How Does a Tractor "Ride"?

[California]

Many compact tractors have a simple seat with a hinged front and the back of the seat sitting on two coil springs. There is enough space between the two coil springs to add a third spring, sponge block, or even a damper.

My little YM186D had this front-hinged seat with only the bare pan remaining after 35 years. That hinge allowed the seat to wobble side to side, and the foot pads are too far forward to stabilize the wobble with weight on my feet like you would in horse stirrups. My back muscles were always sore after a while.

I bought a suspension seat at Tractor Supply, $89 on sale. (I see similar seats on Ebay are listed to fit all Fords 9N through 5000).

This seat was far too high for my use. I need to drive under my orchard trees. So I took out the suspension springs (similar to an office chair with adjustable back-tilt) to let the seat ride on its rubber bottoming-out bumper. It's now a couple of inches lower than shown in the photo below, still several inches higher than the front-hinged seat pan that it replaced. This seat's solid base mount plus the armrests to stabilize an elbow against, reduce that back strain that was caused by the seat wobbling. The additional height helps load some weight on my feet, to also reduce wobble.

I took the photo below halfway through fabricating the mount for the seat. The back of the track bolts down to an existing threaded hole in the crossmember. For the front I drilled the existing upright and put an eye-bolt in it that goes back horizontal to where a vertical bolt from the track attaches to it. The (optional) power steering diverter valve is under there. The front of the track could be much lower if that weren't in the way.

Results: Recommended! Far less of that back strain fighting to stay upright on that wobbling original seat.

Photo: before completing the install.

 

[Tomtint]

Someone in the reviews made this suspension seat fit a BX. I figure if it'll fit a narrow BX it should fit most any CUT. The price is pretty good, on sale for $330, and so are the reviews.
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200268424_200268424

Thanks for the link, I ordered it.. waiting for the shipping quote now.. hopefully it's not a pita to fab a mounting solution for it.

 

[4get gto]

Thanks for the link, I ordered it.. waiting for the shipping quote now.. hopefully it's not a pita to fab a mounting solution for it.

Very nice seat. I have that on a zero turn. Got it at Northern too. Took about a month to get it. Hope it's quicker for you!

 

[airbiscuit]

Anybody have before and after experience with loaded tires?

 

[Texasmark]

Ag tires F1 are usually narrow and as such have a large foot-pound print and soft sidewalls relating to a softer ride.

Turfs R3 usually have the largest balloon and the largest volume of air to be compressed without generating a rebound effect, but stiff sidewalls which negates some of that benefit.

R4s seem to me to ride the roughest as most are made for industrial applications and are built with many plies (6 ply hard to find) and stiff sidewalls....to stand up to the industrial environment.

On my 2400 I replaced my Rear R4s with R3s and at reduced air pressure ride easier but not as easy as I would have liked even though I went down from 6 ply to 4 ply in the process, due to stiff sidewalls. The problem here is that you have a tractor that weighs out at 1800# and it's equipped with a 12.5x16.5 stiff sidewall R4s with a 2450# rating per tire at 30 psig.......daaaaaaaaaa. Even at 6-8 psig (which is hard to keep the tire on the wheel with it's stiff sidewall) it's rough riding.

Weights helped a lot but the main solution was in the seat. A good smooth, softly sprung seat has worked best for me with low air pressure in the tires and where applicable, wheel weights, either liquid or solid.

 

[majorwager]

Copy,
Agree, if tractor purchased for ride qualiy, sell it, hire the work to be performed, while parked in you favorite lounge chair. Might even monitor work progress w/ a new drone. and HD camera, If only Mercedes-Benz would offer a belly mower option and 3 point linkage.


Edit: actually they do, Unimog, $100,000+ and a nice smooth ride, keep the drone just in case.

 

[airbiscuit]

Copy,
Agree, if tractor purchased for ride qualiy, sell it, hire the work to be performed, while parked in you favorite lounge chair. Might even monitor work progress w/ a new drone. and HD camera, If only Mercedes-Benz would offer a belly mower option and 3 point linkage.


Edit: actually they do, Unimog, $100,000+ and a nice smooth ride, keep the drone just in case.

FWIW I wasn't really concerned about "ride". I've operated tractors since I was 8 years old, and never gave it a thought until I saw comments on TBN. When members complained about ride, I thought it might be about wheelbase or having loaded tires. I thought it might make an interesting topic for discussion.

The post that precedes yours makes some logical points.

As for Mercedes .... I don't always choose tractors for ride, but when I do, I choose Lamborghini ....

 

[majorwager]

Airbuscuit,
Clever, but the lamborghini Ag tractors at Agritechnica last year are really run of the mill Farm tractors. I am trying to justify a JCB 4220 w/ coil springs and shocks at all four corners. But maneuverability and traction not ride is the motivation, Unimog not really AG applicable, but stiil a smooth ride. Maybe see you in Germany next year?

 

[k0ua]

My L3700 has R4s and ride is harsh.. I had looked into a suspension seat change over but I think it was in the $1,000.00 range to do so. ..if I used it every day, I would probably do it. But where the hours are only 30-40 a year on it, I can live with it.

Tom, the L3700 has no suspension seat as you know, but its stablemate the L3400 does actually have one. That and a couple of other little things is the difference between the two tractors. If you could get a seat off of a wrecked L3400 it would be an upgrade. Of course the ideas of buying an aftermarket seat would be a good one too.

 

[mapper]

My old 8N had a much better ride than my current tractor. It probably had to do with the long steel leaf spring with about 6 inches of travel.