It's About Liberty: A Conservative Forum
Topics => TEOTWAWKI => Topic started by: John Florida on April 23, 2011, 11:08:13 AM
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May give you ideas.
Mini Combine: More Info (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJBcwNMWvRE#)
HXR-50 Self-propelled reaper & binder combine harvester (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv7sRII_AVA#)
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We have been looking at a swisher quadivator (http://www.swisherinc.com/quadivator.asp)..
ATV farming means you have an excuse to buy an ATV. And they are fun :>)
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We have been looking at a swisher quadivator (http://www.swisherinc.com/quadivator.asp)..
ATV farming means you have an excuse to buy an ATV. And they are fun :>)
They probably are a blast but I don't have any idea what the limitations are as far as weight towing and the like. There is only so much drive train beyond the motor.
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This is built for farming:
(http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/511101_lg.jpg)
and has power take off equipment far beyond an ATV. That's not to say it won't work. I think a lot has to do with how much work.
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There is no doubt a tractor is the tool for large scale farming - if your site is under an acre though, the ATVs may be better. The Big Bore ATVs are about 60 hp, and smaller enginers average around 40hp, and you know the traction won't be problem.
The ATVs are also typically lighter, and therefore won't compact the soil as much as you use them .. but it also depends on what you really plan to use them for. Equip your ATV with a winch and plaw and you have snow removal, and the ATV can be used for hunting, and just general huling in places that other vehciles can't get to..
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There is no doubt a tractor is the tool for large scale farming - if your site is under an acre though, the ATVs may be better. The Big Bore ATVs are about 60 hp, and smaller enginers average around 40hp, and you know the traction won't be problem.
The ATVs are also typically lighter, and therefore won't compact the soil as much as you use them .. but it also depends on what you really plan to use them for. Equip your ATV with a winch and plaw and you have snow removal, and the ATV can be used for hunting, and just general huling in places that other vehciles can't get to..
The ATV like I said is fine depending on what you want to do with it. the tractor I used in the picture is only 25 horse diesel but it is for single purpose to a point. The bug advantage is having the power take off to run all kinds of stuff from a Generator to a log splitter.For small farm use you sure don't need any more than that. And is probably less money too.
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Diesel is nice. As far as I know there are no Diesel ATV models - and the power take off is nice too- eliminating the need for a separate generator. However, the base price is about the same - 550 cc Polaris Sportman will run around $9000 list, so yeah, this is all about what ELSE you want to use it for.
The other thing to consider is that most ATVs are belt driven - so your ultimate pulling power with an ATV is limited by the belt slippage - so even with a lower HP motor, the tractor might be able to plow better in unbroken ground based on having a direct transmission. However, a 550cc ATV should be able to pull at least 1000lbs. (stopping it once you get going might not work out however) But given belt slippage, and new ground, multiple passes may be required with an ATV , or may require a real tractor to come in and break up the ground the first time.
Also found these (http://www.theplotmaster.com/plotmaster.html). They come in both tractor and ATV models..
I think either path will work for small scale farming. I personally will have a solar system with Gen backup for Electric generation, and I don't think I will have a need to run electric devices in remote locations ( and if I did I could haul the generator out there) with the ATV
A friend of ours did a lot of research on ATV farming and then decide he wanted to do more than a small plot, and bought himself a Kubota and real farm implements to use with it. We are sticking with ATVs because a lot of our teotwaki planning is done under the assumption that we may be wrong, and that everything will be fine. So the Teotwaki place IS our retirement home. We get ATVs and we can still use them for recreation purposes, even if small plot farming is never resorted to .. etc etc.
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All this stuff shows that there is more than one way to skin a cat.