Wheel spacers or weights for slopes?

motownbrowne · Sep 28, 2014

In the ad, it says it was used as a spray rig. Doesn't really seem necessary, though. I mean, you see lots of spray rigs that don't look like that.

TomSeller · Sep 28, 2014

I have a turf special low rider Massey that I got from the local golf course. 96" wide outside to outside. That low rider ain't tipping over.

number9L · Sep 29, 2014

TomSeller said:
I have a turf special low rider Massey that I got from the local golf course. 96" wide outside to outside. That low rider ain't tipping over.

Dang! Now that's what I need....with AG's and a ROPS.

MF 35 Turf Special - Massey Harris & Massey Ferguson Forum - Yesterday's Tractors

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Brown Dog · Sep 29, 2014

number9L said:
Gary, I do have the tires filled (all 4) and currently have 3" rear wheel spacers.
I don't have any problem going up & down the slopes as far as the tractors ability, BUT when I do, the tires pull the grass lose from the ground or just tear it out if they spin and that leads to erosion and ruts. Mowing side slope doesn't result in that, which is why I prefer to mow that way.

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I went to a 110" RFM (less swaths) & mow "up & down" my steep hills in 4wd.
My JD 4720 4WD has fluid in all 4 R3 Turf tires with 250lbs of suitcase weights up front.
The Wide turf tires has amazing traction & does not tear up the ground like my 4700 with R4 tires.

My hills are very steep & I CAN'T mow if wet or even damp.

I mow all of my steep hills & banks in 4WD

2wd tractors are useless for my application.

As mentioned: you want weight below the axle IMHO

skyhook · Sep 29, 2014

Here's the one you need, this will not tip over easily,
notice the weight is all at ground level.

Gary Fowler · Sep 29, 2014

I am just waiting to hear how it works with the additional wheel spacers and wheel weights. I mowed some pretty steep pond banks on our larger pond with my Yanmar before we added a bunch of dirt to decrease the slopes. I still mow a section on my mini-pond with my zero turn going both up and down and sideways. Some of it is at least 45 degrees (up and down only on this) then decreasing a bit to less than 30 degrees (sideways) as I move around the perimeter .

JerryG · Sep 29, 2014

Sorry if this may seem like a dumb question but is the mower dragging on the ground? I ask that because I have mowed lots of areas without problems that were much steeper than you have and I never have had as much weight or as wide of wheels as you do. Just trying to figure out the issue.

number9L · Oct 2, 2014

Dealer called and said wheel weights are in. Hope to get over there and picked them up Saturday or Monday. I'll post some pics as I've read several threads where guys were looking for a pic of the Kubota weights mounted on a wheel.

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number9L · Oct 2, 2014

Dealer called and said wheel weights are in. Hope to get over there and picked them up Saturday or Monday. I'll post some pics as I've read several threads where guys were looking for a pic of the Kubota weights mounted on a wheel.

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SPYDERLK · Oct 2, 2014

JerryG said:
Sorry if this may seem like a dumb question but is the mower dragging on the ground? I ask that because I have mowed lots of areas without problems that were much steeper than you have and I never have had as much weight or as wide of wheels as you do. Just trying to figure out the issue.

He is mowing with a finish mower. Virtually all its weight rests on the ground directly - Not adding traction weight to the tractor. ... He also is using a QH, setting the mower ~4" further back increasing its leverage to affect the tractor on a side slope. This came out a while back in the thread.

Brown Dog · Oct 2, 2014

I'm no fan of quick attachment for that reason.
Mowers & bush hogs are too far behind tractor causing excessive tail swing when turning around trees & fences.

number9L · Oct 6, 2014

I picked the wheel weights up today. The spacers should be here soon I hope. Id really like to try the weights alone, then the addition width spacers alone and then both together to see the benefit each adds on their own, but that's a lot of extra work when I LAN to run both anyway. Still, I may do it because if not I'll always wonder which had the most added benefit. Either way, I'll post some pics and impressions along the way.

At the dealer today they had several tractors like mine with AG's set in from factory and DANG they looked narrow as heck.

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number9L · Oct 6, 2014

I picked the wheel weights up today. The spacers should be here soon I hope. Id really like to try the weights alone, then the addition width spacers alone and then both together to see the benefit each adds on their own, but that's a lot of extra work when I LAN to run both anyway. Still, I may do it because if not I'll always wonder which had the most added benefit. Either way, I'll post some pics and impressions along the way.

At the dealer today they had several tractors like mine with AG's set in from factory and DANG they looked narrow as heck.

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bigdeano · Oct 6, 2014

I don't know how you will know how effective any of this is unless you actually tip it over. Seems like it's a guessing game unless you do some tipping tests. Sorry, that's my engineering training.

RaydaKub · Oct 6, 2014

number9L said:
I'd really like to try the weights alone, then the addition width spacers alone and then both together to see the benefit each adds on their own, but that's a lot of extra work when I LAN to run both anyway. Still, I may do it because if not I'll always wonder which had the most added benefit.
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Not sure either one will be all that helpful. The cumulative effect is not additive, but the spacers will cause the weights' effect to be multiplied.

vtsnowedin · Oct 7, 2014

bigdeano said:
I don't know how you will know how effective any of this is unless you actually tip it over. Seems like it's a guessing game unless you do some tipping tests. Sorry, that's my engineering training.

You can do it mathematically. figure a triangle with it's point at the outside edge of the rear tire and the verticle side running up through the drawbar to the center of gravity of the tractor. If that happened to be three feet wide and three feet high the angle of the triangle would be 45 degrees and the tractors tipping point would be 45 degrees. Move the tire out four inches with the spacers and lower the center of gravity six inches by adding weight and the tractors angle becomes 37 degrees and its tipping angle becomes 53 degrees.

Blade Breaker · Oct 7, 2014

The secret ingredient is the center of gravity. How do you find that? I am guessing on my machine it is 12-14 inches above axle center line??

Brown Dog · Oct 7, 2014

Lets jus let the OP try his weights & spacers first, w/o all this hi tech engineering tactics LOL

I'm jus kiddin

vtsnowedin · Oct 7, 2014

Blade Breaker said:
The secret ingredient is the center of gravity. How do you find that? I am guessing on my machine it is 12-14 inches above axle center line??

It varies with the weight you have on the 3PH and or in the loader bucket and how high the loads are. On a bare tractor it usually is under your feet and a few inches down from the top of the transmission housing.
The math just compares things with just the one or two variables. My Technicians training kicking in rather then an Engineers building a scale model.

N
Here is something on the subject.
http://agsafety.tamu.edu/files/2011/06/SAFE-TRACTOR-OPERATION-ROLLOVER1.pdf