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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Tricycle tractors---good or bad?

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T.B.

11-24-2004 18:06:07




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I have a chance to buy a Ford 740 with a "tricycle" style front end. Is there any advantages or disadvantages to this type of tractor compared to the wider front end? Are they more collectible?




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CLW

11-25-2004 22:39:26




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
95% of the tractors I have used had tricycle front end. I found the front wheels would start to try and slide downhill long before the tractor would start to roll. (I never had the bad luck of one going over) There was a fellow about 6 mo. ago (when this topic came up then) said he saw a safety film where a wide and narrow front Farmall were ran along an increasing incline. Both tractors went over at the same spot. CLW

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Joe Styke

11-25-2004 16:45:03




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
If you do not purchase the tractor would you mind telling me where it is---i co;;ect ford tricylces.



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T.B.

11-25-2004 17:34:25




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to Joe Styke, 11-25-2004 16:45:03  
I will let you know if I do not buy it. It is out west. It has a Sherman Hi/Lo, power steering, and runs good for $2750.00. Sounds too good to pass up, is it?



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Sid

11-25-2004 09:25:00




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
The advantage or disadvantage depends on what you are going to do with it. I understand they are not very many of them.



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wdTom

11-25-2004 08:30:23




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
A narrow front is easier to manuver in a tight area. On rough ground though youhave to pick 3 tracks for the tractor, while on a wide front end you only have to pick two. A wide front will require a larger area to turn and manuver.A wide front end will ride better as each wheel going over a bump only raises the center of the axle half as much as the height of the bump. As for stability, I don't think when it gets right down to it there is much difference. A wide front pivots at one center point as the axle rotates going over rough ground. The only advantage in a wide front is as the tractor is tilted on a hill side the pivot point of the front end is higher, closer to the center of garvity, the narrow front end piviot is the ground so as the tractor is tilted on a hill side the center of gravity swings out farther from the contact of the front end (pivot point) with the ground. Just think of hanging a string from about the center of the radiator, as the tractor tilts the string will swing out remaining verticle and it will be closer to the pivot of the wide front end in the center of the axle than the contact (pivot) of the narrow front with the ground. A wide front end tractor still is supported on only 3 points is what I am pointing out here. If the wide front tractor starts to roll, the wide front axle may contact the frame and maybe prevent it from going, I would not want to count on this though, by the time this contact happens it is probably on it's way as the tractor would be on a pretty steep hillside or grade in the first place, then with the addition of the angle need for the front axle to contact the frame, I think it is going over at this point. I think it comes down to what you like, what you have, or what you can end up with. Unless there are reasons you have for one or the other.

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Hugh MacKay

11-25-2004 02:28:40




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
T.B.: Equip them right and any narrow front tractor can be as stable as wide front. Stability is all about lower center of graviety. Here is how you achive that; Big and high tractors can have just as low center of graviety as low ones if rear wheel tread is set wide enough. Secondly, ballast is very important, and keep that ballast low. Liquid in rear tires is number one then wheel weights.

To the guy with the MF 35, if your tractor is set on 60" wheel tread. I will take a 656 Farmall on 84" tread and proper ballast. I will follow you anywhere you want to go, and out manuver you at every turn. When we are all done I will then drive places you couldn't dream of taking the 35. All because I will have a lower center of graviety.

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Willy-N

11-25-2004 12:10:16




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to Hugh MacKay, 11-25-2004 02:28:40  
third party image

If your talking about my Massey 135 it is a Orchard. The 18.5 X 16 tires on the rear weigh about 700 lbs each filled. The Tractor is set up to be low to the ground having a clearance of around 12 inches so the weigh center line is real low. The front end has nearly 400 lbs of counter weight out front around 15 inches off the ground. So it is a pretty low slung tractor to tip. I can lock one rear wheel and pivot on the other one with the disk brakes or use the Differential Lock on the rear for added pulling power going straite. It tends to get around pretty good on the hills. Mark H.

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Hugh MacKay

11-25-2004 15:56:32




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to Willy-N, 11-25-2004 12:10:16  
Mark: It matters not what the tractor is, with proper rear wheel tread and ballast they can all be made safe. The big tractors will have the advantage everytime as they can handle more ballast, and can be adjusted to wider wheel tread. I have operated such big tractors on terrain where they would slide down hill sideways. Upset was not even a factor to worry about. Those tractors were on tires about 3' wide and were over 12' wide overall.

Tractor ballast and adjustable wheel tread were created so you could equip your tractor for the conditions you must work under.

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Sid

11-25-2004 09:37:00




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to Hugh MacKay, 11-25-2004 02:28:40  
I think you are right but take a MF like his put a narrow front end on it and try do do the same things he does. I do not think it will happen. You are comparing apples to oranges aren"t you? I think that we compare a narrow front end to a wide front end we need to compare them on the same model of tractor don"t we? I would pick your tractor any day for my operation. Not nessecarialy because it is a narrow front end but because of the difference in the tractors overall.

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Hugh MacKay

11-25-2004 16:06:05




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to Sid, 11-25-2004 09:37:00  
Sid: Re read what I said. I did not say the Farmall 656 was a narrow front tractor. My point is this, it matters not whether the tractor is utility, rowcrop nf, rowcrop wf, 4x4 or a big articulated. With proper wheel tread and ballast they all can be made safe.



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Sid

11-25-2004 19:11:26




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to Hugh MacKay, 11-25-2004 16:06:05  
Guess I hang around Allis"s too much I thought the 656 was a row crop tractor must have my numbers mixed up.



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Hugh MacKay

11-26-2004 00:15:16




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to Sid, 11-25-2004 19:11:26  
Sid: Sure the 656 is a row crop tractor, and when new was available in either narrow or wide front. My point really matters very little what make or model the tractor is, liquid in tires and solid weights were placed on tractor for reasons other than traction. Any tractor loaded with calcium chloride is much more stable on side hills, and other rough country, than a tractor with just air in tires.

I guess the real point here, is any large row crop can be made more stable than smaller utilities, as you can set rear wheels much wider, plus you can add more weight to them.

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Roy in UK

11-24-2004 23:26:17




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
Slightly OT but it reminded me of something.
There used to be a self propelled sprayer with a "tricycle" type wheel arrangement on the market here in UK.( I think it was called the spray- coupe) It caused one wag to remark when he saw it on display at an agricultural fair to remark "Oh I see it is set up for Irish tramlines!" Suffice to say it did not sell well in the UK.
Er.. do they use "tramlines" in N America for spraying and fertiliser spreading?

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paul

11-25-2004 00:06:47




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to Roy in UK, 11-24-2004 23:26:17  
Nope - well, it's in an experimental stage in some areas, but generally no tramlines. At least not how I understand it. You leave fairly permanent tracks/ trails in the field?

Some of use use skip-rows for beans - I plant with a 15 row bean planter, 15inces between the rows. The 2 rows behind the wheels are 30 inch spacing. But most have not just gone to solid seeding, and drive on a row if/ when they spray.

Spray Coupe is still a sprayer manufaturer. They make 4 wheel buggies now.

My neighbor had one of those old trycicle high-boy 3 wheel sprayers. Only the front wheel was powered. It was quite a sight! They were built to go through standing corn, for those who haven't seen one.


As to narrow front, heck a 700 series Ford is a rare thing 'here', but they were more standard with narrow than wide front. Wide was an option on them.

Narrow is good for real tight turns, mounted corn pickers, less hassle setting wheel spacing for row crop work, many older loaders, front mount cultivators, and so on can't clear wide front wheels.

The down side is they will ball up in sticky mud, the machine is just a tiny bit more tipsy, there is a lot of weight on one spot for mud or ruts - and with the wheels not in a row it will get stuck a bit easier, and the ride is a lot rougher in plowed ground.

I kept the narrow front Ollie s77 because the narrow front makes it _so_ manuverable for backing wagons, etc.

--->Paul

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kyhayman

11-25-2004 18:59:55




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to paul, 11-25-2004 00:06:47  
Must be a thousand of the Hahn Hi-Boys here in this county alone. Used to spray tobacco. Probably be selling cheap now with the buyout.

Seeing you mention them brings back memories. Most of us here have rolled them multiple times, I hated a highboy, but I hated hand spraying tobacco worse.



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Roy in UK

11-25-2004 05:31:44




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to paul, 11-25-2004 00:06:47  
Yep thats about the size of it."Precision farming" Say your sprayer and fert. spreader work at 12m widths.(by definition they have got to both cover the same width) You have say a 4m seed drill. Pass number 1 all coulters are sowing. Pass 2 all coulters are sowing apart from 2 behind each of the tractor rear wheels. Pass 3 all coulters are sowing again, and so on. That leaves 2 unsown tracks in the middle of each 12 metre width for the sprayer/fert. spreader tractor to follow. Towards harvest the crops do tend tiller out and fill the tramlines in so no space is wasted. It is the norm over here and throughout Europe. As farms and fields get bigger 18, 24 and 36 metre tramlines are becoming common.

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RickL

11-24-2004 20:18:50




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
They are just less stable,buy if you use common sense they are fine. They due ballup in mud thou,I always just reversed the front wheels and that ususally solved that problem unless really soft mud. Loaders on them is where you just need to be more careful. Otherwise they are same as with wide front far as ride,seating etc.



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RickL

11-24-2004 20:14:08




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
They are just less stable,buy if you use common sense they are fine. They due ballup in mud thou,I always just reversed the front wheels and that ususally solved that problem unless really soft mud. Loaders on them is where you just need to be more careful. Otherwise they are same as with wide front far as ride,seating etc.



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Willy-N

11-24-2004 18:50:06




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
I have only drove one Tricyle and it was a 1951 JD M tractor. I liked the way it turned but in soft ground it would plow the front wheel if you made a sharp turn. I also did not like being being up so high in the seat and the tip feeling you get. I can swing my Massey 135 Orchard in a full brodey on snow and not even blink a eye of worry. It would take some getting used to opperating one for me. Mark H.

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New-Gen

11-25-2004 14:40:32




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to Willy-N, 11-24-2004 18:50:06  
About the scariest narrow front tractor I ever drove was an IH 806 w/18.4X38 tires set in on 30" rows and NO FENDERS!!
Definatly a good argument for utility style tractors where feasible to use them!



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old

11-24-2004 18:38:05




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
For some things they are great, brushhoging they can be very good but for baleing hay they don't do well



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Leroy

11-24-2004 19:05:41




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to old, 11-24-2004 18:38:05  
For any standard square baler they are better for



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Red Dave

11-24-2004 18:12:22




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 Re: Tricycle tractors---good or bad? in reply to T.B., 11-24-2004 18:06:07  
Tricycle front end is more maneuverable, handier with mounted cultivators & a smaller turning radius, downside is somewhat less stability on inclines.



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