Hp vs weight in new tractor

[crazyal]

Has anyone heard of any CUT breaking in half? Maybe if hit by a car doing 30 but let's face facts even the cheap Chinese tractors are built plenty strong. Even if Kubota uses engineering and science to build a lighter tractor made out of better grade metal while Mahindra uses the more is better and lower quality steel mantra it really doesn't matter. Both do their job just fine. Personally I wouldn't want a 6000lb tractor. Once you add in a loader, an attachment, and tire ballast you are going to be too heavy for a 10k trailer. It could be pushing what can safely be towed with a 12k trailer. Either way I would have no way of pulling that load (unless I was to use my 2 1/2 ton International at 4 mpg). But that's me. For someone else they may buy it, get it dropped off by the dealer, and then it never leaves their property or have a 14k gooseneck and a 1 ton dually.

 

[94BULLITT]

I heard of a guy breaking a big New Holland in half, he had the loader on the 3ph hooked to a stump trying to pull it out. That's what a guy at a dealership told me, I don't know if it is true. Of course under normal conditions he would have never broker it in half.

 

[TripleR]

I should say I think Kubota and Mahindra both build good tractors. I also suspect but can't prove that Kubota has spent more time and research developing their line of tractors and have worked out the castings and designs to a more efficient use of the materials. That is to say they (Kubota) have reduced the unneeded weight and are using high quality materials so that they can maintain a high degree of durability and strength in a lighter weight tractor. R & D and high technology cost more than the raw steel, you can add water or Rimguard for ballasting but it is hard to remove extra built in weight. Mahindra builds a heavy casting much like older tractors but with a lower level of technology I suspect but can't prove. I would say in Mahindras' defense that they are catching up fast though and will become higher tech tractors in the short term. You work with what you have and at this stage in Mahindras' development they are selling weight. I have only seen a few Mahindra tractors but they appear to be good solid tractors but lack some of the refinements of Kubota and Deere.

Very good points, for me I ballast my tractors for my intended uses, wheel weights and 3PH weight can be added, but I can't think of a good way to remove it from a heavily built tractor. I don't question the quality of any tractor based on weight or lack thereof and a heavy tractor might just be the ticket for some; for me, I like the option.

You won't find an Ag tractor in my area that doesn't have added ballast which can be tailored for the task.

 

[aczlan]

I heard of a guy breaking a big New Holland in half, he had the loader on the 3ph hooked to a stump trying to pull it out. That's what a guy at a dealership told me, I don't know if it is true. Of course under normal conditions he would have never broker it in half.

There are several threads on here of NH tractors breaking in half...
It would be interesting to see if a Mahindra is actually stronger, or if they just use more of a cheaper grade of cast steel vs less of a higher grade of cast steel.

Aaron Z

 

[ozley]

Mahinda's are made of sand glued together. Really?

 

[TripleR]

Mahinda's are made of sand glued together. Really?

Didn't see where anyone said that.

 

[k0ua]

Didn't see where anyone said that.

Well not exactly, but post 15, um.. kinda mentioned something like that.

 

[aczlan]

Mahinda's are made of sand glued together. Really?

No, what was said is that cast steel CAN be made to be not much stronger than sand glued together. See the original post below:

I agree with the above post, and would add that the type of steel used , and it's quality and , its treatments, or lack of, can make a lighter machine much stronger and higher quality than a heavier one. Junk "heavy" steal can be made that is barely stronger than sand glued together.

Aaron Z

 

[94BULLITT]

Mahinda's are made of sand glued together. Really?

He was just exaggerating to make a point.

 

[TripleR]

Well not exactly, but post 15, um.. kinda mentioned something like that.

What aczlan said and I agree; didn't take it to mean Mahindras, but just production variables in general; maybe I misread it.

I told the story some time ago of my father in law buying a massive vice for his business. He got it from a discount tool place with which we are all familiar. I had tried to get him to buy a good quality one, but no, he was convinced based on the sheer weight and size he had a winner.

Well as luck would have it, I bent the snot out of something and took it down to the shop to straighten it. I put a little "cheater bar" on and BAM, it sounded like a bomb when that thing split in two.

I went out and bought a good quality one half the size, fixed the part and thirty plus years later it's still in use.

 

[andres14725]

With reference to the question asked in the opriginal post, you don't need more power for the heavier tractor, at least not to get it moving as you say. If it was about acceleration, you would need more power, but you are buying a tractor, not a dragster. The heavier tractor would actually provide more pulling force than the lighter tractor with the same 50hp. For using a disc and a brush hog and "moving" trees, heavier is better.

 

[aczlan]

The heavier tractor would actually provide more pulling force than the lighter tractor with the same 50hp. For using a disc and a brush hog and "moving" trees, heavier is better.

Actually, I have never seen extra weight (beyond enough to keep the nose on the ground) as a benefit when bushhogging. That may be due to my working in wet areas, but less weight means less compaction and unless using a ground engaging implement (disc, loader, plow, etc) it adds no value.

Aaron Z

 

[mikehaugen]

Actually, I have never seen extra weight (beyond enough to keep the nose on the ground) as a benefit when bushhogging. That may be due to my working in wet areas, but less weight means less compaction and unless using a ground engaging implement (disc, loader, plow, etc) it adds no value.

Aaron Z

I have to agree with this. The only advantage of weight here is being able to keep the front end down when traveling with the rc up, This is taken care of by either a loader or a few suitcase weights.

 

[k0ua]

I have one of those vises, and I was using the back "anvil" and just lightly pecking on it with a ball peen hammer, hmmm, is this thing made of peanut butter? I made some serious dents in it, kinda like you would make in the top of a cupcake with real thick frosting. So I tried to weld them up, and the base metal just kinda sagged and gave way like it was pewter or something.. I am not sure if it was old beer cans or what it was made of. Maybe some kind of old cast iron

James K0UA

 

[TripleR]

I have one of those vises, and I was using the back "anvil" and just lightly pecking on it with a ball peen hammer, hmmm, is this thing made of peanut butter? I made some serious dents in it, kinda like you would make in the top of a cupcake with real thick frosting. So I tried to weld them up, and the base metal just kinda sagged and gave way like it was pewter or something.. I am not sure if it was old beer cans or what it was made of. Maybe some kind of old cast iron

James K0UA

Yeah, his was cast iron; that was a lot of years ago, so maybe they're better now.

 

[DarkBlack]

Mahinda's are made of sand glued together. Really?

Don't worry, I wasn't talking about any particular brand or type of machine.

 

[jenkinsph]

Yeah, his was cast iron; that was a lot of years ago, so maybe they're better now.

I have had a cheap vise such as you reference but now have a Wilton bench vise and a couple of Ridgid 4" yoke pipe vises on my service trucks. What I would like to have is a large anvil but those things are out of site in price now.

 

[ljohnson778]

Aw, crap... You guys have me worried about my New Holland breaking in half...

Oh, ok, not really... But on a serious note, and this has been said many times over, sit on 'em all and see what you like and what feels right.

 

[k0ua]

Aw, crap... You guys have me worried about my New Holland breaking in half...

Oh, ok, not really... But on a serious note, and this has been said many times over, sit on 'em all and see what you like and what feels right.

That is a nice looking NH.

James K0UA

 

[ljohnson778]

That is a nice looking NH.

James K0UA

Thanks, but don't sell yourself short... I'm more than a little envious of your rig!