OP
BruceNorthEast
Bronze Member
Roy, sorry for the delayed response.
You'll have to take my comments with a grain of salt; I'm shopping for my first tractor... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
On that particular day I tried out four machines. Three had loaded industrials (R4s), and one had loaded ags (R1s). All had FELs and nothing on the 3PH, all were roughly in the same weight class and clean (no attached weights).
The dealer allowed me to take the machines out where the snow was still untouched. I was trying to get a feel on how to use the FEL/bucket to clear snow, mostly running in float mode with the buckets cuttin edge just slightly higher than the bottom/backside. Occasionally I'd go into piles of compacted snow that was from the rest of the lot.
The R1s went the furthest/deepest and had the least ammount of steering loss - in my opinion it wasn't even close. But I think I made it sound like the R4s were unusable and I know that isn't the case.
But up here in new england, we get a lot of snow, a lot of which will be much tougher to deal with than what I was playing in, and those conditions were almost ideal - with nothing under the newly fallen snow but gravel. Soon it'll be packed snow and layers of ice...
So I estimated what I'd be facing later this winter, and that's where I came up with the statement that the the R4s I'd previously thought were the only way I wanted to go, now were less attractive.
I think for my situation, I'd be best off with R4s for the warmer seasons, and chains for the not so warm...
Thanks for the insight, you've obviously got a lot of real world experience.
FYI: I have read several posts here on TBN that say "bought chains, been a waste, never needed them" but others say how their tractor did a 180, or neighbors tractor rolled, because of not having chains on when they hit ice. It probably varies significantly by region and for equipment used...
I've still got lots to learn, hopefully there's time to learn it! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Bruce.
You'll have to take my comments with a grain of salt; I'm shopping for my first tractor... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
On that particular day I tried out four machines. Three had loaded industrials (R4s), and one had loaded ags (R1s). All had FELs and nothing on the 3PH, all were roughly in the same weight class and clean (no attached weights).
The dealer allowed me to take the machines out where the snow was still untouched. I was trying to get a feel on how to use the FEL/bucket to clear snow, mostly running in float mode with the buckets cuttin edge just slightly higher than the bottom/backside. Occasionally I'd go into piles of compacted snow that was from the rest of the lot.
The R1s went the furthest/deepest and had the least ammount of steering loss - in my opinion it wasn't even close. But I think I made it sound like the R4s were unusable and I know that isn't the case.
But up here in new england, we get a lot of snow, a lot of which will be much tougher to deal with than what I was playing in, and those conditions were almost ideal - with nothing under the newly fallen snow but gravel. Soon it'll be packed snow and layers of ice...
So I estimated what I'd be facing later this winter, and that's where I came up with the statement that the the R4s I'd previously thought were the only way I wanted to go, now were less attractive.
I think for my situation, I'd be best off with R4s for the warmer seasons, and chains for the not so warm...
Thanks for the insight, you've obviously got a lot of real world experience.
FYI: I have read several posts here on TBN that say "bought chains, been a waste, never needed them" but others say how their tractor did a 180, or neighbors tractor rolled, because of not having chains on when they hit ice. It probably varies significantly by region and for equipment used...
I've still got lots to learn, hopefully there's time to learn it! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Bruce.