Tractor size and HP

[Kubotafan]

I have a L3540 but sometimes wish I had more power for blowing snow, and to keep MPH more constant on the road on little hills. I don't need more size or weight. The next size up is the L4060 which is a bit heavier and a larger frame. Would I see more power at the PTO and better road speed, or would the tractor weight absorb the extra power? Would I have to go to the L4760 to see much difference? The tier 4 engines are supposed to give more power. Would a L3560 hold speed better and give more power at the PTO?

 

[art]

When trying to figure out what size is right it is best to look at the most work you will be doing and the time it takes. I try to shoot for 90% of the work duties not just the 5% or 10% which are a small part but still often important.
This past winter I've been using a BX1800 with cab and blower to clean my driveway of snow. I normally run in high range with roughly 3/4 throttle and it will take it all day without moaning or laboring until getting to the end of the runs where the snow is doubled up. The worst that I'd worked it was during a thaw and it was coming off the roof and was about two foot deep of slush. The first pass when it wasn't doubled up wasn't bad but as the second, third and forth passes had changed the snow to snow cone slush I thought about what a BX2660 would be like blowing as my ground speed was down to about 2mph.
So for ten minutes of snow blowing in the winter of slush, vs probably ten plus hours of use for snow removal a year would you really have to spend the extra three grand to get the driveway clean? Over ten year ownership it is less then a dollar a day to know that I have the most available horsepower in that weight class.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have a L3540 but sometimes wish I had more power for blowing snow, and to keep MPH more constant on the road on little hills. I don't need more size or weight. The next size up is the L4060 which is a bit heavier and a larger frame. Would I see more power at the PTO and better road speed, or would the tractor weight absorb the extra power? Would I have to go to the L4760 to see much difference? The tier 4 engines are supposed to give more power. Would a L3560 hold speed better and give more power at the PTO?

I don't think getting bigger tractor with more HP is going to solve the "slow down when going up a hill" problem. My little B26 (26 engine HP) only goes about 12 MPH but slows significantly going up a hill in High gear. My LS P7010 (70 Engine HP gear drive) will go 25+MPH but also slows going up a hill and may even require a downshift to H 3 if hill is really steep and long. But even in H 1 it will still go faster than my B26. The manufacturers seem to just gear everything up to go faster with more power. I will say that my LS will spin all 4 tires in M 1 at 1000 rpm idle and not stall so more HP is good if you can use it, however without traction more HP is useless. I have the rears loaded and it still spins all tires.

 

[nybirdman]

With my L4240 HSTC(which is a lower horse-power for it's frame size) I have never found it lacking in power for anything I have ever tried.I run in M and toggle up and down with the HST+ for all of my work.Very rarely use L range in the transmission and only use H on the road.

 

[michahicks]

I agree with the thought regarding how the tractor is going to be used? I was looking for compact dimensions due to limited storage area, but loader and mower performance were also very high on the list. The B7610 HST offered the compromise I thought I could live with. When it comes to ground engaging performance, the 4x4 easily made up for the lighter weight of the smaller tractor frame! This thing THINKS it's much bigger than it really is, turned out to be an excellent compromise.

 

[Notforhire]

I agree with the thought regarding how the tractor is going to be used?

I owned a L3240 w/ loader. Do to poor planning on my part I ended up selling it.

Between the time that I bought the tractor, and then sold it, my needs had changed.

When I did loader work I felt it was a good idea to carry a 800# counter weight. I also ran loaded tires and wheel weights to help with stability. After using it for a while I wasn't happy with the tractor, and wished it was larger or at least had more HP.

If the same tractor had been used for mowing, or tilling, or for lots of other uses other than mostly FEL work, I probably would have enjoyed it more.


It was a well built, good running machine, that just wasn't suited for what I was doing with it.

Bill

 

[Ken45101]

We, us owners of several size tractors over several years, don't as a group believe that bigger itself makes it better but just makes it bigger. It compares to a 3500 series pickup truck is better than a 1500 series pickup truck. Yes the 3500 is bigger and maybe even stronger if it has more HP but if it doesn't have more HP then it isn't stronger.

Apparently you are only measuring "stronger" in terms of drivetrain horsepower only? Your comparison is flawed.

A 1500 pickup isn't "strong enough" to tow our horse camper no matter how much horsepower, the rear would probably be sitting on the axle and the wheels/tires/suspension are not STRONG enough to support the weight of the camper. Believe me, even a 3/4ton wasn't "strong enough". Sure, it pulled it okay, but is wasn't safe.

Horsepower isn't the only measure of a tractor. Gear it down enough and a 20 hp tractor will pull a 15' batwing mower. But try going downhill and stopping or turning and you will have a disaster.

As already mentioned, a tractor should be matched to the current and foreseeable needs.