Ballast Centre of Gravity

[CoyPatton]

Noted. I never take my tractor out of 4x4.

I do not know your property so that may be appropriate, but would not be for 95+% of tractor owners. You should NEVER use 4x4 on solid surfaces (this will be in all owners manuals) included very hard packed soils. There is some lag between the front axle and rear axle due largely to different size tires and partially to how the 4x4 is designed.what that means is on surfaces that do not allow for slippage you run a huge risk of damage to the mechanical components of the 4x4.
Again your owner’s manual will tell you to use 4x4 when need! For a very few operators is that going to be 100% of the time.

 

[oosik]

I only use/need 4WD very seldom. Mainly when I try to plow snow up out of the valley on my driveway. I will usually just quit all that foolishness and plow down into the driveway valley. Some years, if we get an exceptionally heavy snow fall, I'll use it to keep the tractor going straight as I plow snow with the rear blade. I generally use my tractor 85-95 hours per year. I know for certain - less than five of those hours are in 4WD.

Using 4WD on any hard surface is a sure, quick way to see just how good your tractor warrantee is.

Look at your Op Manual - it will provide the info you need.

 

[kenlip]

CoyPatton and oosik, Thanks for the responses.

All my manual says about using 4-wheel drive is:
* Depress the clutch pedal before engaging the front
wheel drive lever.
* If the front wheel drive lever is difficult to set to OFF,
stop the tractor, turn the steering wheel and move the
lever.
* Tires will wear quickly if front wheel drive is engaged
on paved roads.
* Front wheel drive is effective for the following
jobs:
1. When greater pulling force is needed, such as working
in a wet field, when pulling a trailer, or when working
with a front-end loader.
2. When working in sandy soil.
3. When working on a hard soil where a rotary tiller might
push the tractor forward.
4. For increased braking at reduced speed.

One day, I had driven to the property in a 2-wheel drive car, towing a trailer. There was no way the car and trailer were going get up the hills, so I parked the trailer at the bottom and drove up to where the tractor is kept. Driving down to pick up the trailer, with only an empty bucket attached, I suddenly found myself slipping out of control and heading for some rocks. I doubt I would have been injured, but the tractor would have been badly damaged had I hit the rocks. The brakes were totally ineffective on the steep, slippery surface. Somehow, I managed to regain control at the last minute and avoided colliding with the rocks.

This might not have happened had I not had the bucket on or had some ballast at the back.

I was totally puzzled as to why this had happened, given that I had made the same trip numerous times with no problem at all. Eventually, I found that the selector had been moved and the tractor was in 2-wheel drive. I put it back into 4x4 and regained full control on the hills.

Even if it is not ideal for the longevity of the tractor, I think it makes sense to keep it in 4x4 rather than possibly find myself careening out of control and ending up tumbling down the side of the mountain, into the ravine below.

 

[kenlip]

The topographical map of my property. We drive the tractor on the road between the red marker and the grey marker.

View attachment 667715

 

[FTG-05]

Be very cautious going down hill. I know of no tractors that have brakes on the front axles. While being in 4x4 in a low range and low gear will provide greater traction on the front axle and help to control movement. If the rear tires lose traction so does your ability to brake—again be cautious!

The last time I bushhogged my hill, I was going down one of the steepest parts - at the top - when a small branch came into the cab and flipped the 4x4 lever out of gear.

Yea, I took the "Two Inch Ride". It's called two inches because that's how much seat cushion you suck up before you reach bottom and get back control.

That's when I decided to hire my hill bushhogging job from now on. From then I only bushhog when I go up or down the hill to mow my lower field. I either stay out of brushy areas coming down or keep my left foot on the 4x4 lever to prevent it being knocked out of 4x4.

Hill from the top:

From the bottom; I came down just to the left of the brush pile:

 

[CoyPatton]

The last time I bushhogged my hill, I was going down one of the steepest parts - at the top - when a small branch came into the cab and flipped the 4x4 lever out of gear.

Yea, I took the "Two Inch Ride". It's called two inches because that's how much seat cushion you suck up before you reach bottom and get back control.

That's when I decided to hire my hill bushhogging job from now on. From then I only bushhog when I go up or down the hill to mow my lower field. I either stay out of brushy areas coming down or keep my left foot on the 4x4 lever to prevent it being knocked out of 4x4.

Hill from the top:

From the bottom; I came down just to the left of the brush pile:

Folks quite simply put, the harrowing experiences you have described are times that you should be using FWA if equipped.
However the excerpts from the manual clearly indicated that for the typical user 95+% FWA is not a full time usage item. I never said it should not be used as needed! And as I said I do not the property so it is entirely possible that you may be in that less than 5% that may need to use it.
I will give you that if your tractor has a model that is 2wd and yours is FWA model. That with both tractors in 2wd, the non FWA model will pull better in 2wd mode.
Bottom line use FWA when needed.

 

[Mat4644]

Manufactures spin the front tires slightly faster to maintain steering on soft conditions. Otherwise the wide rears would push the fronts when trying to steer. Personally I think it's an non-issue except on dry hard surfaces.

 

[PILOON]

Fronts are generally considerably smaller than rears hence wear at different rates.
For that reason fronts are generally 5% bigger when new to compensate for faster wear.
For that reason it is preferable to never use 4WD on paved surfaces as fast wear will result.

 

[Michael In Tennessee]

One day, I had driven to the property in a 2-wheel drive car, towing a trailer. There was no way the car and trailer were going get up the hills, so I parked the trailer at the bottom and drove up to where the tractor is kept. Driving down to pick up the trailer, with only an empty bucket attached, I suddenly found myself slipping out of control and heading for some rocks. I doubt I would have been injured, but the tractor would have been badly damaged had I hit the rocks. The brakes were totally ineffective on the steep, slippery surface. Somehow, I managed to regain control at the last minute and avoided colliding with the rocks.

This might not have happened had I not had the bucket on or had some ballast at the back.

I was totally puzzled as to why this had happened, given that I had made the same trip numerous times with no problem at all. Eventually, I found that the selector had been moved and the tractor was in 2-wheel drive. I put it back into 4x4 and regained full control on the hills.

Even if it is not ideal for the longevity of the tractor, I think it makes sense to keep it in 4x4 rather than possibly find myself careening out of control and ending up tumbling down the side of the mountain, into the ravine below.

I did that once on my MX4800. Won't do it again. Fun ride! I generally keep it in 4wd, but had earlier in the day been on the road in front of the house.

Like others suggested, for ballast, I'd get a box blade or such. You seem to need one anyway. I managed to get an 8 ft box blade at an auction for small money. It weighs something like 850lbs. Mostly though, I just keep my BH92 backhoe attached. Its weights more like 1500 lbs and sticks out further. I also have my tires mounted as outboard as possible. I have a fairly steep property. Even then, I drive side-hill only as necessary and then very carefully. Drop on low side wheel in a hole and your day might get bad. ROPS and belts at all time just in case.

 

[kenlip]

There have been some fantastic responses - thank you to everyone.

The more I think about it the more questions come to mind. Perhaps I am 'overthinking' everything

I would imagine there must be a 'sweet-spot' (a small range) for ballast weight relative to tractor weight and loader capacity. If the ballast is too light, it won't do a good enough job balancing the load on FEL. But, if it is too heavy is there not a risk of the load on the front wheels decreasing to the point where one loses front wheel traction in 4x4 and one loses steering control.

One might need the heavy weight of the ballast when moving a heavy load on the FEL but I would imagine that the weight could be a problem once one has removed the load from the FEL.

Of course, it isn't just the weight of the ballast but also it's distance from the back and front axles. It's the moment of the centre of gravity of the ballast about these fulcrum points that really matters.