Summer heat, pesky deer flies and a couple of good strawberry crops encouraged Hortonville, Wisconsin farmer George “Sandy” Cuff to seek a new tractor for his pick-your-own strawberry and pumpkin farm.
His acreages aren’t big — only 25 acres each of strawberries and pumpkins — but the crops, notably strawberries, require a lot of cultivation. A tractor plays a key role, and Cuff wanted a better one. A new Case IH Farmall 95 has more than met his special needs.
Cuff is the second generation to run the pick-your-own farm. It’s a business that gets more popular each year. Group outings from schools and local businesses plus families and individuals wanting vine-fresh fruit put as many as 1,000 people a day on the farm during peak picking periods.
He uses a tractor for planting, cultivating, irrigating, and pulling wagonloads of berry and pumpkin pickers to and from the fields. Throughout the summer, the strawberries require cultivation nearly every week, as chemical weed control is not an option.
During the summer of 2007, after sitting on his open-platform tractor during an especially hot spell in July, Cuff recalls, “I couldn’t stand it any more. Between the heat and the deer flies, it was driving me nuts.”
With that, the search was on for a new tractor… with an air-conditioned cab. Aiding his decision was the fact that several good crop years put him in a position to benefit from the capital depreciation deduction generated by a new capital equipment purchase.
In addition to a nice cab, Cuff’s tractor shopping list included:
• 540- and 1,000-rpm PTO
• The ability to run on 80-inch centers
• Three-point hitch
• Two-wheel drive
• Simple mechanical transmission
• Good dealer support
Of all the tractors he looked at, the 80-PTO-hp Farmall 95 had the best combination of features. Previous good experience with his Case IH dealer was a factor, as was CNH Capital’s 60-month low-rate financing.
“I thought about looking for a used tractor, but I didn’t want to shop that hard. Finding this tractor, plus the phenomenal financing and the tax deduction, made buying new a no-brainer,” Cuff says. “Plus, my Case IH dealer has always done a good job for me.”
Because he travels over his fields so often, and needs narrow tires to minimize damage to the strawberry vines, compaction is a concern. That’s one reason why Cuff preferred the two-wheel drive layout. “For me, front-wheel assist is simply more weight that I don’t need,” he says. He also has a Case IH 7120 Magnum tractor to handle heavier tillage work and his 150 acres of wheat and soybeans which provide crop rotations and bedding straw for the strawberries.
With the 11.2 by 38 rear tires on 80-inch centers, Cuff runs the Farmall 95 down the centers of the 40-inch strawberry rows, pulling a specialized cultivator that pushes the vines aside to cultivate under them.
His mounted cultivator uses the tractor’s mechanically controlled three-point hitch. With 5,025-pound lift capacity, it easily handles the cultivator, and Cuff says the depth control settings are simple and accurate.
He describes visibility out the cab as “incredible” for the precise cultivation work.
“I’m looking forward and back constantly, and the visibility is great,” he says.
The two-door cab is mounted on the flat platform to give an uncluttered work space. The air conditioning Cuff wanted is standard, as is heat, a cab air filter, a tilt steering wheel and a mechanical suspension cloth seat with armrests.
The Farmall 95 comes with a synchronized mechanical shuttle transmission with 12 forward speeds from under 1 to 18.5 mph. Four synchronized speeds in each of three ranges can be shifted on the go.
“It’s a simple transmission, and that’s all I wanted,” he says.
A 1000-gpm irrigation pump, drawing from a pond, serves two purposes for Cuff. It irrigates the crop, and more importantly, provides frost protection at critical growth stages.
Late spring frosts can destroy the strawberry blossom and ruin the crop. However, watering the plants immediately before the frost forms will protect them.
“Strawberries are planted the end of April to harvest a year later in mid-June to July. We have a hefty investment in them for a year before they’re picked,” Cuff says.
When frost threatens, he relies on the irrigation pump — and the tractor powering it — to protect the crop.
“The pump needs at least 80 hp and 1000 rpm so this tractor handles it well. In fact, there’s plenty of power. It’s a real snappy engine.”
An independent 540-rpm PTO is standard on the Farmall 95. Cuff ordered his tractor with the optional 540/1000 rpm PTO to handle the 1000-rpm irrigation pump, plus a small square baler, a brush mower and a straw mulcher using the 540 rpm PTO.
During peak strawberry picking season, Cuff is busy throughout the day managing 15 high-school age employees and all the farm’s visitors.
Harvesting is done by rows. “There has to be some organization; people can’t just wander around the field,” he says. Three varieties with different maturities typically provide a two-week picking window.
In the evenings, Cuff relaxes by cultivating the crop in the cool, quiet, comfortable Farmall 95 cab. “I had to wear earplugs on my old tractor; this one’s nice and quiet.”
As the pick-your-own business has grown, Cuff has added some elements of farm entertainment, particularly for the fall pumpkin harvest when school groups and families with children are among the visitors.
They’re greeted by a giant straw man, and treated to a wagon ride, a corn maze and a straw mini-maze. Cuff offers a package that includes one pumpkin, two gourds, two mini gourds and two ears of colored corn.
The guests enjoy the experience, and he enjoys hosting a fun and wholesome farm experience.
Thanks to the new tractor, the physical part of the job is easier, and his bottom line is better.
“This tractor does everything I want it to do,” he says. “I’m very happy with it.”
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OWNER PROFILE
George “Sandy” Cuff
Hortonville, Wisconsin
Crops: Pick-your-own strawberries and pumpkins, plus wheat and soybeans
Acreage: 200
Comments:
“Finding this tractor, plus the phenomenal financing and the tax deduction, made buying new instead of used a no-brainer.”
“For me, front-wheel assist is simply more weight that I don’t need.”
“I’m looking forward and back constantly, and the visibility is great.”
“It’s a simple transmission, and that’s all I wanted.”
“There’s plenty of power. It’s a real snappy engine.”
“My Case IH dealer has always done a good job for me.”
