Re: Narrow or Wide Front - what's your preference ???

Posted by The Dukester on September 21, 2001 at 18:26:06 from (216.93.119.163):

In Reply to: Narrow or Wide Front - what's your preference ??? posted by Just Wondering on September 18, 2001 at 14:57:01:

Well, I've had and used both types and spent a lot of hours on my uncle's W-6 Standard or wheatland style too.
For one tractor type farming like it was for a lot of family farms you couldn't beat a row crop or tricycle type because of their versatility and all the implements that were designed for them. With a Farmall H or M, a John Deere A or B or G, an Allis WC or WD, A Oliver 70, 77 or 88, or a Case SC or DC, you could do a complete job of farming with implements designed for the tractor. Wide front versions were available but few were sold here in the midwest.
I've never cultivated with a wide front row crop, but it's hard for me to imagine what it would be like to handle a 4 row on my GW John Deere. I know one could be mounted on it--that's why the front wheels are set out front so far.
I sure liked my old Super M and 4 row(after I got used to that steering and got a 4 spoke wheel).
But, plowing with the GW is a delight compared to the Super M and I can imagine disking would be easier too. When the field is fitted down like we used to do it, planting would be easier with the narrow front I guess.
Plowing and tillage work with the W-6 was okay, but it seemed to be harder to handle compared to row crop type tractors. We pulled the field chopper with it too, but it was work fighting that beast on the cornstalk stubble.
And at any job that tractor rode rougher than the row crops because of the narrower tread and shorter wheelbase. The later W-6's with bigger front tires were a lot easier to handle I heard.
The secret to tractor stability is rear wheel tread width more than anything else, wide front or narrow, and a wide front end won't save you if the rear wheels are narrowed up too far. And when the loader bucket is loaded and up to dumping height, any tractor is in a precarious situation on anything but smooth level ground at very slow speed going in a straight direction.
Sorry, I rambled on here, just trying to describe the situations and how it was with some tractors. There are certain advantages with each type and of course drawbacks too, it's just that the tractors were, and still are, dangerous in certain situations.
Old tractors are like old cars, they were a little crude, dangerous, and somestimes a handful to operate, but they all had a character of their own and operated safely they can still do a lot and be a lot of fun.

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