Aluminum really inferior for tractors???

[NTex6500]

Actually, some of the ancient design 2wd tractors are just that; a glorified lawn mower. Without 4X4 as most all modern CUTS have, they lack any real pulling ability and all weight is for naught. A light weight 4X4 with (mostly standard) weights on the front will make the 50 and 60 year old designs obsolete and they will not only pull considerably more, but an FEL is almost useless on a 2wd tractor. That's why you almost never see a real workable FEL on an old 8N tractor. If they had a decent sized bucket and filled it, they would need another tractor to help pull them backwards.

I think you misunderstood my point. I wasn't diparaging CUTS of any size in any way. I was just pointing out that my needs for my tractor made weight important due to the size of the equipment I plan to use. A 9' disk mower would steer a smaller or lighter tractor instead of being steered by the tractor. I don't need 4wd on the flat mostly dry ground in my area and with the money I saved on my ancient design 2wd tractor I will be able to afford better equipment to work with. If Iwere only planning to mow small acreage or move small loads I would definitely have bought something much different.

 

[Dargo]

Actually my main tractor is very heavy for it's size and hp range. It does not take advantage of aluminum. However, adding weight is extremely cheap, and it can also be removed. With heavy tractors like I have I cannot go lighter. A tractor that takes advantage of light weight alloy with similar strength has a huge advantage; it can have all the weight if needed, and does not have to have it when not needed. On the 4X4 part, if you never plan to use an FEL or never go into muddy fields or never find youself having to backup when you start down a hill or never need to pull really hard etc. etc. I had a 2wd tractor once; never again. Besides making me so mad I wanted to burn it in the field, it was like trying to get rid of a pink elephant. That is why you will see 4X4 tractors outselling 4X2 by a margin of at least 10 to 1 in modern equipment.

I only wish I had a lighter tractor at times for getting closer to my house. I'll do more research next time and try to take advantage of a brand that uses more strong but lightweight alloy so I have a choice of being heavy or light with the same tractor.

 

[_RaT_]

"I had a 2wd tractor once; never again. Besides making me so mad I wanted to burn it in the field, it was like trying to get rid of a pink elephant. That is why you will see 4X4 tractors outselling 4X2 by a margin of at least 10 to 1 in modern equipment."

Remember old Prunty C. He was a hard core 2WD guy. I really do not know if he ever tried a FWD or MFWD, but I know I share much the same sentiment as you. I had a 2WD, a International 454D. It was a massive cast iron beast. I really liked it. I grew attached to it, but frankly, my much smaller Kubota 4WD was so much better at getting in and out of tough spots, up hills, down hills and with loader and box scraper use, there simply was no comparison. It easily outweighed my Kubota by 2000lbs even without the International having a loader but could not pull the box scraper that the Kubota did so easily. As a flat field mower though, it did marvelous.

 

[Dargo]

As a flat field mower though, it did marvelous.

Nice tractor. I totally agree after my experience. That is why I'd disagreed earlier with the sentiment that the lighter 4X4 CUT's would only be good for flat mowing. My experience showed exactly the opposite. For mowing flat fields or highway medians, your old 454D would be excellent. It's all the other jobs I found the 4X2 to leave me seething. Oh well, even hard headed me eventually learned; albiet the hard way...

 

[Toolguy]

Henro,

The B7800, B2910 and B3030 have aluminum transmission and rear axle housings. The frame rails are steel and the front axle and engine are cast iron.

 

[Henro]

Henro,

The B7800, B2910 and B3030 have aluminum transmission and rear axle housings. The frame rails are steel and the front axle and engine are cast iron.

Well, that is not what my magnet told me when I was laying on the ground this afternoon thinking how dumb I was being sticking the magnet all over the bottom of my tractor!

Now this was a large magnet, about 2.5 inches in diameter and a half inch thick, taken from a loud speaker at some time in the past...could it have been attracted to the axles/gears withing the housings? I somehow doubt it, as it did tell me the mid PTO housing/cover piece was non magnetic, while the drain plug in it was steel...

Are you sure about the B2910 Toolguy?

Guess I will be back under the B2910 tomorrow...with my magnet, of course...

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Bob,
Yes, I do agree with your commentary and failed to look at the lighter class of CUTS as you stated. The smaller CUTS are ideal for many chores where HP is needed and weight is not, such as mowing large lawns etc... Thanks for pointing that out

 

[slowrev]

but an FEL is almost useless on a 2wd tractor. That's why you almost never see a real workable FEL on an old 8N tractor. If they had a decent sized bucket and filled it, they would need another tractor to help pull them backwards.
//

Well darn I guess I will have to get rid of my old 2444. Been using a loader on it for 5 yrs and the previous owners for 32 yrs. It came equipped from IH that way. I was just to dumb to realize it was not working when I thought it was

 

[Dargo]

Well darn I guess I will have to get rid of my old 2444. Been using a loader on it for 5 yrs and the previous owners for 32 yrs. It came equipped from IH that way. I was just to dumb to realize it was not working when I thought it was

Um, hmm. And, if you've used it, you're going to tell me that it is even 50% as effective as an FEL on a 4X4 tractor? Even the Case 580E hoe I had that was 2wd absolutely sucked when I had a bucket full of dirt or wet sand. If I needed to backup any sort of incline at all, I'd have to spin around and use the hoe to pull myself backwards. That sort of drops productivity in a big way.

The point is that industry wide the fact that having versitile weight arrangements and 4X4 is the norm. Even at the extremely large farms around me, they go with duals on each corner and, when the fields are wet, triples on each corner. The point is that shear weight on 2 wheels is a thing of the past. To get enough weight on the rear two wheels to be able to handle a reasonable load in the front bucket, you'd have to counterweight the heck out of the tractor; even to the point where it would be unstable without a full load in the front bucket. Even then, the farmer as well as homeowner does not want the compaction that would result.

Having a reasonably light weight tractor with 4X4 or MFWD has proven far superior for obvious reasons. You can add weight when you need it, but you can also use it effectively without adding weight. And, as I stated earlier, my main tractor, although 4X4, does fall into the 'heavy' category. I'd rather be able to be lighter at times if I had the choice. If I'm wrong here, you better go tell every single dealer in the country that they are stocking the wrong tractors, and they need to start ordering 2wd heavy tractors again and sell chains with the FEL's that a few people may add.

 

[Soundguy]

I'd like to point out one thing.. This from a guy with a 2wd tractor and 'oldie' laoder. ( 1955 ford 660 w/ 722 loader ).

While my 2wd, no power steering tractor may not have a huge bucket.. or PS.. or 4wd.. it will break out 1200# and lift 1000# to full height in about 2.5 seconds.

And it beats the pants off a shovel and wheel barrow.. hands down.. no comparison....

Also.. re: 4wd vs 2wd. It's all in application.

I traded a 4wd tractor for a 2wd tractor... The bulk of my chores include mowing flat ground.. I get plent of traction from those 2 big rear tires to do what I need to do..

Soundguy