re; Wide front ends

Schwartz heavy-duty wide front (much better than IH in my opinion):

By the time the front bolster of the tractor comes in contact with the axle tube, the tractor is already "over center" and it's too late. Both tires on the high side are already off the ground, and you either better be seat-belted in under a ROPS, or high-tailing it off the seat toward the nearest exit.

The real advantages to wide fronts are the ILLUSION that they're safer, but really, they ride much better because having the tires far apart reduces the likelihood that they both hit the same bump at the same time. Wide fronts are also easier to drive because you can see the tires and which way they are pointing without having to practically get off the tractor and look.

I hogged my steepest field yesterday with my 48'JDA NF. This is the same tractor that has been used on this same land for lo these many years with nary a problem.. I grew up on a Farmall M NF on the hill farms of our region. Most of the farmers around here had NF's and I honestly can't remember hearing of a tipover with a NF. (Seems to be more problems with tractors trying to bring too much wagon weight down hills.) A NF is no more prone to tipping over than a WF EXCEPT if used unwisely with a loader. This NF tipover myth is simply a matter of using common sense.

You are being like me.....bull-headed. :>)

Click the link.

Allan

• Killer Combination

Ever try to thread one of those trikes down a 22" row crop, stradle an irrigation ditch or windrowed hay/grain for that matter?

I could never understand how they could even sell those trikes, but guess different parts of the country have different needs. :>)

Allan

I even had a neighbor, while he was at the local sawmill getting some lumber, overheard the mill owner and others braging about their great crop of potatoes. Next day he phoned the mill, asked the mill owner if he had any construction grade 4"x12"x12' lumber as he had broke the 2x12 he bought the day before. "What were you using it for", the mill owner asked. "Oh" said my neighbor, "I was just rolling one of my potatoes onto the cart."

Now, the old gentleman was known to tell a few tall tales. I knew him personally, yet he claimed he fought in the war of 1812. Got hit in the stomach by a cannon ball that drove him 14 miles, knocked the wind out of him, or so he claimed. He once encountered a wind that blew the horse mower across the field. It had been left in gear with cutter bar down, and it mowed a swath as it went. He was a well travelled man and claimed in Nebraska he cooked in a work camp, took a barrel of flour to thicken the gravey. I expect that was in the days when you pulled those sugar beets by hand.

He shiped my new Swartz in here for $813 including freight. They turn way shorter than the original wide fronts.

Allan

I agree narrow or wide isnt going to make a huge diff with the way the pivot point is.

Tractors that come with wide factory dont allow so much movement in the front till it bottoms out. Liek our 2500 which came with a stock front end loader and back hoe. Its got two stabaliser bars too (like off road trucks).

You COULD make a better wide. One with power steering is a little more work but not much really. Ive welded my own small compatc tractor from scratch so I do know what it takes to make a front tube axle (not much at all LOL).

First you need to make stoppers, Id use solid steel plates, and set them to hit well before tip over angle. You can usually judge it well by eye. Thing to remember is your better off with one front wheel off ground then it pivoting front axle too far and tipping tractor. Which is what that wide front appears to do!

Or just buy one cheap used on ebay and add stopper plates to hit frame. 30 minute job tops-spark up the arc welder and cutter/grinder.

The other cheap way is one trip to a junk yard, and find a good 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck doner. Take one with solid front axle (tube style) and your half way there already. Anyone interested in this let me know. I even have DIY tractor plans bookmarked built entirely of truck parts. Working on a second now as I get time, using a 1966 FORD 4 ton dump truck. She shoudl pull good!