What a difference a large tractor makes!

MHarryE · Apr 4, 2020

CUTs aren’t great pullers, especially with R4 tires. Many YouTube videos of 4wd pickups dragging CUTs with CUT tires spinning trying to get a bite. And larger tractors need larger yet tractors. Two years ago here the rain never seemed to end but in short dry times we tried to get tillage done. My BIL with his 4wd Case (actually 8wd because of duals) had to pull me out 3 times (175 HP but MFWD with extra wide tires) and I had to pull him out once. The ruts he left when he got stuck - ducks were swimming in them the next spring before I filled them in. So bigger will get the job done if necessary but learn to rely on friends or relatives, and don’t burn your bridges with neighbors having lots of big tractors - you never know.

jjp8182 · Apr 4, 2020

MHarryE said:
CUTs aren’t great pullers, especially with R4 tires. Many YouTube videos of 4wd pickups dragging CUTs with CUT tires spinning trying to get a bite. And larger tractors need larger yet tractors. Two years ago here the rain never seemed to end but in short dry times we tried to get tillage done. My BIL with his 4wd Case (actually 8wd because of duals) had to pull me out 3 times (175 HP but MFWD with extra wide tires) and I had to pull him out once. The ruts he left when he got stuck - ducks were swimming in them the next spring before I filled them in. So bigger will get the job done if necessary but learn to rely on friends or relatives, and don’t burn your bridges with neighbors having lots of big tractors - you never know.

Don't disagree, but depending on conditions a "smaller" tractor can help free a larger one (within limits) just has to be on different soil conditions with a driver for each. For example a large tractor stuck in sand and smaller tractor on sod ...which I've seen; a 2WD tractor with a loader tires stuck in fine sand that was unstuck with the assistance of a Farmall 300 which was the smaller of the two tractors).

Sometimes all it takes is that little bit extra ....and a person doesn't always know where it's going to come from so I fully second that burning bridges is a bad idea.

Cougsfan · Apr 7, 2020

I will admit there some instances where I wish my tractor was smaller too. Mainly when cleaning out the horse's stall. My tractor is just too darn big to maneuver around in those tight places . So the only answer is to have 2, or 3, or maybe even 4 different sized tractors, and a skid steer, and a bulldozer, and an excavator and a ...........

BrokenTrack · Apr 7, 2020

My Kubota 2500 pulled out an John Deere 850 bulldozer one time! :cool2:

BrokenTrack · Apr 7, 2020

I am just teasing. Unlike CBS News and their recent Covid 19 Scandal, in full disclosure, I will say that while this is a real photo taken on my farm, of my wife Katie and I, BUT the photo was staged. We happened to be clearing land, and were using the bulldozer and mud for her "Trash the Dress" photo shoot, so she pretended to pull me out of the mud with the Kubota.

For those who do not know what a Trash the Dress photo shoot is, it is where the wife takes her wedding dress for one last photo session, but utterly destroys it bywearing it in an old warehouse, or on a beach, or in deep mud instead of letting it get moth eaten, and yellowed in her closet.

rScotty · Apr 7, 2020

Thanks for the disclosure. hI gotta say that I wondered just what was going on when I first saw the picture. But it made me laugh. Never heard of a "trash the dress" event, although it makes a strange sort of sense I guess.

Things are kinda crazy busy out here as many mountain communities get ready for the Covid Virus arrival and inevitable spike. For us, the virus arrived with the tourists & ski season. We don't watch much TV, so we probably missed the CBS news and whatever Covid 19 Scandal that has happened in Maine.
I guess that times like these lead to all sorts of scams, scandals, and events.

In spite of being rural, we've already lost a couple of friends. What a tragedy.
rScotty

chim · Apr 7, 2020

BrokenTrack said:
...................the photo was staged. We happened to be clearing land, and were using the bulldozer and mud for her "Trash the Dress" photo shoot, so she pretended to pull me out of the mud with the Kubota................................

When I saw that photo my first thought was that you two were a bit overdressed for field work

Gary Fowler · Apr 7, 2020

It is good to have big and little. I do most of my work with the little Kubota. But when it comes to moving, pulling, dragging, etc. it is the LS that goes to work.

Gary Fowler · Apr 7, 2020

MHarryE said:
CUTs aren’t great pullers, especially with R4 tires. Many YouTube videos of 4wd pickups dragging CUTs with CUT tires spinning trying to get a bite. And larger tractors need larger yet tractors. Two years ago here the rain never seemed to end but in short dry times we tried to get tillage done. My BIL with his 4wd Case (actually 8wd because of duals) had to pull me out 3 times (175 HP but MFWD with extra wide tires) and I had to pull him out once. The ruts he left when he got stuck - ducks were swimming in them the next spring before I filled them in. So bigger will get the job done if necessary but learn to rely on friends or relatives, and don’t burn your bridges with neighbors having lots of big tractors - you never know.

I recently took off the backhoe from my B26 and hooked up a landscape rake and then a small back blade. I was really surprised at the lack of traction (tires not loaded per OEM requirements for backhoe use) that I had. With the backhoe on, I can move a lot of weight, without it, not so much.

My point is that if the CUT is properly weighted for traction, they will do a lot more than just the tractor with perhaps some tire ballast. Our old 2 WD Ag tractor (Ford 9000) had water in all tires, including the front, plus full complement of front weights (approx. 800 lb) plus about 1000#per each rear wheel and dual rear tires for traction. Even with all that front weight, it had the traction to lift the front wheels off the ground when I pulled a big enough load.

We never got it stuck and I am glad. I dont think we had anything that could have pulled it out as the other tractor was a 90HP without duals.