OP
MChalkley
Elite Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2000
- Messages
- 3,198
- Location
- Eastern Virginia
- Tractor
- EarthForce EF-5 mini-TLB (2001)
Re: What a long, strange trip it\'s been...
MarkV,
I had some concerns about the vertical stabilizers as well. As with anything, there are tradeoffs and compromises involved - you get a little, you give a little. The most important tradeoff here, to me, basically is: if you want to work tight up against the side of a building, you have to have a vertical stabilizer. Anything else involves slowing down a bit, or being a bit more careful, as opposed to simply "can't be done". So the verticals come out ahead on that basis. As for the stability issue, consider this: What do those huge truck cranes use? Almost all of them use vertical stabilizers. So, it's a matter of knowing how to use what you have to get to do all the jobs you have on your plate. Or, put another way: I'm sure there's less stability there, but I can live with it, in order to be able to do everything I need to do.
The tires are a bit of a concern, too. Here's my take, so far (subject to correction by actual usage, of course /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif): There's a huge net loss when comparing the rear tires of my Kubota L4310HST to the ones on the EarthForce EF-5. There's a less huge net gain when comparing the front tires of the two machines. BUT, the front tires are more important in the typical usage I put a machine to, because of the loader and bucket contents weight. So that evens things out a bit, or maybe even swings the balance a bit in favor of the EF-5's tires. There are Michelin XM27's available that will fit the EF-5's stock wheels and add about an inch to the width. If actual usage of the EF-5 indicates that the tires are a big liability, I'll have some 20" wheels made and go to 2"-3" wider tires. Been there, done that. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
MarkC
MarkV,
I had some concerns about the vertical stabilizers as well. As with anything, there are tradeoffs and compromises involved - you get a little, you give a little. The most important tradeoff here, to me, basically is: if you want to work tight up against the side of a building, you have to have a vertical stabilizer. Anything else involves slowing down a bit, or being a bit more careful, as opposed to simply "can't be done". So the verticals come out ahead on that basis. As for the stability issue, consider this: What do those huge truck cranes use? Almost all of them use vertical stabilizers. So, it's a matter of knowing how to use what you have to get to do all the jobs you have on your plate. Or, put another way: I'm sure there's less stability there, but I can live with it, in order to be able to do everything I need to do.
The tires are a bit of a concern, too. Here's my take, so far (subject to correction by actual usage, of course /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif): There's a huge net loss when comparing the rear tires of my Kubota L4310HST to the ones on the EarthForce EF-5. There's a less huge net gain when comparing the front tires of the two machines. BUT, the front tires are more important in the typical usage I put a machine to, because of the loader and bucket contents weight. So that evens things out a bit, or maybe even swings the balance a bit in favor of the EF-5's tires. There are Michelin XM27's available that will fit the EF-5's stock wheels and add about an inch to the width. If actual usage of the EF-5 indicates that the tires are a big liability, I'll have some 20" wheels made and go to 2"-3" wider tires. Been there, done that. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
MarkC
