Tractor Sizing TRACTOR WEIGHT as a SINGLE CRITERION IN TRACTOR SELECTION

[Turbys_1700]

Exactly right..

Here on the farm back in the day compaction was not an issue. Everyone plowed in the fall while disking and planting in the spring. All our tractors had loaded rears. Our Allis's had the rears set out at the widest possible setting with spin out rims. Made them much more stable on hills. Couldn't do much about the center of gravity since they were row crop tractors.

I grew up driving a Super A Farmall and even with loaded rears was tippy on hills. Our D17's were much more stable due to their weight, wider rear track, longer wheel base, and wide front end. Our older WD 45 and M Farmall with tricycle front end was still more stable than the Super A due to longer wheel base an loaded rears.

My current t4.75 is the most stable tractor I have ever owned. The rears are set out to 90" and loaded. Even with a relatively higher center of gravity it does quite well on hills.

Overall weight is important but only 1 factor addressing stability and overall functionality of tractors. I base my opinions on 59 years of farm life.

 

[Tractor Dell]

if weight wasn't king they would let feather weights fight heavy weights

Seriously? This is a horrible analogy. It is like asking why you don't see 350lb linemen being Wide Receivers in the NFL. Too big, too slow, too heavy and can't easily change direction. Every person and every tractor has their place. It depends on what you are planning on doing, and the area you are planning on doing it. Most dealers want to know what you want to do, how you want to do it, where you are doing it and how long you plan on doing it. That will help them recommend what is the best equipment for the job.

 

[atsah]

Here on the farm back in the day compaction was not an issue. Everyone plowed in the fall while disking and planting in the spring. All our tractors had loaded rears. Our Allis's had the rears set out at the widest possible setting with spin out rims. Made them much more stable on hills. Couldn't do much about the center of gravity since they were row crop tractors.

I grew up driving a Super A Farmall and even with loaded rears was tippy on hills. Our D17's were much more stable due to their weight, wider rear track, longer wheel base, and wide front end. Our older WD 45 and M Farmall with tricycle front end was still more stable than the Super A due to longer wheel base an loaded rears.

My current t4.75 is the most stable tractor I have ever owned. The rears are set out to 90" and loaded. Even with a relatively higher center of gravity it does quite well on hills.

Overall weight is important but only 1 factor addressing stability and overall functionality of tractors. I base my opinions on 59 years of farm life.

Most people these days are buying light tractors because they aren't farming or dragging heavy logs and they don't need heavy weight tractors. We always used heavy tractors for our chores and I'm glad we did.. 40 years of farm life here, I have seen what light weight tractors can and can not do..

 

[atsah]

Some people seem to get aggravated with Jeff's posts, there is a lot of useful information in them for some buyers, let them take what they need from his posts that pertains to them, he is nice enough to take the time to post and is always a gentleman no matter what negative comments come after his posts, there really is no need for it, if someone doesn't want to read his posts, don't read them or ignore him instead of every time he posts there is five negative comments after his from the same people..

 

[searcyfarms]

I said weight I didn't say anything about size ;-)

 

[atsah]

I said weight I didn't say anything about size ;-)

I wasn’t referring to you if You thought I was.. My post was a general one.. I just dislike seeing people jumping on the guy every time he posts concerning weight that’s all..

 

[searcyfarms]

girl who wants tractor - great info..........and feedback

you surely could afford a large beastly tractor - they are less a lot of times than our SCUT/CUT units due to their popularity and usefulness especially used and you are right a HUGE tractor would never fit in physical size where a cut/scut would that wasn't my point

I can do 90% of things with my SS that I can do with a SCUT/CUT and with amazing results and more nimble/safe however I tear up more soil leave deep ruts. As far as maneuvering tight spaces, lifting, narrow trails, rugged, doing things I could never do with my CUT ( like lift a mower that grinds trees up in the air ) its far cry better due to its weight. My CUT is for specific things like mowing my yard due to compaction and destroying my turf - I use my CUT loader for work/landscaping or hauling smaller things on the loader that would take me a while to travel farther but bar non my SS gets the bulk of the work and I SAVE wear/tear on my CUT - I totally agree a CUT/SCUT can do amazing work and are much needed just like a large physical sized tractor. When it comes down to weight vs hp can stuff a 40hp motor in a 7500lb machine and do amazing things vs a 40hp machine at 4000 - that's all I meant by weight is king

 

[Jchonline]

Some people seem to get aggravated with Jeff's posts, there is a lot of useful information in them for some buyers, let them take what they need from his posts that pertains to them, he is nice enough to take the time to post and is always a gentleman no matter what negative comments come after his posts, there really is no need for it, if someone doesn't want to read his posts, don't read them or ignore him instead of every time he posts there is five negative comments after his from the same people..

I agree. We all have our opinions, but that is why the community is so great. As a new owner, it is great to get a lot of input from people with varying experience. Of course Jeff has strong opinions, but that is fine. As the consumer of that information I have to evaluate it for my needs and absorb it as a potential option.
For instance, he told me that getting more than 1 tractor is a bad idea. That really is good advice. Two machines to maintain, 2 oil/hydraulic changes, twice the breakdown potential, double the implements (if different sizes). However I probably wont follow it . That said, I didnt berate him for his opinion or advice. Let us all try to be a bit more understanding and tolerant. After all, we are all tractor people

With regards to weight, I went with a 5.5 ton machine. As such it is very important to my property and applications.

 

[ning]

Some people seem to get aggravated with Jeff's posts

I suspect that much of the "aggravation" lies with the post's implication that it's absolutely authoritative, despite "tractors" being used in such varied ways that no feature can possibly be a single criterion in the selection of the tractor.

That, and SO MUCH CAPSLOCK

also... maybe just provide a link to a tractordata page, don't copypaste it? I know I can skip it - and I do (scroll scroll scroll) but it's just weird.

 

[jeff9366]

ning

I suspect that much of the "aggravation" lies with the post's implication that it's absolutely authoritative, despite "tractors" being used in such varied ways that no feature can possibly be a single criterion in the selection of the tractor.

This thread has been in evolution since February 2, 2018, with contributions from multiple T-B-N members.

The title indicates this thread is focused exclusively on tractor weight as a factor in tractor selection. It does not advocate exclusion of other criterion, one being altitude.

That, and SO MUCH CAPSLOCK

I will try to substitute italics for CAPSLOCK periodically. What day is your birthday?


Others are irritated by jeff9366's requests that OPs provide their location to improve quality of responses.

jeff9366's wife has found his quirks aggravating for thirty-one years. Jeff9366's wife is a retired High School Principal. She makes jeff9366 pay.

Perhaps jeff9366 was simply BORN IRRATATING.


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February 2, 2018​

I have been revising this screed for three days.
I seek outside criticism and input.
FIRE AWAY!


The best way to shop for tractors is to determine your tasks first, then determine how much bare tractor weight you need to SAFELY accomplish as many of your tasks as possible. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites.

Hillside work demands more tractor weight than flat land work. Heavier tractors have greater wheel spread making them more stable. Heavier tractors have larger wheels and tires better able to bridge holes and ruts without the tractor rolling over. Larger wheels and tires provide a much smoother ride over rough ground. Heavier tractors have greater inertia to resist rollovers when moving heavy loads in the FEL, the most hazardous of routine tractor tasks, especially hazardous on sloped land.

For ground contact tasks greater tractor chassis weight is more important than tractor horsepower. This tractor fundamental is difficult for people new to tractors to comprehend.

Shop your weight range within tractor brands. Budget will eliminate some choices.

Tractors over 3,000 pounds bare weight are generally offered in a utilitarian configuration and a deluxe configuration, on a common chassis. Deluxe kit enhances productivity and operating comfort ~~~ but you have to pay.

I like to spreadsheet tractor and implement specs, often a revealing exercise. I have a column for cost per pound.

It takes a 50% increase in tractor weight before you notice a significant tractor capability increase. It takes a 100% increase in tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider, implements for a heavier tractor is a pain and often a big hit in depreciation. ((Ask me how I know.)) Many who buy too light tractors buy too light implements.

A quality dealer, reasonably close, is a priority for me; less so for others, well experienced with tractors, who do their own maintenance. For most new to tractors a quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is essential. My kubota dealer is six miles away.

Horsepower is a primary consideration only operating PTO powered implements.

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR.​