Just bought 4720 cab and unhappy with hill ability

[Neophyte]

You already have the weights, which are expensive. Filling the tires, especially if only water is used, is free.

I thought you were never supposed to fill tires with water due to corrosion? I guess it would be OK in the short term to give it a try but I think you would want to use the proper stuff, such as Rim Guard, in the long term.

Has anyone out there ever made a special ballast for the FEL or 3PH that would allow for more stability on hills? Something that sits low and sticks out beyond the tractor?

 

[jdbower]

I thought you were never supposed to fill tires with water due to corrosion? I guess it would be OK in the short term to give it a try but I think you would want to use the proper stuff, such as Rim Guard, in the long term.

Actually the Deere-recommended solution of calcium chloride is highly caustic if it ever leaks below rim level (it's fine if it's above rim level because oxygen can't get to it), the main reason not to use water is that it will freeze and damage the rims (not much of a problem in the summer ). The good tire-fill-specific fluids have the double benefit of not freezing and protecting the rims from rust.

This conversation reminds me of a discussion about the rollover angle of my SUV, which is rated at 40+ degrees. It was noted that this is about 15 degrees past "Holy &^#@ we're all gonna die!" My little 2520 *felt* unstable over uneven ground when I first got it. But after I got used to what it could do I became more comfortable with it. Being up high does make it feel worse, especially since I'm used to being closer to the center of gravity in road vehicles.

 

[Neophyte]

... I then ordered 4 inch wheel extensions from Unverferth. The biggist drawback with them is they are expensive ($720.00) ...

... I ended up with a 66 in rear wheel track which made the 3520 alot more stable. ...

Here are some pictures of the wheel extensions metioned by dirtworksequip along with pictures of his tractor with them installed. It's one mean looking setup and it certainly appears more stable.

Dirtworksequip, it appears you only put them in the rear and not the front. Is this the case?

Thanks to dirtworksequip for sharing his cool modification.

 

[RRacing]

I had the tires on my 4320 filled and it made a world of difference while working on steep hills.

Jim

 

[Superduper]

I thought you were never supposed to fill tires with water due to corrosion? I guess it would be OK in the short term to give it a try but I think you would want to use the proper stuff, such as Rim Guard, in the long term.

Around here, in mild California, water is the stuff we use here unless there is special reason for using other stuff. According to several dealers that I spoke to, Deere, Kubota, NH, filling the tires up to 75% capacity to ensure that the entire rim is constantly submersed minimizes corrossion. All say that it is not a problem. Apparently, if the rim is not sufficiently submersed, then problems can occur as the rim rotates and travels out of solution to become exposed to oxygen. But if it is constantly submersed, then corrosion is not a big deal since rust is actually oxidation of iron. No oxygen, no problem. Also, when the water is filled to 75% capacity, the amount of available oxygen really is limited to what is left in the tire. The reason the other alternatives are not used more extensively is that water is free vs. antifreeze which is costly, especially if you use 60 to 80 gallons, and poses no environmental hazards health risks. Since for the most part, our climate does not freeze much, we don't require it. Of course water does not weigh as much as Calcium Chloride, which is used primarily due to it's superior ballasting characteristics, however, the hazards and costs still leaves water a better alternative local alternative. We can always add wheel weights if water doesn't provide enough ballast. Also, CA is probably the most stringent in terms of environmental protection laws and proper disposal of hazardous materials is a huge pain in the butt.

 

[Superduper]

I had the tires on my 4320 filled and it made a world of difference while working on steep hills.

Jim

Hi Jim, I was just wondering, out of curiosity, how one can tell if their tractor is more stable on hills, AFTER filling the tires? Is it simply a matter of greater operator confidence due to the knowledge of the tires being filled, or is there actually less near-misses? Since my tires have been filled from day one, I don't have anything to compare it to, but I would venture to guess that the tractor position on the hills would be the same and 99% of the pucker factor originates from operator hanging off the side of the tractor anyway and not from the high side tires floating in air. Of course saying that it flipped before filling and didn't flip after filling would be hard to argue with.... just wondering.

 

[JerryG]

I then ordered 4 inch wheel extensions from Unverferth. The biggist drawback with them is they are expensive ($720.00)

They look great and make your tractor look better also. The hard part for me would be getting over what they charged you. I can't believe that they charged that much.

 

[Neophyte]

They look great and make your tractor look better also. The hard part for me would be getting over what they charged you. I can't believe that they charged that much.

They are certainly beefy but not $700 beefy. I guess the expense comes from the fact that these are very low quantity items and that each set needs to be made custom to a particular wheel hub configuration. Economies of scale I suppose.

That gets me wondering. Is there any standard among compact tractor wheel hubs (bolt patterns, etc.) or are they all different?

 

[RRacing]

I live on a hilly peice of property and move pallets of metal often with my fork attachment. I have 1 pallet that had my right rear wheel in the air about a foot . I decided to leave it there for the time being. I had the tires filled the next day and came back to that pallet and the tractor didn't flinch .And with 31 years of operating a tractor you can tell when things feel right and when its time to pucker!! LOL!!!


Jim

 

[dirtworksequip]

I figured the $720 was cheaper than $25,000 on its side or worse. The wheel extensions did make a big difference,but I still will not take it where I have taken my old JD 870.