The Woods subframe looks like it will affect ground clearance, can anyone tell me how much?
Some Woods subframes are better than others. Where ground clearance is
most affected is in the departure angle as the mounts place the hoe pretty
far out back. I have attached a photo of one of the older ladder-style
Woods subframes...this one is for a
B7800 and a Woods 7500. The ladder
part of the frame does hang pretty low underneath the tractor. Later
Woods subframes are better, but some still mount the hoe quite far out
back.
As for perfomance specs quoted by the hoe manufacturers, it is hard to
compare them as they don't usually give the test conditions. They do not
usually specify the hyd pressure at which the test is made. Some of the
hoes can easily handle 2500psi and others are limited to less than 2000psi.
Most B-series tractors and smaller deliver 2000psi or less. In comparing
hoes, I look at how they are built (gussets, pin sizes, etc.) and the sizes of
the cylinders, and the dipper stick ratio. The DS ratio and the cyl size
allows me to calculate the dipper force.