New 370D owner

[Freakingstang]

Nice pics techwrtr. And pics of how you mounted the third spool valve?

I think the main reason that the front universals break is from overloading the tractor without having adequate rear ballast and using 4wd to move. Also I don't like the idea of the front wheels flipped. That has got to put a lot extra stress on things.,.

 

[techwrtr2]

The 3rd spool is in series with the loader valve. It's mounted on the other mast.

The hose disconnects allow me to connect to a hydraulic splitter. It's actually intended to mount on a 3pt. Don't remember why we didn't set it up that way other than I think it may be a bit heavy for the little Beaver. So wheels at one end and I tow it at the other. Most of the time I leave it in the same spot and connect the tractor when I want to use it. Tractor has no problems running it, split many cord of wood over the years.

 

[demigodofa]

I took 3 pics of me undoing the disconnect so hopefully you could see how it works. They look like a pin sliced at a 45 degree angle except the bottom section of the pin has a hole drilled in it and the upper section has a pin that penetrates the lower pin and goes thru the lower pin and thru the quick attach plate and thru the loader buckets plate. I guess there are a lot of less complicated ways to accomplish the lacking of those pins, but it looks neat and you can rotate both handles out 180 degrees and they will stay there until you get the bucket attached/detached. I would put a flat section at the end of the handles rotation though so the handle would stay in the "UP" position with certainty. I took a ton of pics with my phone of both the trenching bucket and quick attach plates so you guys could look at them. Also the round holes in the bottom of the quick attach plates keep dirt from building up and getting packed around the pins. Freak I was hoping this was the lightweight option you were looking for.

 

[demigodofa]

techwrtr2 I need to make a grapple! I am going to burn wood coming up soon. I'm going to make an outdoor wood boiler. And while chaining/strapping logs to the bucket is good for my waistline, I think having more weight in the drivers seat is very important to the health of my front diffs.

 

[duwem]

Flip your front wheels around, they are not designed to be in the "wide position" and you will likely end up craking the rims from teh added stress with them mounted out. The guys at Valley Power will tell you about that.

These tractor are VERY narrow for the height and power they are, with a loader on there that would only make it worse, be cautious of side hill work and work with the bucket up in the air.

 

[demigodofa]

duwem, I'm scared to flip them in, the tractor is so narrow as it is. I'm wondering if I made a ring for the outside of the rim then the bolts would distribute the clamping force to a wider area.

 

[techwrtr2]

I keep my wheels in the factory narrow position. I've read that having them out doesn't do more than make you feel good. Having never tested the stability either way, I don't know for certain.

I have wheel weights on my tractor as well as having a backhoe on it. You could build a ballast box and get your tires filled. You'll find that having weight back there does wonders for how the machine performs. Instead of a ballast box, you could always use a box blade and add suitcase weights as needed. I run a box blade on my JD when I want ballast. Works very well.

The grapple is so useful to me that I've only had the bucket mounted for a couple of months in the last 5 years, ever since I got the JD. Even then, I kept it on most of the time. I sometimes use it for bucking firewood. Mostly it serves to pick things up, move them, and put them down. Rocks, logs, tops etc. When I trim trees, I'll rake along under them with the Beaver finally closing the grapple at the end of the line and drive off with nearly all of them and never have to dismount.

 

[284 International]

I have 110 lbs of extra rear weight and when i got off of the tractor the right rear tire was off of the ground 6" at least.

Remember that unless the weight hangs off the rear of the tractor it is actually adding to the load seen by the front axle.

I would also suggest putting the wheel on properly. It will help save your steering box by decreasing the scrub radius. If you really need the stability, I understand why you're doing it, but keep in mind the added stress on the steering box may cause it to break. In a bumpy and/or off-camber situation, things could get ugly quickly.

My personal opinion on these compact tractors is that if reversing the front rims is the difference between rolling over or not, the area is unsafe for operation anyway. I'm definitely not trying to preach, but all of the manuals for all of the tractor builders say not to reverse the front wheels, as do experienced dealers and operators. That's good enough for me.

 

[demigodofa]

Thank you for all of your input. I am going to reverse them back to the factory position. I am glad I've come onto this forum as I wouldn't have known it was the factory position.

 

[demigodofa]

I have some questions. Does anyone know the approx. gpm flow of the hydraulics in this tractor? techwrtr2 how quickly does the splitter you have cycle? Also how powerful is it? I have an aux. hydraulic lever and quick connects on the front of the tractor, I assume I could tie the lever in the open position and the run the splitter as normal? Also if one were to buy a Hydraulic PTO Pump for a Beaver, would the counterclockwise rotation still work with these gear driven pumps? Not knowing anything about hydraulics I'm going to guess not as there is probably a high pressure side, possibly impeller directions or something, I was just curious. Thanks again for your time.