Tractor/Implement width ratio?

[piller]

If your tractor is 6.5 or 7 feet wide, is it OK to use a 6 foot wide bush hog or FEL bucket? I would think that one would want a FEL bucket to be wider than the tractor, if you planned to dig/excavate. Thanks.

 

[john_bud]

About anything is "OK". Some things are just better and some things not as good.

Typically all jobs are easier when the implement is wider than the tires. You can either buy a more expensive wider implement assuming you have the power to run it. Or, bring the wheels in. Most are adjustable by 12-24".

 

[BarryinMN]

My tractor is 7' wide and I run a 66" bushhog. It works - not the prettiest cut - bent over grass comes back up. I don't need to get under trees or along fence lines. It was free & it's not worth buying a smaller tractor or larger hog.

Buckets are another matter. Tractor came with a 7' dirt bucket but I usually have a 66" rock bucket/grapple on it. In Winter a 8' snow bucket. For digging nothing beats pallet forks as all the machine weight is on two 4" wide edges. A tooth bucket digs better than a smooth edge, smaller better than larger, if the bucket is narrower than the wheel width you may have trouble following it down the hole.

Ag loaders are not really designed for digging virgin soil, scooping & lifting loose materials is what they do best. Radial lift skidloaders, Backhoe's Dozers, the yellow machines are engineered to take the hits.

 

[Harold_J]

My tractor is 7' wide and I run a 66" bushhog. It works - not the prettiest cut - bent over grass comes back up....

It seems like it wouldn't make much difference with the bushhog unless the cutter was significantly wider than the tractor (at least by the amount of the tire width).
Even if the mower was as wide as the tractor or an inch or two more, the grass will still be flattened by the tires anyways before it is cut by the rear mower..

 

[RWolf]

IMO the way I look at it use the widest implement that your tractor will handle. Saying that what I mean is width equates to time. The wider the shorter the time on job. However in some cases i.e. plowing you may only be able to pull a smaller implement because of HP ratings. My FEL would be an inch wider than the tractor except I put wider tires on the back. Not really a problem as how oftain to you scoop and keep going. My box blade is overall about 1 - 2 inches shorter than the width due to the same reason, wider tires. Still haven't had an issue even with repetitive drag, backup, drag again.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto what john bud said.. I like certain rear implements wider than the tractor. like mowers, rakes, angle and back blades. Lets you cover your tracks...

soundguy

 

[AndyMA]

I have numerous buckets between my tractors and the one I like the best and use most often is a 72" bucket even on a 75hp TN. The 84 inch bucket is useful for loose material and snow but pretty useless for any kind of digging.

Andy