Very limited budget; worth considering a narrow front end?

[Texasmark]

I only used one early in my farming experience. At the end of a row, with tillage or cultivating equipment attached, turn loose of the wheel and stomp the appropriate brake to do a 180 in the width of the tread of the pivot tire. Otherwise I went with wide.

 

[CADplans]

The second tractor that I spent LOTS of hours on was a wide front end 4020 John Deere,,
I would drive that tractor anywhere,,
I plowed over 500 acres with the 4020 that summer,,

The next summer, I worked for a guy that had a tricycle 4010 John Deere,,
Physically, the 4020 and 4010 were almost identical, except for the front end,,

I plowed over 300 acres with the 4010, and NEVER could get over the sensation of the tricycle feeling tippy.

Both farms were on land near the Chesapeake Bay,, There was no place that was over 12 feet above sea level,,
ALL of the land was flat.

That 4010 tricycle felt like it was going to tip crossing a 10" deep dead furrow,,,

Avoid the tricycle,,,

What type of front end is on MY tractor!!??

:laughing:

 

[LouNY]

I grew up on mostly red with a bit of orange and until we got a 656 IH they were all narrow front end tractors we also had a loader on the Farmall 400 with the narrow front end. The stability of the narrow front never bothered me and most of our ground in side hills. The major problem I ever had with the narrow fronts was in soft muddy ground the front end would act like a big plow and it could actually stop your forward motion. A WD Allis or a 300 or larger farmall can have an after market 3 pt hitch added on easily. For a 2wd loader tractor I would prefer a wide front and 45 HP or more. To me an independent PTO would be more of a concern. You should be able to find an IH 574 for under $5000, I would expect that 3 or 400Farmalls to be in the $3500 range I would look for row crop and not utility models, the utilities are lower and more compact but the row crops are more standard and have better parts availability. As a note the narrow front end has two tires close together, there are also tricycle models which have only one front tire.
Good Luck

 

[MossRoad]

I had an IH2500b tractor loader, which is the industrial equivalent to the IF 574. It was a very sturdy beast and cheap to operate. Mine was gas engine and HST, but they came in gas, diesel, gear, HST, etc....

Here's a link to a bunch for sale... gotta say, they ain't purty at that price! :laughing:

INTERNATIONAL 574 For Sale - 23 Listings | TractorHouse.com - Page 1 of 1

 

[Jstpssng]

You don't say where you are from, but around here if you look you can find a 2WD AG tractor in your price range which would be newer than anything with a NF.
Stay away from tracked if you are on a tight budget though, the price might be right but the repairs can break your bank. just my :2cents:

 

[stuckmotor]

Narrow front ends have their advantages. I've limped home a time or two on one front tire, when I got a flat on the other. When I got home I could simply drive the inflated tire up a ramp and didn't have to have a jack to remove the flat one.

 

[stuckmotor]

I only used one early in my farming experience. At the end of a row, with tillage or cultivating equipment attached, turn loose of the wheel and stomp the appropriate brake to do a 180 in the width of the tread of the pivot tire. Otherwise I went with wide.

The 180's are the thing I miss most about my WD with the stuck motor. Darn! This thread is making me nostalgic for my tricycle.

 

[Groo]

I hadn't even thought of the front end sinking into soft ground with a trike. That really precludes a loader. Everything would have to be done with the 3-point.....I'm not sure my neck would handle that.

 

[dragoneggs]

If you aren't flat ground or want an FEL, a 'trike' will be a disappointment. Don't know exactly your planned operations but I am guessing you need to invest a little more than you are thinking. Hp and implements sort of equals $. Without more info, tough to 'steer' you but good luck on the hunt!

 

[MickeyDBC]

Trikes are ok for level ground crop work but are not good utility tractors. When I was growing up we lost several neighbors to roll overs on them to rollovers. Farming is dangerous and they make it a lot easier to die.