Tractor Sizing Is Tractor Weight Important?

[jedjoe]

Have had the luxury of using a number of different machines that were all 4wd, all in the 35-50 hp range, and of varying weights. FEL lifting, 3pt lifting, dragging logs, moving rock, and stability all were better with the heavier machine. No one mentioned this, but do remember that a heavier machine (everything else being equal) will consume more fuel, so if you are doing a great deal of "distance work" (like mowing and haying), just realize that you'll be filling up more frequently (and spending more $$) with a heavier tractor.

 

[cougar21300]

While weight is indeed important, how it is distributed is equally important. I recommend to every customer using a tractor with a loader that they 3/4 load the rear tires, and if they are going to be moving heavy materials that they add a counterweight on the three point as well. I usually recommend that the counterweight be roughly 1/2 the loader lift at bucket center to full height. My B7800 has roughly a 400 counterweight while my L5240 works best with one that is 800+.
If you were to only run either the ballasted tires or a counterweight, I would chose the counterweight because it is both more effective and more versatile. Take the B7800 for example; if the tires are loaded it adds roughly 400 pounds to the rear axle only. If you take the same 400 pounds and add it as a counterweight you are adding roughly 600 ponds to the rear axle because the leveraging effect is removing a couple hundred pounds from the front axle and transferring it back to the rear. It both balances the machine better traction-wise, and makes it more stable by moving the weight to the solid axle. Best of all, you can easily remove the weight when you don't want it (mowing, snow removal, etc).
My point I guess is that you can make whichever tractor you purchase effective by properly weighting it. With the two you are considering I think there is more usable advantage found in Kubota's three range hydro as opposed to the JD 2 range.

 

[HellBender]

My cousin sold John Deer for years and when I was looking she eluded that a heavier machine could mean its built stronger. Doesn't mean it is but something to consider. Then again maybe she ment if it had a heavier frame?

 

[Martian]

The tractor weight is important to getting certain jobs done such as loader work. I like to look at what the tractor is used for primarily to find the best way to ballast as well as where to put the weight so buying a tractor with to much weight that is not removeable can be an issue.

Look at what you will be using the tractor for the most and where you will be putting the most hours on for your options as well.
Many look at the loader work as a large task but after the heavy work is done, what gets the most hours? To have a heavy or well weighted tractor out mowing can be a disadvantage to the owner from the aspect of fuel useage alone! Other things that enter in would be soil compaction and ride.

Now that I've got a keyboard instead of a phone;

Weight is the single biggest factor of a tractor. Without weight, you can have a million HP trying to pick up a yard of gravel, but if your wheels are just spinning it does you no good whatsoever.

You have to know the purposes of your tractor. I know that my 85HP utility w/ R1's is not going on turf and I don't plan on mowing with it. The extra weight of it gives much more power to the wheels.

When comparing a smoother ride, think of what gives you a smoother ride, a 2500 loaded or unloaded. When you put the weight in the back you make a smoother ride because the shocks are loaded like they were designed to be. A car has a lot weaker of a suspension, and is smoother, but a tractor has no suspension, and the added weight makes it stick to the ground and give a smoother ride.

As MtnView mentioned, fuel concerns are not an issue unless your using your tractor for 1000+ hours per year. I don't know anyone on TBN who does that, I would say that most of us are in the 100/year range, and you wouldn't see much difference in a weight tractor and a non-weighted, assuming everything else is the same.

I know they can be better designed, but for the most part, a heavier built tractor is built stronger than a lighter. Same thing with getting a 3/16" piece of steel and a 1/2" piece of steel. The 1/2" is way stronger, but also heavier.

I don't see the allure to the lighter tractors. You can weight them down, but when your just putting that weight right onto the tractor, you really want the weight to be built into making a stronger tractor in the frame instead of dangling off a weaker frame.

Just my $.02