I Need HELP!!

[dlelsea]

I have 2 acres in NM sand. I have used a bobcat to cut some sand and it did pretty good. I need a tractor to do some of the other work around here. I purchased a tractor YM2000 and all it does is digs holes. Did I get a too light of tractor for the job or what is the problem? Can I make this tractor work? 2cyl, 2wd, 24hp Please help!!!
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Keith_B]

Sounds like you are having trouble with traction. Have you tried loading the tires?

 

[thcri]

What kind of tires do you have and do you have 4 wd. My dad has a kubota with Ag tires on it. He does a lot of work in the sand. The Ag's dig too much and he is switching to turf's like his neighbor has. The Ag's just dig straight down. I know even my R4's in the sand will tend to did down once I start pulling something with it like my dock.

murph

 

[mark777]

I believe it is more of a floatation problem then traction, especially without four wheel drive. You will need the smoothest set of four turff tires available. It works on the same principal as snow shoes, the bigger the tire foot print, the less likely you are to sink or dig in.

Now working implements in soft sand may be a whole different story. If you are going to use a small rotary cutter you may experience the same problem.....like dragging an anchor. You may need to convert implements with wheels and tires added on to prevent the same problem you have with your tractor. Weight distribution, balance and floatation are the key ingredients for working in dry sandy areas.

Good luck, Mark

 

[Bob_Skurka]

A similar topic came up a few weeks ago. I talked to my sales manager since he used to own a company in Phoenix that made custom dune buggies. His suggestion was to get a light weight tractor, and get wide turf tires on the tractor. It is an issue of flotation, as previously mentioned, rather than traction. He said the most successful dune buggies had high horsepower, low weight, and wide tires. Applying his logic to a tractor would make sense.

 

[RedRocker]

Except a dune buggy isn't trying to use ground contact attachments, not sure how well that theory would apply here.
The guys that really want to go fast in sand use paddle tires combined with HP and light weight. I'm thinking 4WD would be the biggest thing he'd need.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> not sure how well that theory would apply here. </font>


RedRocker . . . Well that certainly is the question of the day.

However consider that the Skid Steer would likely have both 4wd and R4 industrial tires, those are generally flat bottomed with modest tread depth . . . and worked reasonably well.

Then consider the tractor has 2wd and R1 Ag tires and those are the narrowest of the generally available tires with deep aggressive treads . . . and those are digging the tractor into the earth.

Then go to the other other thread where this was talked about and one of the guys validated the turf tires on sand when he worked as a consultant in the sand dune area on the southern shore of Lake Michigan and they found out that those were the tires that worked the best when combined with lighter weight construction equipment.

The point is to be able to use the tractor. If it is simply digging itself into the ground it is unable to use any type of equipment. I would also suggest it would be appropriate to use SMALLER implements on the rear end than would normally be used. IF the tractor is capable of pulling a 5' grade blade on dirt and sod, then a 4' grader blade is probably going to be more efficient in this specific instance. Weight is a big problem in this case, combined with low surface area on the tires, and high drag from the implements.

 

[Soundguy]

A ym 2000 is 2wd.. nad if it didn't have tires changed.. will have very agressive 'paddle' style rice tires on it. These paddle style tires make regular ag bar tires look like 'weak sisters'.

I'm not sure what his problem is, as he posted so little info. "Digging holes'.. does that mean his tires are spinning?

If so.. I'd guess he has not gotten used to working the 3pt hitch, and whatever implement he is using is nailing him to the ground.. etc.

I've used a ym1700 ( same frame as a 2000 ) and had great results.. even in sugar sand.. or digging in clay with a box blade. Traction isn't a problem if you work the rear implement correctly. However.. a little front weight doesn't hurt either.

Soundguy

 

[Stonefox]

dlelsea, I understand your problem as I have 15 acres of desert on the side of a hill that is mostly a sand dune with mesquite, tuft grasses, sage, and cactus. I bought my tractor after I aquired the my property so I knew that I would be traction challenged. I have loaded R4's on my TC40D 4x4. I generally have good traction except when trying to pull a full box blade up hill. Fill out your profile so we know more to help more. We may be just down the road from each other. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Stonefox

 

[dlelsea]

So the digging holes is the tires spinning after it has dug itself in the sand. the tires seem to dig for about 6-8 " and then the tires spin. The tractor does have the ag tires. How can you tell the tire size, etc. And this is without ANYTHING on the back and not hauling anything in the bucket. THIS IS EMPTY.
Thanks


</font><font color="blue" class="small">( A ym 2000 is 2wd.. nad if it didn't have tires changed.. will have very agressive 'paddle' style rice tires on it. These paddle style tires make regular ag bar tires look like 'weak sisters'.

I'm not sure what his problem is, as he posted so little info. "Digging holes'.. does that mean his tires are spinning?

If so.. I'd guess he has not gotten used to working the 3pt hitch, and whatever implement he is using is nailing him to the ground.. etc.

I've used a ym1700 ( same frame as a 2000 ) and had great results.. even in sugar sand.. or digging in clay with a box blade. Traction isn't a problem if you work the rear implement correctly. However.. a little front weight doesn't hurt either.

Soundguy )</font>