'm nuts and it just won't work, but I am determined. We will have about 30-40 acres to hay, mostly flat with a few on a hillside, some slight inclines here and there. With weights, loader, and loaded rear tires the tractor comes in at about 4000 pounds. It is an open station tractor and my understanding is disc mowers should be used with a cab so I am looking at sickle bar mowers, Ferrabolli (sp?) and Frontier both make them with 7'-8' bars which is a pretty decent length to actually get some grass cut. Sickles have been used for quite a long time and have made a name for themselves as out dated and inefficient but the new ones seem to work much better. It's true I'm stepping back in time with a sickle (no disc and conditioner) and a baler that uses twine instead of net wrap, but these machines are on the market and sized accordingly for my tractor. I am also thinking of a Kuhn Haybob for tedding and raking, not positive though. All of this, though not as time efficient as bigger machinery, conceptually seems to jive with myself and the dealers I've spoken with. The Kuhn dealer thinks their smaller disc mower would be better. I have concern for the baler on hills (straight up and down, no side hilling) and the weight of the tractor. Would low gear offer me an extra measure of safety going down? Is there something about the extra stem length from a sickle that won't work with the baler (pickup)? I live in the Adirondacks on the edge of the Champlain Valley where small farms are tucked away in the mountains and most folks I can hire out are too busy and too far away, so I want to do it myself. We will be relying on direct sales of primarily cheese, yogurt, and milk, as well as vegetables to earn much of our income. We have a small herd of jersey cows and plan on 10 milking when we are up and running. Looking for thoughts and input on my line of thinking. I am not closed to the thought of a bigger tractor but would like to use what I have. 

Thanks,

Mike

massey 1734