Bob_Young
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2002
- Messages
- 1,211
- Location
- North of the Fingerlakes - NY
- Tractor
- Ford 4000; Ford 2000(both 3cyl.);JD40; 2004 Kubota L4300; 2006 Kubota B7610; new 2007 Kubota MX5000
Didn't want to hijack the excellent thread on slopes started by 2nstonge, so decided start my own.
Will setting the rear tires out at their widest setting help significantly when operating on slopes? Do most of you who operate on serious slopes routinely have the rears set out to their maximum width? Can anyone estimate the quantitative improvement in slope handling the wider settings might give?
My L4300 was delivered with the rear tread width set at minimum. Before delivery I asked the salesman about setting the rears out and he said it wasn't possible on the L4300. Since getting the tractor and reading the manual, I see that by reversing the hub section and reversing rims it's possible to go to a tread width 14" wider than the minimum, with three intermediate settings possible. Now I'm not faulting the salesman on this. He indicated honestly more than once that mine was the first tractor sale he'd made. But the shop owner has been operating in the big leagues for quite awhile and knew I'd be using the tractor on hills.
There are advantages to operating at minimum rear tread width. The thing takes up less room in the shop for one. Easier to manuever around and between obstacles for another. Probably less strain on the axle and its housing. A smaller tiller or blade will cover the narrow tread width. So going to the wider tread width isn't what I'd call a no-brainer. Simple geometry seems to suggest it's the right thing to do, but the pen & paper solution isn't always right.
Am interested in the thoughts and experiences of the TBN brain-trust on this subject. Particularly those of you who do most of your work on hillsides.
Bob
Will setting the rear tires out at their widest setting help significantly when operating on slopes? Do most of you who operate on serious slopes routinely have the rears set out to their maximum width? Can anyone estimate the quantitative improvement in slope handling the wider settings might give?
My L4300 was delivered with the rear tread width set at minimum. Before delivery I asked the salesman about setting the rears out and he said it wasn't possible on the L4300. Since getting the tractor and reading the manual, I see that by reversing the hub section and reversing rims it's possible to go to a tread width 14" wider than the minimum, with three intermediate settings possible. Now I'm not faulting the salesman on this. He indicated honestly more than once that mine was the first tractor sale he'd made. But the shop owner has been operating in the big leagues for quite awhile and knew I'd be using the tractor on hills.
There are advantages to operating at minimum rear tread width. The thing takes up less room in the shop for one. Easier to manuever around and between obstacles for another. Probably less strain on the axle and its housing. A smaller tiller or blade will cover the narrow tread width. So going to the wider tread width isn't what I'd call a no-brainer. Simple geometry seems to suggest it's the right thing to do, but the pen & paper solution isn't always right.
Am interested in the thoughts and experiences of the TBN brain-trust on this subject. Particularly those of you who do most of your work on hillsides.
Bob