Can you drive a tractor on three wheels?

[rfc143]

Well, it finally happened. I was blowing my 1500' drive (steep, curvy) with the K5240, when I noticed the right front tire was going flat. Haven't figured out why yet (the tire is still at the shop; I suspect low tire pressure), but proceeded about 50' to one of the only turnarounds on the drive. After turning around, I lowered the bucket to the ground and "bucket-backed" until the cutting edge could ski down the drive to the shed...about 1000'. Going straight it worked fine, taking all the load off the front end. The tractor does not have individual rear wheel differential brakes, so that wasn't an option for steering.

When I needed to change direction slightly, I'd raise the bucket until the left wheel engaged the ground, then turned, and lowered the bucket again. I'm cautiously optimistic I did no damage to the tire bead. Stay tuned.

But it raises the question should this (flat tire in a difficult location to access) ever happen:

If one lowers the bucket, pushes the axle down as far as it will go on the good side, and put a block of steel between the axle and the tractor frame (there's already a little "flat" on the axle to land on at end of travel), can one drive on three wheels at low speed short distances safely? Might be a dumb question but don't want to try it without some experienced input.

 

[George2615]

No personal experience but it has been done before.

 

[4570Man]

I’ve drove my tractor with no front wheel on it doing that but I had the backhoe on the back and no loader on it so it wasn’t very heavy to start with.

 

[Jstpssng]

History tends to repeat itself. This 15 YO discussion turned up as a suggestion while reading your post.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/47165-ever-drive-your-tractor-3-a.html

 

[rfc143]

History tends to repeat itself. This 15 YO discussion turned up as a suggestion while reading your post.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/47165-ever-drive-your-tractor-3-a.html

Wow. Forgive me for not searching first, but really?? Driving on three wheels? Should have known someone's gone before.

As it turns out, I failed to save the tire (probably in the first 50', without the bucket down), and cut the bead. Lesson learned. When I get the wheel back on, I'm going to try blocking one side and seeing how it feels; got plenty of weight on the back (Pronovost RP-INV-80...about 1000 lbs), to help take the load off the front.

 

[4570Man]

History tends to repeat itself. This 15 YO discussion turned up as a suggestion while reading your post.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/47165-ever-drive-your-tractor-3-a.html

Then you’d flame him for reviving a zombie thread. Why don’t you stop and think what would happen if nobody ever started a thread that’s already been discussed. Might as well close the whole forum because until electric tractors come out there isn’t much left to talk about.

 

[joeyd]

Then you’d flame him for reviving a zombie thread. Why don’t you stop and think what would happen if nobody ever started a thread that’s already been discussed. Might as well close the whole forum because until electric tractors come out there isn’t much left to talk about.

I agree, a lot of things change in 15 years. Searching old threads is a good way to get some background before you ask your question.

 

[Jstpssng]

Then you’d flame him for reviving a zombie thread. Why don’t you stop and think what would happen if nobody ever started a thread that’s already been discussed. Might as well close the whole forum because until electric tractors come out there isn’t much left to talk about.

I did not flame him, I merely pointed the older thread out as additional reading. I wouldn't even have known about it if the OP hadn't started this one.

 

[Jstpssng]

Wow. Forgive me for not searching first, but really?? Driving on three wheels? Should have known someone's gone before.

As it turns out, I failed to save the tire (probably in the first 50', without the bucket down), and cut the bead. Lesson learned. When I get the wheel back on, I'm going to try blocking one side and seeing how it feels; got plenty of weight on the back (Pronovost RP-INV-80...about 1000 lbs), to help take the load off the front.

If we only posted things which had never been covered sometime in the last 18 years or so these pages would be pretty sparse. I included that link to fit in with your thread, not detract from it.

The only reason I knew about it is because your post brought up the older one.
I have never had a tire fail that way, but did come out of the woods once with a flat front tire on my ATV. I was able to keep it off the ground by shifting my weight to the rear, but that's a much lighter machine.
It's unfortunate that you ended up ruining the tire.

 

[rfc143]

And I didn't take it as a flame. As a matter of fact I was going to ask him what he meant by "This 15 YO discussion turned up as a suggestion". Is a "Suggestion" just a search result?
I'm always interested in learning how to search better.

 

[Jstpssng]

If you look down at the bottom of the page below "reply to thread" you will see "similar threads", then links to (apparently) similar discussions; in this case 5 titles which had "wheels" in the heading.

 

[rfc143]

Cool! Thank you; I never ever noticed that.

 

[crazyal]

If it doesn't have one put a tube in it and forget about it. I had one front tire that would always slowly leak down. If it got low enough it would come off the rim. There's no bead like a car tire has. Simply the tire getting traction and the tire slipping on the wheel is more than enough to get it to come off. The first time it happened to me I had the local tire guy air it back up and order the correct tube for it. The second time (and last) I put the tube in.

 

[MHarryE]

We were towing a swather 200 miles in September when 10 miles into the trip a crack in the left spindle housing failed. We removed the broken spindle and wheel, found the axle stop held the axle end off the road, so continued the remaining 190 miles on 1 rear tire. It wore on the edge but not to the cord.

 

[fishhead]

RFC
Nice blower- i have the 74
Have you replaced the cutting edge?
did you make your own?

Wow. Forgive me for not searching first, but really?? Driving on three wheels? Should have known someone's gone before.

As it turns out, I failed to save the tire (probably in the first 50', without the bucket down), and cut the bead. Lesson learned. When I get the wheel back on, I'm going to try blocking one side and seeing how it feels; got plenty of weight on the back (Pronovost RP-INV-80...about 1000 lbs), to help take the load off the front.

 

[rfc143]

RFC
Nice blower- i have the 74
Have you replaced the cutting edge?
did you make your own?

fishhead: Is the "cutting edge" the same as the "scraper blade" on the back? If not...that is if it's at the bottom of the main auger, then no, I haven't replaced it but think I may need to. No matter how I adjust the unit, it leaves a 1/4-1/2 "film" of snow on the ground. Are they easy to replace?

 

[ovrszd]

Then you壇 flame him for reviving a zombie thread. Why don稚 you stop and think what would happen if nobody ever started a thread that痴 already been discussed. Might as well close the whole forum because until electric tractors come out there isn稚 much left to talk about.

Crickets...

 

[4get gto]

And I didn't take it as a flame. As a matter of fact I was going to ask him what he meant by "This 15 YO discussion turned up as a suggestion". Is a "Suggestion" just a search result?
I'm always interested in learning how to search better.

Down at the bottom of the page it gives a list of "Similar Threads".

 

[fishhead]

i mean the one under the auger- its time for me to replace it- i'll try to take some picsand share any learning

mine occasionally leaves a bit of a film but it seems to depend on the type of snow/speed of the tractor and tilt of the blower. I don't have the rear blade but have been thinking about the rear wheels.

fishhead: Is the "cutting edge" the same as the "scraper blade" on the back? If not...that is if it's at the bottom of the main auger, then no, I haven't replaced it but think I may need to. No matter how I adjust the unit, it leaves a 1/4-1/2 "film" of snow on the ground. Are they easy to replace?

 

[stuckmotor]

I know this doesn't count, but, I have to say that the beauty of my tricycle tractor was that if one front tire went flat, I could limp home on the one that was still inflated. I also miss being able to lock one rear wheel and turn in place.