Is row crop farming with John Deere Two Cylinders still cost effective?

[Poppy Johnny]

This is more a question of curiosity from a southern man whose family stopped row-cropping for profit in the 60's I know pound for pound the JD Two Cylinders outclass any other tractor of equal size but in an era of giants with at least two times the horsepower as them with implements able to cover twice or thrice the ground is row cropping with them still cost effective?

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I did the math one snow day a couple years ago and I’m in the mood again. Because stuff is so big now the answer is no. Disking something nobody would say a 2 cylinder couldn’t handle and is still done today we can use as an example. Nebraska tractor tests are a good place to get some fuel consumption data. So grandpa goes out with the 9410r. It uses 20 gph which is convenient and makes math easy. The tractor used 40 gallons. 40 foot disk he has 20 acres done in an hour. 10 or 12 foot disk on the b. Easy math again 4 hours. 2 gallons per hour so 8 that’s a respectable number. The trouble is the disk for the two cylinder is one gang so would be done twice plus a harrow. Which was kind of his plan. This does it all 1 pass so now we are up to 24 gallons. And 12 hours a full day spent on the 20 acres. This is why they had a lot more pasture back then. Did you save money? Technically yes. Does one cost a 100th of the other. Yes. The trouble is there’s a lot more to do than discing 20 acres you would never get done. They are good for small tasks I use mine as a lawn mower and grading the yard. Light pto work, single acting cylinder dump wagon for burning day and the dryer chaff they will always have a use. A lot of the implements they used are gone as well.

 

[NY 986]

This is more a question of curiosity from a southern man whose family stopped row-cropping for profit in the 60's I know pound for pound the JD Two Cylinders outclass any other tractor of equal size but in an era of giants with at least two times the horsepower as them with implements able to cover twice or thrice the ground is row cropping with them still cost effective?

That's a loaded question. How many acres and what crops and/or animals? How many trips across the field to get ready and plant? No till? There are a few farmers around here that use 1950's tractors exclusively for production agriculture. They typically farm 200 acres or less. They have hay, wheat, soybeans, and grain corn so the workload is spread out. They are also on productive soils versus farming marginal soil where you have to farm 4,000 acres just to buy a new pickup truck once every 5 years. They have family in abundance to get several of those old tractors in the field all at once when they need to. One operation I know of runs JD 2 cylinders including a 630 and 730. Another runs IH M's, Super M's, and a 400. There used to be others running other colors but I have lost track of them as of late.

 

[Loosehandle]

This is more a question of curiosity from a southern man whose family stopped row-cropping for profit in the 60's I know pound for pound the JD Two Cylinders outclass any other tractor of equal size but in an era of giants with at least two times the horsepower as them with implements able to cover twice or thrice the ground is row cropping with them still cost effective?

I just gave up on this last year, only going to be doing some grass hay moving forward.
The tractors and equipment are one thing, there were other factors.
Acquiring small amounts of inputs reasonably.
Grain elevator monopoly only wants semi's.
Attractive cash rent in lou .
Skin cancer from too much sun.

 

[Swittig]

This is more a question of curiosity from a southern man whose family stopped row-cropping for profit in the 60's I know pound for pound the JD Two Cylinders outclass any other tractor of equal size but in an era of giants with at least two times the horsepower as them with implements able to cover twice or thrice the ground is row cropping with them still cost effective?

Short answer is no, however on a small scale you won't lose money either. I plant 10 acres corn and bean rotation in central Wisconsin. Heavy wetish soil. This past spring use a 630, to plow an disk the acreage took around 20 hrs on the tack. 3-14 plow and 10 ft disk pulling a drag. Planted with a 10 ft drill and an A took around 4 to 5 hours to drill. Hire out the spraying and harvest. Excluding any land cost was ahead around 1500. Yeild was around 42 bushels per acre. We were vary dry most of the summer and the yeild was in line with others in the area. I do it mostly for relaxation and stress relief and to use my collection as it was meant. Nothing beats the sound of a two cylinder lugging, plus with a two cylinder you can hear the ground turning. There wouldn't be enough time to cover the ground necessary to make a living this way and to utilize the equipment that can be used with these additional passes are required.

 

[ss55]

This is more a question of curiosity from a southern man whose family stopped row-cropping for profit in the 60's I know pound for pound the JD Two Cylinders outclass any other tractor of equal size but in an era of giants with at least two times the horsepower as them with implements able to cover twice or thrice the ground is row cropping with them still cost effective?

It depends. If you farm a small number of acres, your land is paid for (rent free), you are farming for entertainment (free labor) and you don't care about timeliness or if you make a profit or not, then farming with whatever you have works well. If you are renting land at the market rate, value or hire your labor at $25 plus per hour and rely on farming as your only source of income, then something more productive might help you stay in business longer.

 

[NY 986]

High net farm income pre-tax on a PER ACRE basis is most critical. Like I said they are most effective on small operations (200 acres + -) with limited trips across each acre annually. This means highly productive soils. Corn yields presently 200 bushels plus per acre. Soybean yields typically 65 bushels or more per acre annually. Running several trips to ready fields or farming several hundred acres or more would be almost impossible. They tend to run 1970's or newer planters, combines, and hay balers. The bottom line is with today's yields and prices their income after variable expenses and property taxes plus insurance is above 300 dollars per acre. They tend to be fairly self reliant in terms of running the household (wood heat and garden) and the farmstead is well kept but not fancy. It really is a choice as they could afford 1960's and 1970's tractors. Debt tends to be minimal or not based through a commercial lender. As I said before there are examples of these farms around but when they get too old or worse that tends to be the end.

 

[560Dennis]

Well the only way to know is be the one that is pioneer to get in there with the zeal to make it happen .post the numbers profit or losses next year for us measure the success.

 

[DavidT1]

Not sure I qualify to answer what you asked but, I farm 40 acres currently. I have only a JD 620. I use a 12ft disk, 10ft 9350 drill and a 4-14 JD F650 plow. I rent a fertilizer spreader to put urea out. The spraying, harvest and haul I have custom done. I am currently trying to get my own pull sprayer. I raise HRSW, forage crops and contract Buckwheat. I make money most years, but of course not large amounts and not what larger acreage farmers do. I make money doing it this way, so I feel that is profitable. The biggest element that in my opinion most people are not willing to do anymore is spend much more time farming than most and repairing it yourself when needed,. The DIY work method is how I feel you can make money and low cost reliable equipment. If you want to get it done fast and go on vacation, then no I don't think it would work. I am currently looking for more land and feel safe with what I have up to about 80 acres, then another tractor will be needed. Next will be a 730 most likely until I can get over 100 acres.