Taller tires on a BX?

Haywire said:

Man, there's some sensitive guys here. I ask about taller tires, one guy says that BXs are too small, and the world comes crumbling down. LOL

Ian

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Most of us simply do not like bashing or judgmental attitudes. For many of us, the BX is the ideal tractor and should not be characterized as too small or that it doesn't do "real work".

As I have said before, I use several tractors of different brands from 23 HP to 85 HP and do not look down on anyone's choice of equipment whether it be size or make.

Haywire,
bp was joking around with the guy that started this. Both bp and I installed larger tires and rims on our tractors. Although the back tires are much closer to the fenders than before, I wouldn't go back to the smaller, factory rims and tires if you paid me. I love the "bigger" look and haven't had any issues with mud/snow build up in the fenders. Not sensitive at all, just callin a spade a spade.

MT

Well said TripleR :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

MT

WROOSTER,

I am SOOO gonna copy that outdoor fireplace design. Awesome job!

rdsaustintx said:

WROOSTER,
I am SOOO gonna copy that outdoor fireplace design. Awesome job!

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There is a good story behind it.

We purchased this house about two years ago and have been fixing things up as we go. That said, if there is something historic or unique I have a hard time just trashing it. I'd rather figure out a way to make it "work", but keep the history there.

The outdoor fireplace itself was built in around 1940 or so, about 10 years after the house was built. Someone did put some care into it as the firebox was lined with proper firebrick, not just red brick. However, years of neglect, freezing weather, encroaching soil, and so on made it a sorry sight. Water had gotten in some of the mortar joints and there were many loose firebricks. Basically, it was a broken down, unusable outdoor fireplace which had 4 inches of soil in the firebox and weeds growing in it.

For 2 seasons I mowed around with my BX1860, and on alternate mowings I wavered between attaching the FEL and dismantling it versus figuring out how I could "fix" it. One day I came back inside and announced to my wife that I would fix it by building a "firepit" -- taking advantage of the now appreciable slope that was surrounding it (70 years of soil migration). she yawned. I took up the challenge.

here it is in the distance the day we moved in (the straw is from a septic system that was just installed):


late last fall i started on the project by scalloping out an area in front of it, making an apron for the fireplace:


here is a close up showing the dilapidated condition:


i don't have a BH and i didn't want to rent a Mini-Ex for this, so mostly i "drove in" from the shallow end with the BX's FEL:


i got a couple of pallets of fieldstone to make the walls, and moved them to the jobsite with the FEL and ballast box. this was not really as fun as it sounds.


as a went along i then discovered that at one point in time there must have been a red brick patio out in front of the fireplace. thereafter i dug up/out about 87,000 brick chunks. it sucked.


after doing some math i decided on a level for the patio surface, and dug out to that depth:


there was a lot of elbow grease involved:


my wife congratulated me on making a fine hole in the backyard, and reminded me that it would be thanksgiving in a couple of weeks and i needed to get a move on before the weather turned cold:


this basically translates to, "you made a mess, when are you cleaning it up?":


the PA bluestone arrived but i have no way of getting a 3200 pound pallet off the truck, and i certainly don't want to do it by hand, but the truck dumps -- it's just physics -- so there you go:


each 3' x 2' x 1.5" thk piece of bluestone weighs about 75 pounds:


the little BX is one tough customer, she didn't complain even once:


continued...

now fall was in full swing and with so many other things going on i was spending just an hour each night after work on the firepit. visions of restarting the unfinished project in the spring were in the back of my head:


i enlisted some support from a friend of mine who is a mason. while i was at work one day he poured the underlay slab for the patio surface, and the next day put the PA bluestone down.


the job of stacking the fieldstone on the walls was split between me and one of his helpers, it takes longer than you would think to get it right.


in the meantime my mason friend used this "cake decoration" tool thingy to regrout the stove joints in an artistic way,


the end result actually looked really cool and gave it a nice new look,


this picture was taken the day before thanksgiving,


but over the next week it finally came all together,


the final result was super,


and has turned out to be a great place to have a beer with friends,


as spring warms up it will be a great place to eat outside -- close enough to the house but just the right distance away,


I have to take a recent picture but a couple of weeks ago i used a weak Muriatic acid solution to clean years of weather and grime from the old fireplace, and it is truly beautiful now. The true colors of those old stones are still there.

----

epilogue:
In the end i'm really happy not to have stuck the BX's FEL into the side of the fireplace, reducing it to rubble. The old fireplace represents something we "saved", and that's a good feeling to me. The newly built firepit is both functional and a nice detail to the yard.

wrooster

To the OP:

Since you have the BX2660, I seriously doubt there is room, either in the rear or in the front to install larger tires/wheels. The steering stops come into play as does the MMM clearance, front and back. Plus, let's just say somehow, somewhere you were to come up with a tire/wheel package that was 2" larger in total diameter, somehow matched the bolt pattern and somehow you were able to get them to fit. (this seems imaginary, but...)

You only gain 1" of ground clearance. The other inch of diameter is up in the air, on the other side of the wheel, if that makes sense.

Yes, you can put BX2360-BX2660 tires/wheels on the smaller framed BX1860. Been there, done that. Gained an inch of GC. But since you already have the BX2660, my belief is that you're about maxed out. What you might have in mind is wheels/tires approximately the size of a B, something with a 12" front wheel and a 16" rear wheel and that, I think, is not going to happen.

wow! beautiful work !! I love it. :thumbsup: It really sure looks like its a great place for a bbq. Have you used it yet?

Wrooster, beautiful job making that firepit and reclaiming that outdoor fireplace. And you got it all done with standard size BX tires. :LOL

do not forget about chains. if you need chains in winter for snow/ice. or if ya use chains for any sort of dirt work.

as far as larger size tires. some things to remind yourself.

your lowest gear will be faster and less torque. and if using ground ingaging equipment (FEL, plow, etc...) you might be hurting yourself. if being able to dig further down into the dirt.

if you are doing ground engagement stuff. i doubt your mower deck will be on. so i am going to assume front tire clearance is needed the FEL and general duty bucket on it. needs to be double checked. so bucket when fully curled down and so cutting edge is pointed at tires. it does not hit the tires. even if front tires are hanging down to one side due to on a bump / hill or something.

also need to double check max left and right turning. both rubbing up tractor. frames, but also with FEL at different depths.

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if you can manage to rub tire on something. then most likely it will happen. even when you are being careful. and it slips your mind for a moment. and pop there goes a good tire. or something bent.

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about only way i could suggest testing for a larger diameter tire would be. is finding some 1/8" plywood or hard board insultion, or something alone those lines. that allows you to easily cut up strips and bend them around the tire. and then use some straps or wire or something to hold them in place. and build up 1" thick worth of the stuff around the tire. and then test front and rear tires out in all directions to see what happens.

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you might want to double check turf, R4's, R1's for your tractor specifically (more so tires that are new with good full tread on them) worn down tread can cause a difference in ground clearance. it may give you a slight more bigger diameter.

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out of curiosity. what tasks are you wanting to do, that you wished you had more ground clearance? perhaps there is a better tool or technique.