What is the lowest CG / Widest Stance Tractor?

[woodlandfarms]

We have hills, and I need to mow them. The other day I rented a Kubota 2100 from the local shop. It was set up narrow, and felt very, very tippy. Drove the 4x4 p/u across the same area, and felt very stable and secure.

So, in our area I have Deere, Kubota, TYM and maybe Kioti / Branson. I need / want HST, and am holding it to 35hp.

When I got through the specs I cannot get an idea of how wide I can get these tractors. Oh, I will probably be getting AG tires. At the moment TYM is in my favorite category.

I have read the article on CG that was posted a few weeks ago, so I am wondering if anyone has researched CG Height and width or if someone can help me muddle through the specs which seem oriented toward narrowest and not widest stance.

Hope this makes sense.

Thanks to all

Carl

 

[VistanTN]

Carl,
This will be some generalizations, but hopefully helpful. CG on most tractors is somewhere between mid rear axle and mid-to-lower engine. It is impossible to say precisely because fuel load, attachments, and equipment change things around. You will likely have to call/visit dealers to get track width at widest setting. Usually that's in the operator's manual, but not in the online specs. Wider stance will not change the CG, but it will increase the angle at which the CG comes over the downhill wheels which is where things get unstable. Fluid loading the tires will generally lower the CG quite some (and reduce the bounce in the tires), since the CG of the fluid load is below the tire axle.
I just reset the wheels and had them fluid loaded on my Mahindra 6500 4WD and it makes a LOT of difference on our hills. Most of our slopes are in the 10-15 degree range, but small sections, dips, humps, etc. can tilt the tractor more than that. I still hit the "pucker factor" once in a while but far less often with the wide set and wheel fluid.
I know this isn't as specific as you would like, but hopefully it helps.

 

[Birdhunter1]

As far as wider lower tractors Hew Holland. Case/IH and Massey Ferguson make tractors that are very low setting with a wide stance, even on the MF utility line of tractors the 451 is a good tractor for hills because it sits low and has a wide enough stance to keep it stable.
Massey Ferguson's and Ford's seemed to make a good hill tractor for a long period of time, with the MF's the 135's have a low CG with a wide stance and with the Ford's there is the 3400, 3600, and 3910 that come to mind. John Deere always seeme to cater more to row crop farmers and I always felt their tractors had a bit high CG due to their higher ground clearance, same with many International and Case tractors as well as the Allis Chalmers models.

 

[IslandTractor]

Most any tractor could theoretically be made more stable by putting dual tires on the rear. Why is that not done more often? Seems that if you were not stressing the rear axle too much (and you would not be with just a mower), then there would be little downside. Are there simple ways to do this or are the few examples I've seen custom jobs?

 

[roxynoodle]

You see a lot of duals on ag tractors, but I've never seen it on a CUT. I'm curious too if anyone knows why or if it can be done.

 

[woodlandfarms]

There is a website on the net where a guy put dualies on a B2100. Funniest thing ever... I think he is a regular here.

But, I really do want to find a "Normal" tractor with a wide stance..

Thanks so far to all who have responded. Checking on the MF line...

 

[patrick_g]

There is a strength issue for the rear axles. If the axles aren't built for it then it is a BAD idea. So many ignorant people buy special rims to set their tires way out wide of the wheel wells of their (typically rice burner sedans) and take their chances that the axles won't break. They stand a chance because they are lightly loaded but still every so often there is a failure and yet another ignorant driver has a shot at getting a Darwin award. While you say you don't want to put much load on the 3PH so there shouldn't be a problem for you, are you going to really actually take the extra wheels and tires off every time you encounter a HD job? I imagine your widow's lawyer will take a rather aggressive stance regarding the improper engineering that clearly was the cause of your untimely demise. It is not likely you'll find a manufacturer or dealer who wants to incur the liability. If you want a dual rear wheel tractor, buy one engineered for it. _______________________Pat

 

[hz293]

Carl,

I like the TYM also but bought a Kubota for 2 reasons. One is that when I do sell my tractor, I want to be able to get a decent resale on it and the big 4 tend to resell higher.

There is a second reason. PM or call me and I'll fill you in.

Harris

 

[qstott]

I'm sure my tractor is not the lowest or widest, but it is fairly wide. Here is a pic soon after it arrived at it's new home. The turf tires on the rear are set at about 82" from outside to outside. It does tend to present some problems. I am constantly looking for 7' wide implements that are light enough to use behind it. Trailering is not as easy as on smaller tractors, etc,etc. I had already replaced the front tires when the picture was taken. It came equipped with turfs all around. The R1 tires that were available as a factory option used different wheels. I would much prefer to have the more narrow wheels if I could find some. I live in an area without a lot of hills, but have not experienced any "pucker factor" at all while crossing shallow ditches or occasional terrraces.

 

[odleefs]

For a stable stance, I would consider a specialized Power Trac or Toolcat. They have low CGs (specifically the PowerTrac 1845 or 1850) and are all HST although they all are more than your HP requirement. Hope this helps,
Steve