Tractor Sizing How Much Can A Sub Compact Tractor lift?

[LD1]

It would be interesting if this thread could keep going and eventually have hundreds of tractors with real world lifting capacities so that when people are looking at used tractors, they know what they should actually be able to do. From discussions on TBN, it seems some tractors are rated at the pin with vs without a bucket. Some under rate and some over rate.

I don't know how much my tractor can actually lift. I don't have enough objects of known weight around to measure it. The heaviest thing I ever lifted was a 9 foot long 3.5 foot diameter log (Ash). It's hard to say what this log weighed. I didn't dare lift it more than a few inches off the ground because even with a 200 pound cage, 1000 pounds of tire fill and a 500 pound blade on the back, the back end was hovering. With this same ballast, I can lift the back end completely off the ground if I'm digging up a stump with the bucket.

View attachment 445665

Maybe deceiving, but just dont look like a 42" log?

But, 42" @ 9' long is ~86 cubic ft of ash. Weight depends on moisture content and species of ash. Bone dry is could be 33pcf. Green and wet, 50pcf.

So it could weigh somewhere between 2800# and 4300# assuming your measurement is accurate.

 

[k0ua]

It would be interesting if this thread could keep going and eventually have hundreds of tractors with real world lifting capacities so that when people are looking at used tractors, they know what they should actually be able to do. From discussions on TBN, it seems some tractors are rated at the pin with vs without a bucket. Some under rate and some over rate.

I don't know how much my tractor can actually lift. I don't have enough objects of known weight around to measure it. The heaviest thing I ever lifted was a 9 foot long 3.5 foot diameter log (Ash). It's hard to say what this log weighed. I didn't dare lift it more than a few inches off the ground because even with a 200 pound cage, 1000 pounds of tire fill and a 500 pound blade on the back, the back end was hovering. With this same ballast, I can lift the back end completely off the ground if I'm digging up a stump with the bucket.

View attachment 445665

I used figures as follows .. Black Ash, and 40 inches average on both ends 9 foot long. 4889 lbs.

Here is the calculator you can play with if you like.
302 Found

 

[LD1]

I used figures as follows .. Black Ash, and 40 inches average on both ends 9 foot long. 4889 lbs.

Here is the calculator you can play with if you like.
302 Found

I dont like that result. Thats 62+ pcf which I dont believe.

For kicks, I entered the same size log but hickory....5500# which is 70 pcf

And locust was 5670# or 72.2 pcf

Since water weighs 62.5pcf, that ash log would be on the verge of sinking. And hickory and locust would sink like a rock. Just not reality

 

[LD1]

http://www.forestryforum.com/calcs/log_weight.htm

this one uses a more realistic number assuming the wood is green and as wet as it will ever be.

Uses 52pcf for black ash
and 48 pcf for white ash

 

[gladehound]

Maybe deceiving, but just dont look like a 42" log?

But, 42" @ 9' long is ~86 cubic ft of ash. Weight depends on moisture content and species of ash. Bone dry is could be 33pcf. Green and wet, 50pcf.

So it could weigh somewhere between 2800# and 4300# assuming your measurement is accurate.

Well it's split and stacked now so can't go measure it. What I can tell you is my 37" bar (36" past dogs) did not go all the way through (almost) at the narrowest spot and the widest spot (where the nob sticks up on the top) was ~4 ft (based being about a ft wider than my bar was long). The small end of the log is facing the camera so that end is just over 3ft. The 3.5' was a rough average. I think an average of 3.2 might be a better conservative estimate for the average diameter since more of the log was closer to 3ft than 4ft. For perspective, my rear tires are 48" tall and my fronts are 30" tall.

I found densities on the web ranging from 40 - 53 pounds/ cubic ft which puts it at 3600 - 4800 pounds using 3.2 ft average diameter. I'll use the lower number 3600 + 300 pound stump bucket. So ~3900 pounds (maybe more) and it's ~500mm past the pins. Breakout is rated at ~3800 at the pins with the bucket, so I must have good pressure.

 

[LD1]

Certainly was an impressive lift, no denying that. But without scales, it is very difficult to guess wood weights. Hard to get the CF exact, then are you measuring the bark which adds 1-2" diameter and is less dense? and moisture content? And what species of ash?

I found references to 32pcf for dried ash of species x, and up to 52 pcf for wet of species y. Using the 3.2, thats about 72 cf. (which I think a cord of wood without air spaces is ~80cf, so thats darn near a cord of wood right there).

Anyway, 72cf @ 32 pcf is 2300#, 72cf @ 52pcf is 3750#. Pretty large range, and that range only covers species and moisture, let alone measurement errors.

But either way, it was a big freaking log and an impressive lift. Why the decision to block it up for firewood instead of selling as a log?

 

[k0ua]

I dont like that result. Thats 62+ pcf which I dont believe.

For kicks, I entered the same size log but hickory....5500# which is 70 pcf

And locust was 5670# or 72.2 pcf

Since water weighs 62.5pcf, that ash log would be on the verge of sinking. And hickory and locust would sink like a rock. Just not reality

yeah, that does seem kinda high... it was just the first log calculator I came across..

 

[LD1]

I never trust those log calculators cause you never know what they are using for their baseline weight per cubic foot.

I'd rather look up a chart for weight per CF green and dry. Then figure the range of possible weights.

I think the issue with the calculator you linked has a note at the bottom that says

Note: the assumed moisture content (MC) of the log(s) is 75%.

Well, not many woods are even over 50% when green and alive. Ash being around 35%-45% MC when green. 20% MC for any wood is considered dry and seasoned.

So when they say their chart assums 75% MC, is that 75% of its normal green percentage? or 75% total like we are on ax-men and doing underwater logging:laughing:

 

[LD1]

I never trust those log calculators cause you never know what they are using for their baseline weight per cubic foot.

I'd rather look up a chart for weight per CF green and dry. Then figure the range of possible weights.

I think the issue with the calculator you linked has a note at the bottom that says

Note: the assumed moisture content (MC) of the log(s) is 75%.

Well, not many woods are even over 50% when green and alive. Ash being around 35%-45% MC when green. 20% MC for any wood is considered dry and seasoned.

So when they say their chart assums 75% MC, is that 75% of its normal green percentage? or 75% total like we are on ax-men and doing underwater logging:laughing:

 

[gladehound]

But either way, it was a big freaking log and an impressive lift. Why the decision to block it up for firewood instead of selling as a log?

I don't think there is a big market for large logs around here. Many of the mills around here get them for free from tree companies that don't have anything big enough to chip / grind them and need to get rid of them. I get big logs for free all the time from a friend who lets a big tree company dump on his property (for pay) and then a mulch company comes in and grinds it and keeps the mulch at no cost to him. Too many trees, not enough people who want them.