Stupid question about Farmall 140

The other item that has a lot to do with value is current equipment such as fast hitch. Fast Hitch equiped models will be a lot more versatile for use on a vegetable farm.

I have 3 of these tractors, and until 2 months ago they all had fast hitch. At that time I removed fast hitch from my Super A and installed a Woods belly mower. As far as I am concerned that mower is on there to stay, I can use the tractor for trailers, etc. I have a 130 and a 140 both with fast hitch. I grow quite a few vegetables but only use one set of center mount cultivators. I have a dozen fast hitch implements, such as plows, disk, cultivators (S tine field type and row crop), 2 row corn planter, single row planter, rotary hoe, boom sprayer and a vegetable bed shaper.

I do very little row crop cultivating anymore. I grow all my vegetables on raised beds and make those beds in early Oct and let the weeds grow. Here the frost will nail them shortly after germination, if not Roundup will in either fall and or spring. In spring I do no till seeding, on those beds. All weeds close enough to surface to germinate have already done so. I also use a rotation of buckwheat on the off year. Buckwheat is very agressive and will crowd out weeds, but you must plow it under before it goes to seed or it can become a weed problem.

See now, I have even talked you out of the Farmall as you can do all this with your 8N and 3 point. You could buy the Farmall and leave mower on it. If you would like some photos of implements I use e mail me.

The other item that has a lot to do with value is current equipment such as fast hitch. Fast Hitch equiped models will be a lot more versatile for use on a vegetable farm.

I have 3 of these tractors, and until 2 months ago they all had fast hitch. At that time I removed fast hitch from my Super A and installed a Woods belly mower. As far as I am concerned that mower is on there to stay, I can use the tractor for trailers, etc. I have a 130 and a 140 both with fast hitch. I grow quite a few vegetables but only use one set of center mount cultivators. I have a dozen fast hitch implements, such as plows, disk, cultivators (S tine field type and row crop), 2 row corn planter, single row planter, rotary hoe, boom sprayer and a vegetable bed shaper.

I do very little row crop cultivating anymore. I grow all my vegetables on raised beds and make those beds in early Oct and let the weeds grow. Here the frost will nail them shortly after germination, if not Roundup will in either fall and or spring. In spring I do no till seeding, on those beds. All weeds close enough to surface to germinate have already done so. I also use a rotation of buckwheat on the off year. Buckwheat is very agressive and will crowd out weeds, but you must plow it under before it goes to seed or it can become a weed problem.

See now, I have even talked you out of the Farmall as you can do all this with your 8N and 3 point. You could buy the Farmall and leave mower on it. If you would like some photos of implements I use e mail me.

I try not to disturb that soil all summer. Next year I will put that area in Buckwheat or clover. Still not perfect, but the best vegetable weed control I've seen for the cost and labor. It's been two years since I've done any amount of row crop cultivation.

Sounds like you understand market gardens and the raised bed concepts. I visit many of the local old style row crop gardeners in the area (Houston, Tx) and none of them are really using what I would call a raised bed concept. Most of them were single row, using a Farmall with a center buster and discs to throw 2 hills. My thoughts were initially to get a newer tractor with a rotary tiller and fabricate a bed shaper to wind up with 3' beds on 5' centers. Then cultivate in the furrows. I thought using a Farmall with belly type cultivators would be easier than looking back at the drawbar. Cover crops and living mulches like the clovers and buckwheat would be grown and tilled in - then the beds reshaped and try to stay ahead of the weeds as needed. Some crops of course would be in and out before too much cultivating would be necessary.

Any general comments - and what type of gardening / farming do you do?

Don't know what price you are looking at on your 140, but I would reconsider buying one without all the implements you feel you would need. When you figure all the cultivator parts, planter, fertilizer distributor, disc, plows, etc that could get very expensive in time and money. There are alot of Super A's, 100's, 130's, and 140's being auctioned and sold in the Southeast now due to so many tobacco farmers getting out the the business. It is common to find an offset with all or most of the equipment for anywhere between 2500 and 4500.

Good luck.

The 140 is an excellent choice for a garden tractor. Beware that removing/installing the mower takes some effort. If your idea is to use the tractor to cultivate the garden and do weekly mowing, it will get old real fast. Implements for the 140 can be found fairly easily.

The C and Super C tractors are tricycle style tractors that have a lot of common parts with the Supe A.

Thanks for the good information. I have seen your name on the Cub FAQ page. Is there a FAQ page for the 140 series? What is the AV style, and what if any benefit is there to the offset style of the 140?

I don't know of an FAQ for any of the A, Super A, 100, 130, 140 series. The AV is a high clearance version of an A. I think in the number series models, they were simply labeled as "140 High-Clear" etc. High clearance models were typically used with bedded crops and in cane areas. The AV used 36" rear wheels vs. the regular 24". There were other differences, but that gives you an idea how much taller they were.

The offset style was called "cultivision" and allowed an unobstructed view of a crop row under the tractor. For utility work, mowing etc. it doesn't add a whole lot.