yeah the cab tractors tend to be a little top heavy and well they should due to the cab and the resultant CG change on the tractor. If I go to a cab in the future, I am definitely going to go for hub extenders and wide setting and wider tires.dirtworksequip said:
Wheel Spacers
- Thread starter LWB
- Start date
Guys: I just checked the Deere website manual and the maximum width with R1's for the Four Thousand Twenty series is 89+" compared to 68+" for the Three Thousand Twenty series. The cab itself adds only around another 600 pounds. The CG of the cab IMHO wouldn't raise the entire tractor CG very far. Now, if your'e talking about driving sideways on steep hills in bumpy terrain it would certainly tip easier with it than without it. Agreed. I'm just saying I don't notice it to be tippy. If Deere is adding spacers there must be a market for them. But it appears at least the R3's don't even have the 8 position option, so that would make it worthwhile right there. As for me, I can't imagine needing more than a 7.5' wide tractor without buying one that's better suited for that type of work. Of course, as always, just one man's opinion.dirtworksequip said:
AKfish
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Was at the local dealer the other day --- they're unloading and setting up the new models for this Spring and Summer season.
While we were kicking the tires on the new stuff, I happened to see the neighbors new (last summer) JD5420 with cab and 542 FEL. Sweet hay-baling, MoCo machine!
As I walked around the machine, I noticed that the air filter at the top of the cab was kinda hanging out and noted that it was crushed -- heck the whole top edge of the cab was crunched! But there wasn't a single broken or even cracked window in the whole cab!
Then we noticed that the tire next to the crunched side of the cab had slid in towards the cab -- the other tire was offset further out on the axle.
I mentioned it to one of the mechanics and he said that the owner had laid the tractor on it's side while feeding a large round bale. The bale was low to the ground but on a side hill with snow and ice and the tractor slide over in SLOW motion and just layed down.
They had it in the shop to completely replace the cab --- luckily, he figured the FEL was still straight and would not have to be replaced but they were gonna go through the whole tractor and see what needed to be replaced.
I'd bet that the inside rear wheel was toast, too!
Anyway, the point of this is --- the CG is higher on a cab tractor vs an open station. Can't change that simple geometry.
All tractors can roll and the greatest, most important safety feature is Operator caution.
LWB -- I was doing the same thing last week with my tractor. Backing up onto the huge snow piles in my pasture to drag the tops down with my 84" rear blade so they would melt sometime before July. Mixed with horse manure, they melt real slow, otherwise.
I kept the FEL low -- just above the snow and backed up in a straight line (tires square with each other) with the rear blade just off the snow, too.
Sittin' up there 5-6 feet is certainly a time when your senses are focused!
AKfish
While we were kicking the tires on the new stuff, I happened to see the neighbors new (last summer) JD5420 with cab and 542 FEL. Sweet hay-baling, MoCo machine!
As I walked around the machine, I noticed that the air filter at the top of the cab was kinda hanging out and noted that it was crushed -- heck the whole top edge of the cab was crunched! But there wasn't a single broken or even cracked window in the whole cab!
Then we noticed that the tire next to the crunched side of the cab had slid in towards the cab -- the other tire was offset further out on the axle.
I mentioned it to one of the mechanics and he said that the owner had laid the tractor on it's side while feeding a large round bale. The bale was low to the ground but on a side hill with snow and ice and the tractor slide over in SLOW motion and just layed down.
They had it in the shop to completely replace the cab --- luckily, he figured the FEL was still straight and would not have to be replaced but they were gonna go through the whole tractor and see what needed to be replaced.
I'd bet that the inside rear wheel was toast, too!
Anyway, the point of this is --- the CG is higher on a cab tractor vs an open station. Can't change that simple geometry.
All tractors can roll and the greatest, most important safety feature is Operator caution.
LWB -- I was doing the same thing last week with my tractor. Backing up onto the huge snow piles in my pasture to drag the tops down with my 84" rear blade so they would melt sometime before July. Mixed with horse manure, they melt real slow, otherwise.
I kept the FEL low -- just above the snow and backed up in a straight line (tires square with each other) with the rear blade just off the snow, too.
Sittin' up there 5-6 feet is certainly a time when your senses are focused!
AKfish
dirtworksequip
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LWB, if I had the Ag wheels and tire I would have not had to get the wheel extensions,because I could have been able to adjusted the wheels to a wider position that would have worked for me. With the R4 wheels you only gain about 2 more inches with the wheels set at the wide position. Thats still not enough width. Also one dealer I talked to said that now any tractor they sell with a FEL must have the tires loaded before it leaves their lot. So, that tells me that there have been a problems with the narrow 3x20's laying on their side. I bet you see a design change soon............ie. wider axle.
AK: Focused is the right word. There are still jobs I'd rather get to before my son does, and he's thirty five years old. My piles are mixed with gravel from the back parking lot. Like you say, keeping the back wheels square to the ground is best but when it comes loose in chunks........ I lower the outside scarifiers only, so as not to make the middle a tipping point. Seems to work pretty well.