Your best additions to your tractor

txdon · May 25, 2004

rdbrumfield, could we get a closeup of the winch mounted in the loader! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

jinman · May 25, 2004

( here is one reason that the winch is so handy. )

HOLY SMOKE! You can go straight up a 90° hill and carry a tree too? ...just by adding a winch? I gotta get me one of those. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Nice picture rotation.

rdbrumfield · May 26, 2004

here you go, not a real good pic, but you get the idea

Cliff_Johns · May 26, 2004

My favorite addition?
Well, I was bothered by how hard it is to get my Quick Hitch hooked up after I took off my backhoe and connected the 3pt arms. To solve this problem I bought another Quick Hitch. Now, after I've hooked up the new quick hitch, I can just back up to the quick hitch and wha-la, I'm connected! Very Cool.

Cliff

Actually, I've mostly only used the backhoe. I worried the decision to pay the money for a BH all over the place and now, it's the lonly thing I've really used.

RandyBX · May 29, 2004

I mowed some yesterday with the Sun Shade on, and it is quickly becoming a favorite addition to the BX2230. I would have to go with the FEL as #1 and Rear blade as#2.

California · May 29, 2004

Ballast. I don't care if I wear out the tractor, my safety is more important.

My environment has side slopes so I tried to ballast as low as possible. The scraper box adds 450 lbs near the ground plus the tires are ballasted with water to 3 inches below the top of the rim (225 lbs per side) to make their weight as low as possible.

I found it rock-steady when I stopped here and tried pushing and rocking to see if carrying this punky tree, maybe 250 lbs, might get spooky. No problem.

Adequate ballast made the biggest improvement to my enjoyment of this tractor. It enhances peace of mind - priceless!

MossRoad · May 30, 2004

funny how all of us with a FEL just take it for granted that it's part of our tractor? 

Mine is. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

(But I had to buy a bucket)

stephan · May 30, 2004

( I don't care if I wear out the tractor, my safety is more important. )

So where is the ROPS and the seat belt?

California · May 30, 2004

( ROPS and the seat belt? )

A ROPS would continually tear off limbs. The orchard is trained by pruning to grow outward so overhead space in the mature parts is 5 ft or less. I often have to guide branches by hand to get them over the hydraulic hoses at the loader controls.

I do think I will trade down to a tinier tractor, a YM1400D or similar, after completing some major projects - driveway realignment etc. That might allow a ROPS without excess height.

My neighbor is a third-generation grower and recommended massive ballast as the only practical way to set up a tractor for low-clearance orchard operation. He said they have had only one incident in three generations, when a trailer ramp collapsed with no injury beyond a badly spooked operator.

I continually get down and size up the situation like in that previous photo. And use low crawl gear at idle where there is noticeable slope, to allow plenty of time to see what the wheels will be going over. I also have to stay slow most of the time to give time to think so I won't run my head into a limb. The overhead situation is the daily obstacle.

There are parts of this orchard in cultivation for 80 years where I won't go. In the previous photo I am clearing the entrance to a terrace that has big apple trees covered by blackberry jungle on the uphill and downhill side. That terrace and the next parallel one downhill were groomed 15-20 ft wide in grandfather's era, but I opened only a 5 ft wide lane hugging the uphill side to make access for blackberry picking. No way am I going to work near the edge without ROPS. I can't imagine how they cut those terraces in the first place.

The little Oliver in the photo is about 4 ft tall at the radiator, and the operator is continually lifting branches over his head as he moves slowly down the row.

stephan · May 30, 2004

I didn't realise you had tree issues. From the first photo I would recommend a folding ROPS but you can also get some pretty low centre of gravity european tractors.

Anyhow, the best addition to my tractor, not that there have been many, are small rings welded to the rims around the valve stem to stop the stems being ripped off (been there done that). Simple idea been around for years and it works a treat.