mccormick w4 for haying???

[steve1243]

Just wondering if a w4 will run a new holland 477 haybine.

 

[Dave H (MI)]

That's only a 7 foot haybine but I am thinking with HP in the low 20's you are going to be a little light on power. I can tell you for certain that if hay grows for you like it did here in 2013 you will not be able to do it. Light hay probably, heavy hay you will wish you had a lot more HP. Its a hard enough job without equipment issues.

 

[steve1243]

I usually run it with my super m, but I'm having some problems with it grinding. Just considering the w4 as a back up if i can't get the m fixed before hay season. It grinds and vibrates in 3rd and 4th gear something terrible. The steering column shakes back and forth about an inch. Any ideas???

 

[steve1243]

I wouldn't consider our hay thick. We made around 3500 bales off about 100 acres. That was for 2 cuttings. Hoping its thicker this year we spread lime and manure before the snow came.

 

[Zachary Hoyt]

I ran a 461 with an H for 3 years, now I use a 300 which is handy
because of the fast hitch and IPTO but the H was perfectly fine. We
have some steep hills and fairly light hay. Usually get 1100 or 1200
bales from a single cutting on 30-40 acres or so.
Zach

 

[tractordanp]

I used to run 479 with my H it worked fine as long as not to
hilly same power as w4

 

[Leroy]

We pulled a Case 555 unit that is a 9' cut with an H with no problems, know it was either second or third, would not have wanted to travel faster even if we had double the power.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I pull a 7' JD 1207 with a Ford 2000 in 3rd gear. Trouble making corners on slopes.

 

[Dave H (MI)]

See Steve, we took over 1500 from one 10 acre field down the road last year. Like you that was for the entire season. Very thick stuff. I would not consider using a tractor of that size. Broke the center pipe on the haybine reel. Cracked the reel right in half. Finished out that field with the Super MTA and a mid mount sickle. The SMTA is the smallest I use for mowing and baling anymore but I will put the 300U on the rake. I don't see any benefit to using the smallest I have on heavy jobs. Get on the IH forum and get some help fixing your M would be my advice.

 

[Dick2]

If you use a PTO baler, be very careful with the shielding that connects to the W4 tractor. Remember that you will have a leg on either side of the PTO shaft; you don't want to get wrapped up in that PTO shaft.

We used our W4 on a pull-type windrower, were always careful with the PTO shields.

 

[Brendon Warren]

As others stated same powers as an H. I learned to mow with an H and a 479 New Holland. 20 + years later I still use the same haybine. The H was a little slow. But they're geared kind of low anyway.

 

[495man]

If you add hydraulics to it....

Probably will turn it, just won't set any speed record.

Also, your a$$ sits out over top of the hitch pin and PTO shaft. You are "a bump away from death at any time"

I always HATED running PTO equipment on a W-4, although it was the only tractor I drove I could reach and pull the hitch pin while sitting in the seat....