3320 stability
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CinderSchnauzer
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Depends on which tires you have. If R4 or R3, just reverse the rear wheels side to side, so the valve stems are on the inside. The other option is to purchase wheel spacers. If you have R1 - read the manual - there are several options.
sunnyside360
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Yes, what Cinder said. You can also add wheel weights and/or add liquid ballast to rear tires. I opted for liquid ballast and wheel spacers because of the steep hills here where I'm using the 3720.
greg_g
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If you have R1 tires/rims, they can be configured to (up to) a 68.4" rear width. My 3720 came with R4s. It was so unstable on slopes and banks that I found myself up on 3 wheels way too often. Reversing the rims provided almost useless width gains. Over half a ton of liquid ballast on all 4 corners helped some, but ultimately it was 8" of additional rear width that finally established a working degree of stability. It's what I needed to achieve the same 68" of rear width you can get with R1s. Given the supportive construction of my rear extensions, I'm now reconsidering front wheel extensions as well.
R3s are less common, but - without extensions - are unlikely to provide any more stability than R4s. The unstable 3x20 series has been discussed in detail here, try putting the site search engine to work.
//greg//
R3s are less common, but - without extensions - are unlikely to provide any more stability than R4s. The unstable 3x20 series has been discussed in detail here, try putting the site search engine to work.
//greg//
murphy1244
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:welcome: have the dealer do it and load the tires or get wheel weights
I have R4's and switched them this morning, tractor is used primarily for mowing pasture, mostly flat land, a few hills but not steep at all, also have the 300cx loader. I'm still undecided on filling tires.
CinderSchnauzer
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If you are new to the tractor and use it mostly on flat land, give it a few weeks. Practically the first bump I hit with my O/S 3320 I thought it was going to tip over. After getting used to it - and I hope I can phrase this correctly - it actually feels more tippy than it really is. With the relatively short wheelbase and relatively narrow tread & no suspension, going over any kind of obstruction especially where both back wheels hit at slightly different times can result in getting pitched all over the place.
I'm not trying to say one couldn't be tipped, but I think the pitch and roll sensation can create anxiety long before an actual problem.
I'm not trying to say one couldn't be tipped, but I think the pitch and roll sensation can create anxiety long before an actual problem.
greg_g
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Wait until you're up on three wheels. At that point you'll quickly realize where anxiety crosses over into to reality
//greg//
//greg//
sunnyside360
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Yep, sometimes referred to as "pucker factor" in the 3x20 threads a few years ago. Been there --- done that.
CinderSchnauzer
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Been there - done that.
me too, and in motion when I did it - quick reverse when it happened.
Yes and the first bump scenario - same here - I got the impression that the unit was way too tippy and switched tires very soon afterward.
foggy1111
Elite Member
LOAD YOUR REAR TIRES. Read your manual. It will tell you that you need weight in the form of fluid or cast AND a heavy implement to safely operate your loader.
I have large R4 tires and a heavy box blade with 500 lbs of cast weights hanging on it. STILL.....the rear axel can get light when picking up a heavy load. Life is short.....load your rear tires for increased stability, front axel life, traction, and FEL ballast.
tomd999
Platinum Member
Hiya,
Yes, there have been a great many posts about the "3x20 pucker factor". That being said they are mainly from new owners getting used to the machines or by people test driving them. As mentioned in this thread, the 3x20 platform is a tall operator position relative to the smaller chassis 1 and 2 series, people that make the jump to it are likely to feel "tippy" at first.
I too had this feeling after jumping off a 2520 and onto a 3120 at the dealer years ago. To me the tippy feeling comes from the machines weight causing it to follow the ground contour more closely than the lighter chassis and the height of the operator platform and seat in relationship to the axle centerline. Since the seat is higher, the operator "sees" greater side to side movement as the machine follows the slight dips and ripples in the ground because they are higher and because the machine is heavy, it tends to rock side to side quickly adding to this feeling.
Now, can it tip, yep, any tractor can tip even on level ground if improperly ballasted. I operate a 3320 cab with R3's on a mountain so I am well acquainted with the chassis. I had a demo 3120 open station on my property when they first came out, it had R3's and a 300cx. The first day it was here we had about half a foot of snow overnight, I scraped the snow and when I lifted the bucket I had the tractor up on 3 wheels before the bucket was a foot off the ground. The rears were not loaded and I didn't have ballast on the hitch. Point to this is the 300cx loader is a long lever and as such, easily lifts the rear of the tractor if there is no weight back there, add to this equation the pivoting front axle and you have a tractor that very much wants to go up on 3 wheels.
After all that and a few years seat time in the chassis, I don't find it all that tippy. My 3320 cab has beet juice R3's in the narrow setting, 2 wheel weights per side and a Portland filled ballast box with 4, 40 Lb weights on top (mainly because I had to move them one day and they fit perfectly on top of the box so saw no reason not to leave them as ballast) I should also point out that ballast box position does influence the machines ride over ground with respect to rocking movement. The higher up the box is, the slower the side to side rock is over uneven ground however when operating on a side slope, this tends to make the machine side slip more so when I'm going cross slope, I drop the box as low as I can without letting it touch the ground. The weight being low helps keep the upside tire pined to the ground.
Well after all this typing, I guess my point is that the 3x20 series is no more or less "tippy" than the other chassis if you ballast it properly, keep the weight low when traversing slopes, keep your speed slow in areas that present a greater potential to be unstable and realize that big bucket on your loader is at the end of a very long lever with a great deal of mechanical advantage on the chassis and if not properly loaded and ballasted, will have you up on 3 wheels very quickly.
My 2 cents,
Tom
Yes, there have been a great many posts about the "3x20 pucker factor". That being said they are mainly from new owners getting used to the machines or by people test driving them. As mentioned in this thread, the 3x20 platform is a tall operator position relative to the smaller chassis 1 and 2 series, people that make the jump to it are likely to feel "tippy" at first.
I too had this feeling after jumping off a 2520 and onto a 3120 at the dealer years ago. To me the tippy feeling comes from the machines weight causing it to follow the ground contour more closely than the lighter chassis and the height of the operator platform and seat in relationship to the axle centerline. Since the seat is higher, the operator "sees" greater side to side movement as the machine follows the slight dips and ripples in the ground because they are higher and because the machine is heavy, it tends to rock side to side quickly adding to this feeling.
Now, can it tip, yep, any tractor can tip even on level ground if improperly ballasted. I operate a 3320 cab with R3's on a mountain so I am well acquainted with the chassis. I had a demo 3120 open station on my property when they first came out, it had R3's and a 300cx. The first day it was here we had about half a foot of snow overnight, I scraped the snow and when I lifted the bucket I had the tractor up on 3 wheels before the bucket was a foot off the ground. The rears were not loaded and I didn't have ballast on the hitch. Point to this is the 300cx loader is a long lever and as such, easily lifts the rear of the tractor if there is no weight back there, add to this equation the pivoting front axle and you have a tractor that very much wants to go up on 3 wheels.
After all that and a few years seat time in the chassis, I don't find it all that tippy. My 3320 cab has beet juice R3's in the narrow setting, 2 wheel weights per side and a Portland filled ballast box with 4, 40 Lb weights on top (mainly because I had to move them one day and they fit perfectly on top of the box so saw no reason not to leave them as ballast) I should also point out that ballast box position does influence the machines ride over ground with respect to rocking movement. The higher up the box is, the slower the side to side rock is over uneven ground however when operating on a side slope, this tends to make the machine side slip more so when I'm going cross slope, I drop the box as low as I can without letting it touch the ground. The weight being low helps keep the upside tire pined to the ground.
Well after all this typing, I guess my point is that the 3x20 series is no more or less "tippy" than the other chassis if you ballast it properly, keep the weight low when traversing slopes, keep your speed slow in areas that present a greater potential to be unstable and realize that big bucket on your loader is at the end of a very long lever with a great deal of mechanical advantage on the chassis and if not properly loaded and ballasted, will have you up on 3 wheels very quickly.
My 2 cents,
Tom
