What can't two wheel tractors do?

[freedomlives]

The main thing that comes to my mind as a deficiency is no front end loader. Which has gotten me in to the market for a 4 wheel tractor with one, after rolling hay bales up a ramp on to the bed of my Goldoni powered trailer last summer, as well as manually (with pitchfork) loading loose hay and stacking it.

I went earlier this week across Slovakia to some dealers of used Japanese import small tractors. Of course, the dealers wanted to know what other attachments I'd be needing-- mower? belt rake? plow? rotavator? And I'm like -- well, I'm already pretty much covered for everything but manipulating hay and materials like gravel (or loosened dirt-- I'm thinking ponds could be made easily by rotary plowing and removing the soil with the FEL, go in and rotary plow another foot down, FEL, etc). Box blade would be nice, but no one in Europe knows what these are, and single shank subsoiler for pulling in water pipes-- also fairly unknown...

I realize I actually like walking for cutting and raking hay. It is a relax during the summer and walking several extra miles for a few days isn't exactly bad for my health.

Then the rotary plow-- I'm not planting acres of potatoes or other crops, just a bit for us, and otherwise I'd have to be mold-board plowing, then discing, etc. I showed one of the dealers a video of the rotary plow and he was pretty impressed-- "you just go over the field one time?".

It is really annoying how practical these two wheel tractors are!

 

[jcraftenworth]

They don't have the power, weight or stability for loader work, but you can use them as power barrows as you pointed out. They rotary plow nicely, but the added weight required for moldboard plowing, subsoiling, root plowing makes them less effective and convenient in that area than utility tractors. But on the other hand, they can do it and possibly fit in places you wouldn't want to try with a 4 wheel tractor. IMO, it's the mechanized soilworking implements where they shine, the rotary plow is far better than moldboard on a small scale and the power harrow and tillers make using draw implements like discs and cultivators unnecessary in many (but not all) situations. The mechanized soilworking implements don't require adding and removing weights when switching to and from these implements, so that's more convenient for sure. And even if you add the weights for the simple pull type soilworking implements, the mechanized are still more effective.

While they can do wood splitting, wood chipping, power washing, imo the expenses of buying the implements doesn't make sense vs buying standalone engine implements, even though multiple engine maintenance is an issue. For example, I bought a very effective hydraulic wood splitter that functions almost identically to the official BCS unit, it cost 900 brand new, and I saw comparable units afterwards for 800 dollars, the BCS unit costs well over 2000 + shipping + a pto rpm upconverter. I think if you compare used standalone woodchippers of good quality (some pto tractor brands make standalone engine units as well of high quality) you will find the bcs chippers and shredders not such a bargain. They might be an equal bargain on the used market *if* they were commonly available used but they are not.

Where they shine is in having high quality implements across the board, and especially those types and sizes you simply don't find from other makers these days, such as the rotary plow, power harrow, flail mower, subsoiler, cultivator toolbar...the only two wheel tractors that had some of these are the older gravelys and the david bradley old time style two wheel tractors, and the bcs/grillo lines beat all of those in ease of use and refinements, not to mention being able to use all of them on one machine, and having a reliable source to buy the implements (tracking down stuff like this for used gravelys and david bradleys is not fun, nor is trying to keep those machines running with no easy source for parts).

 

[freedomlives]

Yea-- I got a good deal on a motorized wood chipper, used but from the condition of the machine, very little. (Wood chippers PIRANA 14HP WHEELS 41X16 Bystroň - Integrace s.r.o.) I can't remember exactly, but I paid less than a 1000 for it. I figured that having a separate motor, I can tow it to where the sticks needing chipping are and leave my father-in-law to do that while I go do something else. At first I was considering ordering this model without the motor, and making a connection to my walk behind, but when the one with the motor came on the used market for such a low price, the question was answered.

It is a bit simpler for you all in the US, that there are essentially just two brands of walk behinds. It sure would be nice if the manufacturers had standardized connectors for implements. There are at least 5 manufacturers in Italy (even more brands, but e.g. Ferrari and BCS are the same manufacturer) and it seems each uses different mechanical mount for the implement and different PTO output shaft. I ran in to that problem when I got my first (used) walk behind in Italy, and the rotary plow I found on the used market, while looking from the photos like it would fit, actually had a different size PTO shaft and slightly different mount. Lucky for me, both things needed metal removed to make them fit my tractor, so it was a matter of 100€ for a machinist to adapt it.

I guess the idea the manufacturers had was to lock in owners to buying just e.g. the BCS brand of implements, but then every implement maker ends up offering every possible PTO and mechanical adapter-- so there isn't lock-in really to just one company.

The other thing I like about walk behinds is walking behind. Last summer my 6 year old son used the Czech walk behind I have with the belt hay rake to rake about an acre of hay. This summer I plan for him to be helping as well, though using the Goldoni as I'm selling the Czech stuff. I wouldn't put a six year old behind the seat of a 4 wheel tractor, given the potential for crashing it into something, driving on a slope and flipping, etc.

 

[jcraftenworth]

Yeah it's nice that the 3pt hitch and ptos are standardized on 4 wheel tractors. I'd chalk it up to most being sold in the USA and Canada, so they were made to be universal I think as soon as the patent on the 3 pt hitch was up, everyone got in the game so it doesn't matter what brand of 4 wheel tractor you buy in regards to implement compatibility (within the various weight classes/grades).

Since Europe hasn't been united, even today...you get a lot of competing standards. ETA: I bet in europe it's much easier to buy used 2 wheel tractors and implements! It is very hard in the USA! Usually you must buy new, or be very patient/have no urgent immediate need for the tractor.

But what's up with the Slovenian and Slovakian hockey teams taking out USA and Russia?? Czech's took out Canada! Eastern Europe on the ascendency!!! (I know, the NHL players aren't there, but that's probably a good thing for the tournament)

 

[Thomas]

Yesterday's tractors compare todays 4wd tractors kinda like apples and oranges in a way.
Ground grip,horse power,attachments etc. etc. but 2WD tractor w/ set good tire chains can still pull there own weight.

 

[RalphVa]

I had a Gravely with all kinds of attachments: rotary plow, sulky, cart, snow plow, square chute snow blower, MacKissic shredder (no chipper), bush hog/mower. Had to put steering brakes on it to handle it. Could not handle it with just the handle bars. Also did not have enough traction for going up or down our hill out back. Eventually put dual Ag-tired wheels on it. Needed chains to push the snow blower and the snow plow (and go back to single wheels). Don't think it would have pulled a sub soiler, maybe with some old fashioned steel spiked wheels.

I've seen them online with small round hay balers on the front PTO.

I was driving a 4 wheel tractor when pretty young. Don't actually remember my age, maybe 8.

Ralph

 

[freedomlives]

I don't follow sports much, but last week, on the way back from looking at 4wd tractors with FELs, I stopped by another American living here. He and his son were watching Slovakia vs Russia, and really getting in to it, yelling at the referee for not calling tripping, etc. Funny thing is that he and his son were talking about "our team". They are big in to hockey-- his son has a trainer who is a former pro or olympic (or both) Slovak hockey player. I can't get in to sports that intensely, but I also, after 8 years of living here, understand that sort of patriotic feeling.

But Slovenia, Slovakia, and Czechia-- are Central Europe, admittedly eastern-central... Eastern Europe starts about 3 miles from my house, at the Ukranian border. Until the end of WWI, these were all part of the Austrian Empire, and definitely to a large extent part of the west until that unfortunate 45 year period following WWII

With standards-- I don't think its because of European countries being different-- most of the walk behind tractors are Italian products! I think it is just a crude attempt to lock in customers, and perhaps the size of the market is such that still standards haven't emerged.

The adapter I'm getting made for my Goldoni Special 128 (14HP, with steering brakes, and ancient gasoline motor) will let me connect the rotary mulching mower from Nibbi as well as the Czech Vari implements. The Vari implements end in a round tube 60mm diameter, and the Nibbi mower 50mm. Different toothed profiles as well. I'll have a sleeve that will slide over and get welded on to the Nibbi implement to make it 60mm diameter, and then two different PTO shaft adapter rods. From the Vari I have a 4 foot belt hay rake and 4 foot (120cm) sickle bar mower with the thicker ESM bar-- its good for mowing in places with saplings up to the thickness of my thumb. For various reasons, I also have a smaller Goldoni with a two stroke motor and 130cm sickle bar, likewise ESM, but thinner teeth, and some of them broken when cutting saplings.

It is easier to find used attachments, unfortunately the bulk of them are in Italy, and only once in a blue moon in Czechia and Slovakia. Here in Slovakia and Czechia all of the delivery companies do COD, so if I want to buy something from someone on the other end of Czechia, they can send it to me, and I give cash to the deliveryman, so it helps in commerce between private people. Whereas with Italy there is no third party willing to do this, so I've had to drive down there twice to pick things up.

 

[NibbanaFarm]

There is another thread, showing the (almost) unbelievable work that this two wheel tractor genius has done. I can't seem to find it but this thread has a few links to photos.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/2-wheeled-tractors/312597-two-wheel-tractor-genius.html

If you get a good look at what this guy has done, I'd say the answer to your question is "almost nothing".

 

[jcraftenworth]

There is another thread, showing the (almost) unbelievable work that this two wheel tractor genius has done. I can't seem to find it but this thread has a few links to photos.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/2-wheeled-tractors/312597-two-wheel-tractor-genius.html

If you get a good look at what this guy has done, I'd say the answer to your question is "almost nothing".

With the caveat that you must be a highly skilled mechanical engineer, or else just rely on the implements that are out on the market like the rest of us.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Honestly...I cannot think of anything a 2 wheel tractor could not do...if teamed with the right implement.

I know others have said Front End Loader work, but there is a work around to that...towing a log trailer. I have a Wallenstein Log Trailer and it comes with a grapple for wood, backhoe for dirt, can power a post hole digger, and has a dump body to haul gravel and other stuff. Since it has its own 6 hp power pack, and outriggers for stability when lifting, all it needs is something to pull it.

My log trailer is sized too big honestly, but they make them for ATV's and I think if a person invested in a set of tracks for their 2 wheel tractor, and then an ATV sized log trailer, they would achieve the lifting capacity they currently lack. Granted that is a sizable investment, perhaps $15,000 dollars, BUT it is less then a comparable 4 wheel tractor with out that capacity. In other words, a person who bought a 2 wheel tractor, and then a atv log trailer (with backhoe, dump body, etc) might come in at $19,000...however they could do more with that combination then a 4 wheel tractor with just a front end Loader. If they bought the log trailer too...oh my, they would be at $35,000!! See what I mean?

This is the log trailer I bought, but the 2 wheel tractor would have to have an ATV sized one.