Factors to consider;
-50 hp tractor
-I’ve never used a scoop
-moving horse manure
thanks
-rainy
Are you asking about a scoop for the 3pt hitch? Like a King Kutter? I don’t have a scoop myself (yet) but my guess is that you’d make fewer trips with the wider one. You may need to add weight to the front end if things get teetery (or you could just practice up on your skidsteering). One thing to consider is that tractors with smaller frames may not be able to lift the bigger scoop high enough to dump it without adding longer lower arms. I think it unlikely that a 50hp tractor would run into that problem, but they’re putting bigger and bigger engines into smaller and smaller packages these days so it’s worth keeping in mind.
I’ve seen this question asked on the tractor related message boards with some frequency. You’ll likely be able to find someone who has experience running a scoop on your specific tractor model. The folks over at the TractorByNet forums are friendly and knowledgeable and may be a good place to start. You might also search around the forums at MyTractorForum.
Yes, a 3 pt scoop…sorry. Thanks for the links.
1980ish Ford 8N diesel
Well, if it’s 1980ish AND a diesel, it’s definitely not an 8N.
I think generally for a rear scoop you want to get something the width of your rear tires, plus a few inches, so you can keep driving into the ditch you dig (assuming you want to go deeper)
I’ll admit right now, I’ve never used a scoop, so I could be wrong.
You could try asking at www.ytmag.com (Yesterday’s tractors Magazine)
or it’s counterpart: http://www.todaystractors.com
What are you trying to do with the tractor? A rear scraper blade may also work.
As Dead Flowers said, you might want to investigate about lifting issues (unlikely I think) but I wonder if your tractor will have enough weight. Weight=traction=digging ability
Does the tractor have cast iron weights, or more likely, liquid in the rear tires?
I’m sorta going off topic, but good luck!
While we’re talking tractors, I need to put more weight on the front of my little Yanmar 14HP deisel. Last summer I rolled it and was lucky to survive. I’m buying a ROPS for it, but the front is just too light to pull even a 4’ bushhog. It has three cast iron weights hanging on the front bar, but it’ll start hopping in the front. How can I make it safer?
StG
StGermain,
You’re being smart, thinking about safety.
You can look for bigger weights (I have no idea what size you have) You likely have “suitcase” style weights. I’ve seen them up to 100 pounds a piece.
It all depends on how much space you have to hang the weight. If you can make your own bracket, or have someone else do it, that’d work. Depending on things…if you extended the weight bracket farther forward…it would counterbalance the brushhog more.
Or you could look for front WHEEL weights. Round, and they’d bolt onto the outside of your front wheels.
OR you could fill your front tires with something for weight. Some people have used foam (there is some made specifically for this)…I’m not sure how much weight that adds. The foam also makes the tires puncture proof (thorn proof)
OR you might be able to fill your front tires with liquid. It takes a little bit of rigging to do this, you could use water, if you live where it doesn’t get below 32 degrees, or some other solution that won’t freeze (such as Rimguard, windshield washer fluid, or non toxic antifreeze…there is also Calcium Chloride, very commonly used and cheap, but it can rust out rims if it leaks)
Talking to a local farm equipment dealership could give you lots of options. Doesn’t matter if they’re green, red, blue, whatever, if they enjoy business, I’d think they’d help you with something like this.
I knew that wasn’t right when I typed it, but my tired brain could not come up with 2810…rhymes with 8N. As you can see I’m not an enthusiast, just a guy with a lot of manure to move. Where I hay feed is where the horses like to stay at, and it is the only flat spot in my pasture, so the only place I can tractor in the round bales. But the hay and manure keep it soggy wet so I need to move all that material out. I’ve shoveled and forked it onto my tractor’s hauler before, but that is a lot like real work.
Deereman - The stuff in the tires sounds like a great idea. I’ll ask at the co-op or Tractor Supply.
rainy - What kind of horses do you have?
StG
The expensive kind…
oh wait, that’s all of them 
We’ve got a quarter horse mare and a Shetland pony. We like to imagine ourselves as horse people, but were not. Both mine and my wife’s parents were part time farmers and we like the idea of raising our children with a link to the land.
I should say, of course, that I’m not an expert, or really a farmer, I guess you could say “play farmer” at best…(antique Deeres)
but it does sound like a scoop would do the job you’re trying to do. I would think your tractor would handle the 30 inch scoop with no trouble powerwise.
Is this your tractor, BTW? Tractordata.com
I am wondering if you’ll have enough traction, depending on how muddy it is, and how much your tractor weighs, tires, etc. But that can’t really be found until you try it :smack:
That would be it…without the rollover protection. I don’t think weight will be an issue. I use it to move round bales, which weigh 800-1200 pounds according to the guy at the feed store. And for this at least traction should be a problem since I’m just scooping up relatively loose material off the surface. I anticipate the hay on the ground being the worst part. In the past when I didn’t want to go through the pains of forking up the hay, I’ve put my box scrape on and just dragged it down to a non-grazing area of the pasture. Sometimes I’d have to try 3 or 4 times to get a ‘grab’ on the hay to start it moving. Actually digging would be more traction intensive, but I would think that you could vary the demand by controlling the depth – that’s a guess on my part, but like you say, no real way to know until I try.
Yup, you’re right, if you have traction issues, you can dig less.
Also, before going out to dig, be sure to eat a big lunch, and fill your pockets full of change.
Every pound helps! 
