Tractor Sizing TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION

   / TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION
  • Thread Starter
#11  
Just another exercise in self promotion by the author.

My work life was spent in sales and marketing. I cannot help......myself.


I have had age-related minor health problems, one succeeding another.

My tractor time has been halved.

I will attempt to post more regularly.

I love my fans!
 
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   / TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION
  • Thread Starter
#12  
Tractor weight largely defines tractor capability in pulling applications.
Heavier tractors are built with thicker steel and thicker axles to withstand the stress of heavier loads.

Heavier tractors have larger diameter, greater breadth wheels/tires, creating a larger tire "patch" in contact with the soil. Rear tires are often ballasted internally with liquid, placing weight directly over the tire tread. Larger wheels and tires and a longer wheelbase permit heavier tractors to bridge holes, burrows, ruts and tree debris, increasing traction and reducing operator perturbation. Therefore, heavier tractors with large diameter wheels/tires have more tractive power pulling ground contact implements and tree trunks, pushing a loader bucket into dirt and pushing snow. Larger wheels and tires increase ground clearance, lengthening the period which row crops may be implement cultivated.

Heavier tractors have FEL lift and Three Point Hitch lift in proportion to weight.

When considering a tractor purchase, bare tractor weight first, tractor horsepower second, rear axle width/rear tire spread third, rear wheel ballast fourth. Ample tractor horsepower is needed for PTO-powered implements such as Bush Hogs and snow blowers, but remains subsidiary to tractor weight in defining tractor capability.

 
   / TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION #13  
My work life was spent in sales and marketing. I cannot help......myself.


I have had age-related minor health problems, one succeeding another.

My tractor time has been halved.

I will attempt to post more regularly.

I love my fans!
Jeff I am definitely a fan of yours and appreciate your insightful contributions to this forum. Thanks for taking the time to educate the neophytes like me.
 
   / TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION #14  
Isn't there a caveat in frame size? Recently my niece had my haul a Farmall H for a 4-H exhibit. Large tractor, had to weigh a lot. Checked before loading the tractor and discovered the large Farmall H weighs 2,845 pounds, a lightweight compared to my L6060 which weighs 4,365 pounds before adding the loader and wheel weights. Of course we always had our H's loaded with fluid. And I learned the 40 HP L4060 weighs only 300# less than the L6060. I think of frame size and HP. Weight can be added where needed although something too light could indicate skimping on metal.
 
   / TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION #16  
Isn't there a caveat in frame size? Recently my niece had my haul a Farmall H for a 4-H exhibit. Large tractor, had to weigh a lot. Checked before loading the tractor and discovered the large Farmall H weighs 2,845 pounds, a lightweight……

That does seem light. Tractordata says a “H” weighs 3875 lbs. They say a Farmall C weighs 2845 lbs.
 
   / TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION #17  
That does seem light. Tractordata says a “H” weighs 3875 lbs. They say a Farmall C weighs 2845 lbs.
Maybe a wartime H on steel with no hydraulics or electrical equipment. Otherwise it is just wrong. My friend has a 39 H on 36" cutoff spokes and no hydraulics. He has taken it to tractor pulls for years and with a driver on it barely makes the 3500 lb class limit. Any H with the standard equipment cast rear wheel centers won't make that weight class.
 
   / TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION #18  
I would like to introduce to this discussion the concept of power to weight ratio and how they effect each other when it comes to machinery like tractors. I found this old thread talking about it and encourage all to read it as it fills in the missing pieces surrounding a lot of this:

 
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   / TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION
  • Thread Starter
#19  
I would like to introduce in to this discussion the concept of power to weight ratio and how they effect each other when it comes to machinery like tractors. I found this old thread talking about it and encourage all to read it as it fills in the missing pieces surrounding a lot of this:

When you want to start discussion on a new topic, start a new thread.

There are several reasons for this, relating to searches of the T-B-N ARCHIVE.
 
   / TRACTOR WEIGHT as ONE (1) CRITERION in TRACTOR SELECTION #20  
All I can say is this. We borrowed a 5 yard dirt scoop. Guy that had it had a 100 hp tractor 11,000# and said he couldn't use it. We had a 55 hp tractor that weighed 15,000# and we could boil dirt over the top of it all day long. HP is not as important as putting power to the ground.
 
 
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