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Narrow Front Tractors and Haying

B

Bill VA

Well-known Member
Will be pressing the Farmall 756 into hay duty this year along with the rest of the fleet - for some purpose or another. This tractor is a narrow front machine. This tractor, I'd imagine weighs a bit more on the front wheels than an M or H.

What are your thoughts about using a narrow front tractor for haying? I'm concerned about mashing the hay into the ground to some extent - maybe it's not such a big deal?

May leave this tractor a narrow front, but more leaning to a wide front conversation. Maybe it's not really necessary in hay? I've learned so far with this tractor, the narrow front makes for a nimble machine.

But for haying, is a narrow front OK? The goal is top quality square bales for horses.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
Bill
a245199.jpg
 
Used them on my Dads farm for years...and they are sure easier to use when backing a 4 wheel wagon.
 
I don't have a narrow front end tractor, but id think that would work on a baler, or a 2 row Tedder, prolly not while mowing like on a haybine, or on a rake.
 
Backing a four wheel wagon/barge box, a skill I have never mastered. Matter of fact I've quit even trying. lol gobble
 
I prefer a narrow front tractor for most jobs except mowing hay and discing after plowing(just rides to rough). I do not like to drive a narrow front on mowed hay as it packs it on the ground and cuts air flow. This is not an issue if you are going to ted it.If you have hills or are inexperienced consider a rollbar and for a mainly a haying tractor a rollbar and a canopy are real nice as you are setting in the shade. Tom
 
"<font color="#6699ff">[b:654c4848f0][i:654c4848f0]But for haying, is a narrow front OK?[/i:654c4848f0][/b:654c4848f0]</font>"

The type of grass being baled might be a consideration.

We cut primarily Coastal Bermuda, some Tifton 85, and some Tifton 9 Bahiagrass for horse hay.

This type of grass is not damaged by a row crop tractor.

A row crop tractor is <a href="https://youtu.be/qLO04MzQTxs">very good for sharp turns</a> while cutting hay.

A row crop tractor is <a href="https://youtu.be/C4ahbioFDWE">also good for easy turns</a> while raking hay.

A row crop tractor makes it <a href="https://youtu.be/dq2VrkuoVcg">easier to back a large baler</a> into the hay shed.

Hope this helps.
 
Probly not as heavy as this one. The baler packs it tighter in the bale chamber if everything is working properly.

3rdCutting2007007-vi.jpg
 
I never spent much time on one of those tractors but backing up any piece of equipment with a 17 mile an hour reverse gave me fits. Must take more talent that I could summon. :)^D
 
If you are making top quality alfalfa only hay it might make a difference if you are driving on the swath in general. Otherwise not. Ride is considerably better on a wide front on rougher ground. Used a wide front on the cutting machine and when we raked, we used a 230 with a wide front set wide to rake so it straddled the windrow when dry. Grassy hay it won't make much difference. Most of the time leaves would fall off the alfalfa as the hay got dryer so that is the more critical time. We usually made 120 acres a year up to four crops in MN.Baled a lot of hay with a 560 narrow which is just a little lighter in the back than the 756.
 
If it's all you have for haying, it can sure be used, but like others mentioned, I prefer wide so the swath and or windrow is not being driven on.
 
"<font color="#6699ff">[b:654c4848f0][i:654c4848f0]Must take more talent that I could summon.[/i:654c4848f0][/b:654c4848f0]</font>"

Not much talent on my part; just persistence.

Fortunately for me, the Model 70 tractor has a reverse speed of 3.25mph.

"Big John" the Model 70 diesel also has power steering and a hand clutch.

Slowly "bump" the hand clutch to back up a bit, apply brake, and turn steering wheel.

Repeat the process and cuss some until the baler is parked.

"15" the Model 70 gas does not have power steering.

The more arm power you've got then the more steering you've got.

Same process: slowly "bump" the hand clutch to back up a bit, apply brake, and turn steering wheel.

Repeat the process and cuss some until the baler is parked.

Park that baler on the end of the hay shed where not much turning is involved.
 
I have a 766 narrow front which is a lot heavier than a 756. I like it for a round baler, it seems like the hay feeds better after the front wheel go over it. I mow with a 4020 narrow front, rake with a JD 2510 also narrow front and round bale with the 766 and square bale with the 4020 narrow front. Like another poster said narrow fronts are the berries for backing wagons. I don't like them for discing and loader work.
a245215.jpg
 
It bothers me to use a nf for baling but it's mainly psychological; the tractor is walking on the hay so it must be "bad", right?

In sudan I can tell slight tracks of hay after the baler goes past. However, it's a loss of maybe a wheelbarrow of loose hay every 10 acres or so.
 
I've had narrow fronts all of my farming career, and I'm in hilly country here in Northern Maryland. I started with a NF, and I'll probably go out with one. You're tedding your hay, and you won't see a difference, and that narrow front will be very handy on that tedder or any other machine you have......
 
My old neighbor said the narrow front flattened the windrow and made it feed better, ha. He was talking about round bales.

I don't know why it would be an issue with a square baler.
 
At some Mowing and Raking width all tractors run on the hay. With a Moco or diskbine, there may be no need to be on the hay at all. Just run it you will be happy. Jim
 
We used nothing but narrow front end tractors. We found putting a hitch on front end
of tractor it was easier to push wagons in barn
a245227.jpg
 
Have made a lot of hay with a 756 nf. From dairy quality alfalfa to old grass for bedding. Have never really found the nf to be a problem. Lay the windrow out wide when you cut and airflow really isn't a issue.
 
I love the JD Rollomatics NF more than any other NF, or WF out there; BUT... I hate running over drying hay; which means the NF is limited mainly to square baling, & picking up the squares. "Nutrition is in the leaves" my dad would say, & it makes no since to knock them off before the cow gets it! Love em for plowing, disking, planting, cultivating, & the list goes on!
 

It's a complete non-issue unless you're fields are soggy wet, in which case you probably shouldn't be on them at all.
 
I don't know if it makes a difference. A wide front tractor will drive over the hay twice in the wheel track. A narrow front tractor will drive over the hay only once in the wheel track but it makes three tracks instead of two.
 
I pull my Oliver square baler with a D15 Allis Chalmers narrow front and I really like the way it handles,also rake with with an AC CA NF sometimes and it will turn around in its own tracks.
Grew up using NF and WF tractors no big different to me really.
 

Very few of my hay fields have ever been rectangular, or even if they were, differing amounts of moisture in the ground dictated dividing into sections of different drying rates. The odd shapes results in more centers, which causes the need for more tight turns, which makes a NF tractor much better for me for raking.
 
I share your concerns about running over the hay right after it's cut. We used to cut with a narrow front tractor and sickle bar mower,but that laid it out wider and thinner than a haybine does.
 
I wouldn't use a NF for mowing, as there will be more area of the swath pushed down into the stubble that will dry slower. For raking grass, it probably wouldn't matter too much but in legumes, the NF will cause more leaf shatter and loss, and the leaves are far more valuable than the stems. Baling small squares should be OK, but rounds (or an inline square baler), it's like raking - don't want to unnecessarily cause leaf loss.
 
Never had that problem with either a bar mower on a B John Deere narrow front or a Case mower-conditioner behind a Farmall H narrow front.
 
Even if the Farmall had been a wide front could not have straddled the swath without running over the sides of the swath, tractor would have had the wheels set to wide to handle corectly.
 
I like my narrow front tractors for mobility.

I did get a wake up call a couple years ago raking hay with my narrow front 560. Was moving along pretty good and hit a hidden tile hole that was under the windrow with the front end. I bashed my knee on the dash and took a good ride. I still rake with the super C on occasion but that tile hole experience has changed my thoughts some on narrow front.
 

My dad had one of the first Vermeer balers in the country. Pulled it quite often with a narrow front, John Deere 3020. No problem.
 
I don't disagree with a sickle bar mower. A haybine lays a narrower and thicker swath though. I remember the neighbor right next door was the first one around to have a haybine. They bought a Farmall 400 with a wide front to cut with so they could straddle the swath. Even cutting with my Oliver 1850 wide front and haybine,the wheels are set in just a hair narrower than they should be and I run over maybe 4 inches on one side. You can see the difference when you rake. There's a little narrow green strip along that side of the swath.
 
If round baling, I would not want to be running the narrow front on top of the windrow. However, it may not make any difference. So... to each his own.

Looks like you may be in some hilly country. For safety, widen the rear wheel spacing either by slipping the wheels outward on the axles or relocating the double bevel rims on the wheel centers, or both.
 
It's mostly your personal preference. Try it as-is then decide. A used wide front might cost $500 to $1000. A wide front end by itself is very top heavy. They need to be very well supported so no one gets hurt while installing one.
 
runnin over the windrow is better ,,.it compacts the hay and makes it feed into the pikup and roll titer bales,. thyere is no difference in left hay in the field either ,.. does a clean job ,. btdt and will keep doing it with a 830 case tricyle
 
I thought that's why all the old implements had swing over hitches so you can drive next to the windrow ?
 
Totally understand.

I can't help myself from picking on JD owners. :)^D My cousin, the same age as me, worked for John Deere from the time he was 16 until he retired. We had Oliver tractors mostly growing up and I picked on him and never bought one just to keep saying I wouldn't have one on the farm. I have had some of about everything except John Deere, My brother had all John Deere tractors and equipment. Dad had a 12A combine that was a great combine.
 
For pulling a drag type disk, spring tooth harrow or drag type cultimulcher to make turning easier.
 
Did you slow down after that? Most problems are from speed even tho people think the machinery can run that fast. I don't think you are traveling as fast with that Super C as the 560.
 
I use a narrow front 340 to mow and a narrow front 460 to pull my 605a vemeer bailer and wouldn't trade even for a wide front . I use the 340 on the square bailer some.
 
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