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November 2010

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Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 2 Nov 2010 08:39:21 -0400
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Michael Smith <[log in to unmask]>
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Michael Smith <[log in to unmask]>
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To: Pooh Sprague <[log in to unmask]>
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     Wish I had one, but as my old Farmall  is the parent of all 
offsets, I would make the following suggestions. On the positive side 
the Farmall has power down on the belly, which is definitely a plus, and 
I find the side dresser/seeder drive one of things I use most (much 
simpler mechanics than the 245). The downside is that the offsets are 
really one row tractors, intended for tobacco, potatoes and such. I, and 
I think many of us, grow as many things in 60, 72 and 84 inch beds, and 
while my 100 will push out easily to 60" the final drives beat up the 
outside rows, and even the tallest of the offsets (Ford 1710?) only give 
clearance in the very center.
     If Kubota is really interested in this, and I think there is a huge 
market, I would suggest two tractors, using a common power unit, 
30+/-hp, and driveline (similar gearbox to the 245, with a lower bottom 
end for a transplanter, maybe a shaft right off the gearbox for a side 
dresser, and live PTO), one a copy of the 245 with 28-30 inch rubber, 
and one with straight rear axles on 36 inch rubber (optionally 42inch?), 
keeping them dirt simple with no suburban lawn tractor shit (digital 
speedometer sure is nice though).
     Either version would easily do all the work for a small farm (up to 
5 or so acres) and all the cultivation, spraying, etc for the next step 
up. Many a thousand acres are being farmed with 60 year old A and C 
Farmalls, a diesel and modern gearbox would make them my dream tractors.

     My 2 cents.
Michael Smith
Gypsy Meadows farm

On 10/31/2010 5:03 PM, Pooh Sprague wrote:
> Sorry, I dont  currently have one for sale. But the president of 
> Kubota Corporation in Japan was in our dooryard the otherday on tour 
> with the owners of Townline Equipment. Townline is one of the largest 
> dealers of Kubota  Equipment in the Northeast, so the bigwigs 
> occasionally show up there.   The fact that there was a 274 Int and 2 
> Kubota 245HCs  parked here  was not lost on him.  Drew Marazzo of 
> Townline  conveyed to Mr Kubota that  there is a healthy interest in 
> those old tractors and perhaps a marketing opportunity; a result of 
> my  insistant  whining about Kubota dropping production of the 245HC 
> 25 years ago.  Drew approached me the other day to say that there 
> might be a dialogue  with company higher ups and as part of the 
> dialogue would I spec out  a lower horsepower "dream" vegetable 
> tractor. Short of saying "Just bring back the old 245",    I thought I 
> would throw it out to you all  for some input as well. Besides, I am 
> no engineer. The questions to ponder are:
>
> Horsepower range
> Wheel spacing and rubber size
> Ground clearance
> Offset or not(like the Farmall 200)
> Hydraulic capacities, remotes,midmount belly bars
>
>
> If you all want to send your wishes/ideas to me I will collate them  
> and take them to the Townline folks  and keep you posted as to and if  
> if this goes anywhere. As you might expect, Kubota has  separate lines 
> of   specialized ag equipment that is developed  for the eastern and 
> deep pacific regions that  we are not even aware of.  In any event,  
> it seems that we  can actually have  an opportunity  try to take 
> advantage of  having  some input here. Please forward this to any 
> farmer who has any interest in this. I feel the more input and 
> response we generate,the more seriously they may take the request for 
> a tractor made and designed for our needs.
>
> All the Best
>
> Pooh
>

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