I know an old fella that took the wide front off a Farmall Super A with a belly-mower and replaced it with a trike. This gave him a "zero turn" 30 years before the current type was invented. The only thing he is lacking is the hydro trans, but he does real well with that old mower, even has a nice sun-canopy. To top it off, I dont think he has $1000 total in the machine. One things for sure, the new ones aint made like them old Farmalls and it wouldnt surprise me to see his great grandkids still running his 50 years from now. I salute the old fella today and all his WWII buddies who gave up a lot so that we could all speak English and live free today.
tricycle front end and safety
- Thread starter blackie65
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flusher
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- Getting old. Sold the ranch. Sold the tractors. Moved back to the city.
Nope--talking about the other kind of drawbar. I'd never try to pull a stump with a 3pt drawbar.
Ken
Veteran Member
Had a "40" JD good tractor used for all the farm needs. Neighbor for over 50 years borrowed to level a couple loads of gravel with the box blade to fill in holes in driveway.
On turning around the rear tire ran up a log that had been placed in burn pile. Wife at dinner time stepped out to call him to come in tractor had rolled the steering wheel on chest how long unknown. Little damage to tractor but there after could not get on to use with out thinking of this accident. Sold to another with request to sell for parts rather than to reuse. Respect and use as designed. After 10 years hard to think of the loss of friend.
ken
On turning around the rear tire ran up a log that had been placed in burn pile. Wife at dinner time stepped out to call him to come in tractor had rolled the steering wheel on chest how long unknown. Little damage to tractor but there after could not get on to use with out thinking of this accident. Sold to another with request to sell for parts rather than to reuse. Respect and use as designed. After 10 years hard to think of the loss of friend.
ken
There have been numerous incedents like that one and many of them occurred similarly, to someone with limited experience on the type, who borrowed it or just bought one for the first time. Also, farming generaly requires long hours where operators are subject to mistakes resulting from fatigue, an environment not so suitable for a widow-maker like a narrow-front tractor. Like the 3-wheeled ATV, the modern production of both machines was halted years ago by lawyers looking out for our safety. While some lives and limbs were likely saved, we have also lost some significant capability with the passing of this type. Anyone who buys an old one should be aware that they are significantly more dangerous than a wide-front tractor. Folks also may want the think twice before posting here, as I have seen a time or two, that "they are just as stable or safe as wide-fronts".
adjusterr
Silver Member
Don't believe for a moment that a tricycle front end is as stable as a wide stance. They are at their worst when going downhill and making a turn, the tractor just simply tips over. Unfortunately, years ago a neighbor who leased some ground from me, was hauling some stones from my field in a home-made bucket on a tricycle tractor. He was crossing a slope and turned left, up the slope and the tractor rolled over resulting in his death. Stay away from tricycle tractors except for antique shows or very level ground.
nebraskasparks
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Stability baseline for a trik shown on this site.
http://nasdonline.org/static_content/documents/1855/d001792.pdf
Old H I grew up on was light in the front and easier to get the front off the ground.
nebraskasparks
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If one is still interested in putting an FEL on a trik type tractor please reference this fatal accident report:
NIOSH FACE Program: Iowa Case Report 05IA022| CDC/NIOSH
One of the main recommendations was as follows:
Recommendation #3 - Front-end loaders should not be installed on narrow-front (鍍ricycle? tractors that do not have a ROPS.
Discussion: Previous FACE cases have highlighted the particularly risky combination of a front-end loader mounted on a tractor that has a tricycle front axle. The popularity of tricycle front-end tractors began to decline about the time the tractor in this incident was manufactured. However, many tricycle front-end tractors are still in productive use today. They are more prone to overturns than wide front axle tractors and should not have front-end loaders or other attachments installed on them which can significantly and adversely change the center of gravity for the entire tractor-attachment combination. For example, a heavy load in a raised loader bucket shifts weight from the back wheels of the tractor to the front and at the same time raises the center of gravity of the tractor-loader combination adding to the risk of an overturn.
NIOSH FACE Program: Iowa Case Report 05IA022| CDC/NIOSH
One of the main recommendations was as follows:
Recommendation #3 - Front-end loaders should not be installed on narrow-front (鍍ricycle? tractors that do not have a ROPS.
Discussion: Previous FACE cases have highlighted the particularly risky combination of a front-end loader mounted on a tractor that has a tricycle front axle. The popularity of tricycle front-end tractors began to decline about the time the tractor in this incident was manufactured. However, many tricycle front-end tractors are still in productive use today. They are more prone to overturns than wide front axle tractors and should not have front-end loaders or other attachments installed on them which can significantly and adversely change the center of gravity for the entire tractor-attachment combination. For example, a heavy load in a raised loader bucket shifts weight from the back wheels of the tractor to the front and at the same time raises the center of gravity of the tractor-loader combination adding to the risk of an overturn.
Soundguy
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weak argument. I can find one-of examples of just about -ANY- object killing a person.. incluting plastic cutlery and toothpics.
as with anything... be safe.. and engage brain before doing anything else.
it's the single biggest/best piece of safety equipment we have to use... and it's built in and free.
soundguy
as with anything... be safe.. and engage brain before doing anything else.
it's the single biggest/best piece of safety equipment we have to use... and it's built in and free.
soundguy
wmonroe
Elite Member
Well put, if only more people would actually do this.