correct wheel width for hills

[Eagleview]

Hello,
I need to adjust the wheel width on my tractor but am looking for recommendations as to how wide I should go for hill work. Now the tractor is set up 56 inches centerline to centerline which is slightly more than how it came from the factory. I will be bush hogging and will sometimes have a front end loader attached. All tires are filled and its a fairly heavy Massey 461.

It is a compromise , if you go wider than the mower , you cannot mow right up against fences , buildings etc . If you go wider than the bucket/blade , your tyres are running up on top of the winrows the bucket leaves which makes it hard to keep a driveway etc level as the tractor is not running on a clear path . Mine are set inside the bucket width and I use water in the tyres for stability . The hilly areas just require a bit of thought and common sense to negotiate safely .

 

[sawtooth]

well i've decided to go in between. The front tires are set at 56" center line and the rears are set at 60" centerline. Now the rear overall width is coming in at 74" while the bucket is 72" so its pretty close. Haven't got to ride it yet but hope to this weekend. Kinda funny though on the front and rear widths. If you set both front and rear hub / wheel assembly the same then the fronts will be 4 inches or so more narrow. To get the centerlines the same you have to set the wheels up a little different. Anyway, my two nearest dealers said to set them up with the wheels and hubs the same which equals just a little wider in the back. Anyone have any comments on this?

 

[dex3361]

well i've decided to go in between. The front tires are set at 56" center line and the rears are set at 60" centerline. Now the rear overall width is coming in at 74" while the bucket is 72" so its pretty close. Haven't got to ride it yet but hope to this weekend. Kinda funny though on the front and rear widths. If you set both front and rear hub / wheel assembly the same then the fronts will be 4 inches or so more narrow. To get the centerlines the same you have to set the wheels up a little different. Anyway, my two nearest dealers said to set them up with the wheels and hubs the same which equals just a little wider in the back. Anyone have any comments on this?

I mow a lot on hills and I set my rear wheels out to their widest for safety. I have my rear set to 72" outside to outside width and I didn't change the fronts around as it is not recommended with a loader. I have a L4400 HST Kubota with the rears loaded using a 6 foot medium duty rotary cutter.

 

[8404]

I widend mine to 84inches in the back only, I only use my tractor for mowing hills. you can see the differance in the front and the rear widths.

 

[dex3361]

I widend mine to 84inches in the back only, I only use my tractor for mowing hills. you can see the differance in the front and the rear widths.

Now thats a nice width for mowing the hills. I have R1 tires and they will not set that wide.

 

[horse7]

I mow a lot on hills and I set my rear wheels out to their widest for safety. I have my rear set to 72" outside to outside width and I didn't change the fronts around as it is not recommended with a loader. I have a L4400 HST Kubota with the rears loaded using a 6 foot medium duty rotary cutter.

A "hill" in WV might be a bit steeper than a "hill" most other places...