What is the lowest CG / Widest Stance Tractor?

[flusher]

We have hills, and I need to mow them. The other day I rented a Kubota 2100 from the local shop. It was set up narrow, and felt very, very tippy. Drove the 4x4 p/u across the same area, and felt very stable and secure.

So, in our area I have Deere, Kubota, TYM and maybe Kioti / Branson. I need / want HST, and am holding it to 35hp.

When I got through the specs I cannot get an idea of how wide I can get these tractors. Oh, I will probably be getting AG tires. At the moment TYM is in my favorite category.

I have read the article on CG that was posted a few weeks ago, so I am wondering if anyone has researched CG Height and width or if someone can help me muddle through the specs which seem oriented toward narrowest and not widest stance.

Hope this makes sense.

Thanks to all

Carl

Here's the 1966 MF-135 orchard tractor (45 hp diesel) that I bought last July. It has extra wide, high flotation rears that measure 82" between the outer tire walls. The rear axle centerline is 20-1/2" above ground level. That's an aspect ratio of 4.0.

By comparison, my little 21-hp Kubota B7510HST has aspect ratio of 3 (48" between rear tire outer walls, rear axle centerline 16" above ground level).

The Bota can be a little tippy at times especially when its LA302 FEL is in use.

 

[IslandTractor]

There is a strength issue for the rear axles. ..... While you say you don't want to put much load on the 3PH so there shouldn't be a problem for you, are you going to really actually take the extra wheels and tires off every time you encounter a HD job? .... If you want a dual rear wheel tractor, buy one engineered for it. _______________________Pat

Fair point. However it still seems like there should be a way to have some anti tip rig by using dual wheels in such a way that it doesn't stress the axle (except when it is preventing you from tipping over in which case it is a fair trade in my book). How about the outside wheel being slightly smaller diameter or slightly less air pressure so the inner wheel carries the load normally but the other wheel is there to catch you when the tractor tips? I agree there are all sorts of practical issues with such an approach and it would only be useful for someone who really had a risky or uneven slope to mow regularly.

 

[Slamfire]

You see a lot of duals on ag tractors, but I've never seen it on a CUT. I'm curious too if anyone knows why or if it can be done.

After rolling my Mitsubishi, I did just that! Bought a set of wheels and tires from a dismanteler. Got some 8" pipe, and welded flanges on that fit the wheel lug pattern, and drilled holes to match. I set them far enough apart that I could get into the space between to air the inners. I run 12 psi in the inner set and 8 psi in the outers. 300 hours later there are no signs of bearing stress. I learned the differential pressure trick from a Dolphin micro motohome on a Toyota chassis. Their dual wheels bolted to one another. We owned that vehicle for 10 years using 4 round trips between the west and east coasts, and 5 round trips between Southern California and Northern Washington. Then they decided to replace that arrangement with a genuine floating rear axle, with real duals. It works for me, and keeps the pucker factor within limits.

 

[MossRoad]

The Power Trac company has many models to choose from. They go clear up to 45 degree slope mowers. There should be something in there to suit your needs. Worth a look.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Wow, now the powertrack looks very, very interesting. I think I would fill my shorts at 45 degrees going across... Now, the question is how do I get the wife to sign off on two tractors (have to have a CUT with loader, and then the 45 degree mower)...

 

[IslandTractor]

The slope mowers from PowerTrac are the real thing but they are not sized for individual use. Those babies are meant for serious roadside maintenance and are fairly big diesels and quite costly. The smaller PowerTracs are still much more stable than your average CUT and a few of the PT owners have made them even more stable by reversing the wheels to increase the footprint by a foot or more. Check out the PT forum and ask a question or two there.

 

[HomeBrew2]

There is a website on the net where a guy put dualies on a B2100. Funniest thing ever... I think he is a regular here...

Here's Milkman's dually setup.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

We have hills, and I need to mow them.

Carl, you need the right tool for the job. Any rigid frame tractor is going to be a problem. There are 3 commonly available tractors in the USA that have articulated frames. At least 2 articulate and oscillate.

Take a look at Steiner Tractors, Ventrac Tractors and Power Trac tractors. There are a couple other brands that are designed for slope work but finding them is harder than finding these.

I have some steep spots that scare the bejezus out of me, and won't take my regular tractors there. I used to mow them with a Cub Cadet that had wheel weights and tire chains to hold it down. It was still scary and I think I have some serious long term pucker issues that are now just being recognized by the Centers for Disease Control. I tried all 3 of the above brands and bought a Ventrac.

The Ventrac will spin circles around the little Cub, or the New Holland and Kubota that I also use. I can make "U-Turns" and "Figure 8's" on the slopes that would easily roll over the NH or Kubota and that I could only run straight up and down on the Cub.

 

[MossRoad]

Wow, now the powertrack looks very, very interesting. I think I would fill my shorts at 45 degrees going across... Now, the question is how do I get the wife to sign off on two tractors (have to have a CUT with loader, and then the 45 degree mower)...

All Power Tracs come with FEL arms standard. There is a quick attach plate on the end of the FEL arms, as well as hydraulic PTO connections. The mower deck is attached at the FEL arms. You can pop off the mower deck and pop on a bucket in about 45 seconds. Or any other attachment, for that matter.
That being said, you should discuss mowing with them with actual owners of the models you would be interested in. There is a reported problem with mowing chaff plugging some of the coolers that needs to be addressed on the large diesel models. It may or may not be a problem, depending on the type of grass you will be mowing, the moisture content, etc...

They are worth a look for anyone that needs to mow hills and do FEL work. The prices are competitive if you add up all the attachment prices compared to a standard tractor.

 

[1bush2hog]

Now, the question is how do I get the wife to sign off on two tractors (have to have a CUT with loader, and then the 45 degree mower)...


How much actual slope mowing do you have to do?

If you are thinking about using that loader on the slopes too, be careful. As soon as you raise the FEL on a slope you will change the CG on any machine