3x20 Cab max side slope with spacers..

dkhntr04 · Aug 5, 2012

A cabbed 3520 is one of the machines I am considering for my next tractor purchase. The thought of a cab and heat for snow removal at -20F is very enticing. However, I live in a flood-prone area and have a raised driveway and a ring dike around my property that I mow and maintain with my tractor. I am concerned that the more top-heavy cabbed machines will not be stable enough to handle the slopes. The steepest side slope I have to operate on is about 27 degrees, and the majority run in the 20-25 degree range. The worst slope on the property is a touch over 30, but I hope to add some fill to that area this fall to level things out a bit.

My current tractor sits at 66" wide in the rear and handles the slopes like a champ, even the 30 degree one. If I was to go with a 3520 cab I would go with the 15-19.5 R4's and Unverferth 6" spacers to punch the tires out to around the 70-72" wide range for stability. My gut says that the tractor will still be too unstable even with the spacers. Is anyone running R4's with 4-6" spacers on slopes similar to this, and how does the machine handle it? Thanks.

DP Property · Aug 5, 2012

No spacers just the rear tires flipped and I am getting used to feeling of the tractor to know when I am really in trouble or my body is sensing I am in trouble when I am not at first I thought the tractor was really tippy but now that I am more used to it seems fairly stable however I think you will cut those slopes very slowly and only straight up or straight down any kind of an angle and you wont like the feeling!

jenkinsph · Aug 6, 2012

I think you may be better off with a cabbed 4x20 machine, wider to start with at about 72" with R4 tires. Might want to add spacers to that too. The 17.5 24 R4 tires will hold more ballast too. Think the cabs are the same for the 3520 and 4x20 so proportionally more weight on the larger frame tractor is less tippy. I live in the mountains in a ski resort town and would also point out the R4 tires are lousy for traction in the snow without chains. So if using these tires spacers would be a plus to provide you with clearance anyway.

Be careful that is some steep slopes to operate on.

greg_g · Aug 6, 2012

I agree with Steve. If you can swing it, move up to the 4x20 series. I wanted to, but the cab height made it impossible to fit in my shed and through my barn doors. So I got a 3720, and it's tippy as ****. I've filled the R4s with RimGuard and added 4" MotoSport aluminum spacers (a lot cheaper and lighter than Unverferth). That added nearly half a ton of tire ballast and extended the rear track out to 68". Whereas that $750 aftermarket investment helped quite a bit, I still felt safer on the two open station tractors I had previously.

//greg//

Dan Hunter · Aug 6, 2012

I have a set of unused motorsport tech spacers. I've cleaned 'em up (had a lot of milling material on them when delivered) but they're in a box with the hardware and would fit a 3X20. They're getting $505 plus shipping on ebay. I'll sell them for $350 including shipping.

Lebneh · Aug 6, 2012

You're definitely going to want the spacers if you go with a cab on a 3x20!

Martian · Aug 6, 2012

I think with ballasting and spacers you should be OKAY if you go very slow. I find that I can take stuff slow and not feel any tippyness and take that same thing quick and feel like you just escaped death.

I do agree the ideal set-up would be the 4x20 sized machine or similar.

DP Property · Aug 6, 2012

HI Greg are you just using spacers on the rear wheels or on all four also I was not aware there were motosport spacers?

dkhntr04 · Aug 6, 2012

Thanks for the input so far. I appreciate it.. I'd love to move up to the 4x20 series, but the tractor I buy will be my primary lawn mower and I think a 4 series would be too heavy and large for that application, plus the 3x20 cab is already stretching what I can justify spending.

greg_g · Aug 7, 2012

DP Property said:
HI Greg are you just using spacers on the rear wheels or on all four also I was not aware there were motosport spacers?

Rears only. The extra weight of my 4-in-1 bucket and the fact that I use it to pick up whole trees has me a little hesitant to spread the fronts wider than simply reversing the rims. MotoSport spacers (for Kubota) here.

//greg//