Stuck in the mud

[bcp]

This is one of those cases where the OP's location might be useful. I don't know if he lives in a tropical swamp, or maybe in the NW where it rains for 8 months, then is dry for 4, etc.

Bruce

 

[RickB]

This is one of those cases where the OP's location might be useful. I don't know if he lives in a tropical swamp, or maybe in the NW where it rains for 8 months, then is dry for 4, etc.

Bruce

Maybe. But if it ain’t fit to drive on, it ain’t.

 

[bcp]

Maybe. But if it ain’t fit to drive on, it ain’t.

But is it wet short term or long term? Is it hard when dry, or only when frozen? Rainy season? Flood? Swamp? Muskeg?

Bruce

 

[redman135]

Do your front tyres need to be the same diameter as the existing tyres?
A larger diameter will roll more easily in soft ground and stay on top better. As long as there are no clearance issues I would go for the extra diameter, and they are probably more readily avalible.

 

[Zebrafive]

Liquid in rear tires plant rear tires better (traction), but it is not ballast, ballast hangs off rear of tractor and use weigh to cantilever weight off front making front end lighter.... Its the old playground teeter totter syndrome...

Dale

Loaded rear tires ARE ballast, only they do not take the load off the front axle. The front axle is the pivot of the teeter totter. 3pt ballast helps move the pivot to the rear axle.

Give me a choice of using a loader on a non ballasted tractor or one with loaded rear tires and I'll choose loaded rear tires. I know weight on the 3 pt is better yet. But loaded tires are ballast, just not the best.

 

[Zebrafive]

Have you looked at 11L-15 tires or other tires that are used on most hay balers or for floatation. Also, since it is 2wd you could put pretty much any tire that would fit on the front even if it is one size bigger or smaller without throwing the center of gravity of too much. If you go with 16 rims it would shift the center of gravity more toward the rear of the tractor to give more traction but the 3 point hitch would lose an inch or lift. If you find the right bolt pattern and offset on the rim, you can also use wide 15 truck tires. I have used them on hay trailers and that has help keep them from sinking into the mud a lot.

If getting 11L-15 tires, do not get implement tires, get those made for tractors and get 8ply. IIRC there are also 12L -16 tractor front tires.

 

[Molalla1]

How hard would it be to drop your loader?

 

[thoner7]

Lots of replies to answer....

I'm in Western NY. I live on a hill with heavy clay. In the high spots it's already quite hard. The low spots I've avoided completely. With this new machine it may only dry out enough in dry years to actually drive there.

I say it's rock hard but I still get stuck lol. There are little spring on the hill and I guess I'm finding new wet spots I never knew existed before. I guess I'm just surprised that the wider tires of my new machine dont handle its weight better.

I didn't want to get totally different diameter fronts bc I didn't want to risk throwing off any steering angles.

Removing the loader...I might be able to do that if I made some alterations to it. Hard so say. It would never be much of a quick change.

If wider tires help that's maybe my most realistic option. Or just ditching the tractor completely.

 

[kirkawilson]

Here is a wild idea...attach a couple of caster wheels to your loader bucket edges and float the fel to put the loader weight on the caster wheels and take the loader weight off of the front axle???

 

[Xfaxman]

I vote for wider front tires :thumbsup:.