3-Point Hitch Bolens G174 by Iseki capability

[tundraman01]

I have a G174 diesel tractor. I bought it with only 80 hours on it two years ago. It came with a 4' rototiller and a 5' York rake. It handles them without any problems. My question is: how heavy of an implement can the three point hitch lift? I want to get a 4' brush hog and a logging winch. The small loggiong winchs I'm looking at weigh about 350 to 400 lbs. I don't need to be able to skid the logs with the tractor. I just want to pull them up to the road so I can cut them up and grab the pieces with my truck. The 100 or 150' of cable would let me winch trees up to the road from places I'm afraid to bring the tractor.

 

[284 International]

I don't have personal experience with the G174, but I have Yanmar and Mitsubishi tractors of the same size. A quick search of tractordata shows that the TX1500 (Iseki's original version of your tractor) is rated at 838 lbs at the ends. It won't lift that, but that may be what it is technically capable of doing. I think, looking at pictures of the logging winches, that you would be ok weight-wise, with some front ballast, to move the thing.

It may not fit, though. On my smaller machines, sometimes the lift arms won't physically go wide enough to reach the standard Category I mounting points. Make sure you measure your tractor's arms first.

Let us know how it does, or if it will fit or not; logging is something I know virtually nothing about.

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

I have a 36" rotary cutter that weighs around 430 lbs. that my TX1300 (G154 equivalent) lifts fairly easily. I believe the hydraulic capabilities for the G154 are the same as the G174 according to the operating manual.

 

[jugtownjohn]

I would have to agree with adding some weight to the front.
I use a Bush Hog 48, probably about 350 lbs, on my G174 and without the loader or some weight in the front the tractor does have a tendency to do wheelies.

 

[Rod in Forfar]

The Bolens G174 will have no problem with a 48" rotary cutter. Mine weighs a bit over 400 pounds. You will DEFINITELY need an over-run clutch adapter, though, and a couple of hundred pounds of weight on the front.

I use my mid-sized logging winch occasionally on the G174 when I want to pull stuff out to a narrow logging road. The Bolens easily turns crosswise on the road and all it has to do is turn the PTO. The winch does the rest. The winch an 8,000 pound-pull model. The brand escapes me, but it's no toy. That weight's about all the G174 can lift and carry, though.

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

Sorry if my 430 lbs for a 36" rotary seems high (compared to the previous two replies for 48" cutters) but I have a Howse economy cutter and their website claims 433 lbs. unless I'm reading it wrong. Look under their "brochures" link and "economy and medium rotary cutters" for weights. I do not have the chains on mine so I'm not sure on weight w/o them. I agree ballasting is required on the front to lift it.

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

...The winch an 8,000 pound-pull model. The brand escapes me, but it's no toy...

Looks like a "Fransgard" according to the picture. Looking at their website, they have a V-2800 model and a V-4000 model currently that is close to what you describe (yours may be neither). The V-4000 would be closer to your decription at 8,800 lbs. pull, but it weighs 550 lbs. The V-2800 does 6,200 lbs. pull and weighs 330 lbs. Both require more horsepower than the G174 can provide at the PTO, but I wonder if the lack of available horsepower would result in just lower pulling speed or lower pulling force or a combination of the two? My guess is that it should be able to develop the same pulling force, just a lack of the rated speed.

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

[Edit] Made some mistakes first time around - here are the (hopefully corrected) numbers :ashamed:

I had to run some quick calcs on what that winch could pull on a G174 assuming it wasn't power (torque) limited by it. Based on these dimensions and weights (some estimated):

Distance to snatchblock from ground: 50"
Distance to front axle from winch blade: 100"
Distance to rear axle from winch blade: 50"
Use front axle weight from service manual + ballast (477 +150 = 627 lbs) acting on front axle (approx)
Rear axle weight: 600 lbs

Summing moments around the blade/ground interface, shows the tractor could pull about 1850 lbs. assuming no slipping of the blade (best case scenario) without lifting of the front end.

Not sure if I would rush out and buy one of these for a tractor this size knowing this, but if you have one lying around then you might as well utilize it.

Obviously moving the winch snatchblock closer to ground level would increase pulling capability dramatically before tipping occurs.

 

[vabiker23518]

I had a bolens G152,(2 wheel drive) with 3 suitcase weights up front. I don't think it would have worked well without the weights as it always felt a little light when I had the 48" rotory cutter connected.

 

[Rod in Forfar]

Looks like a "Fransgard" according to the picture. Looking at their website, they have a V-2800 model and a V-4000 model currently that is close to what you describe (yours may be neither). The V-4000 would be closer to your decription at 8,800 lbs. pull, but it weighs 550 lbs.

Yes, the Fransgard is a V-4000 which I bought used. I normally run it on a Massey Ferguson 35 (Perkins), but for light work I find the Bolens's forward exhaust and clean burn much easier to take than the Perkins's. On the old tractor the trap behind the low exhaust pipe created by the winch makes for a very smelly environment in an area in the woods with little wind.

The Bolens, as you are no doubt aware, has a lot more power than weight. There's no way it will run out of torque on a skidder. It will just slide across the forest floor when it runs out of capacity.

This implement is too heavy for the machine, though. It will carry it around, but just barely. The smaller model would likely carry more easily and be quite useful for odd jobs, though I doubt if a 1200 pound tractor would ever be much good as a log skidder.