/ Edit: clearing virgin land with BCS 1 and BCS for brush clearing and trail building
#21
OP
Big wheels are better
Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2025
- Messages
- 29
- Tractor
- Craftsman 2 GT6000
Thanks. I think that I read all the relevant threads in the 2 wheel tractor forum.Hi again Big wheels are better
Welcome to the 2-wheel Tractors forum!
Around 13 years ago I was where you are now, I guess, with no experience in 2-wheel tractors, but the urge to get the most out of my then new BCS 740. I also quickly discovered this great forum, and you have come to the right place, as a lot of more experienced members are happy to share their hard learned lessons with you
I hope that you will have a lot of fun with your BCS 735 once you get it fixed, but I honestly think that you are right in assuming, that you are expecting to much of your tractor, having read your original post a few times
I like the fact that you are considering a lot of different options and solutions to your problems, and I guess many of us did the same when we were new to this topic. Over the years I have noticed though, that many subjects appear again and again in this forum, with a few years interval. Rarely problems are completely new, but other members have had similar ones as well at some point, like in this case. I can highly recommend that you go through most of the older threads, as there is a lot of good information to be found there, that is still valid today.
I fully agree with 2manyrocks in post #2! If the initial clearing and building of your trails is done by professionals with heavy equipment, you might be able to maintain it afterwards with your BCS and a flail mower. Remember though, that a flail mower is called a „mower“ for a reason - it does not like „rock-mowing“ very much, although a Berta will take quite some punishment without complaining
Again, I also agree fully with jeepcoma in post #5! I have set the cutting height on my flail mower at 2’’, and that works just fine. That cutting height leaves a clean and nice surface, and you avoid „mowing“ into the ground too often
A very important topic that jeepcoma does also mention, is traction - or the lack thereof!
Modern 2-wheel tractors are very powerful in relation to their weight, compared to models produced and used a century or so ago. Often these early 2-wheel tractors were called „general-purpose tractors“, „garden tractors“ or „cultivators“, and they often replaced a single horse on a small farm, and introduced mechanized farming on the smallest holdings. The 2-wheel tractor was merely a mechanized horse, primarily used for drawbar work, and perhaps a bit of belt work. For drawbar work traction is of course very important, and traction is closely related to the weight on the driving wheels, and the size of these wheels.
Actual test data for 2-wheel tractors are hard to find, but in 1920, which was the first year of the Nebraska Tractor Tests, an Allis-Chalmers 6-12 was tested in test No. 54. This tractor had a 12 hp engine, produced a pull of 1,046 pound, and weighed 2,500 pounds.
Comparing that to my BCS 740, also having around 12 hp, but only weighing around 250 lbs, I might expect only about 10% of that drawbar pull, or about 100 lbs, which, I think couldn’t knock the skin off a rice pudding
An 8 hp 2-wheel tractor from the early 1960s, like the Holder E8, weighing around 600 lbs and having 16’’ rims, could pull a plow, as seen in this video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y6EsPc9Uzk
Your BCS 735 also has 8 hp, but it weigh only around 150 lbs I think, and has 10’’ rims. With only ¼ of the weight of the Holder E8 on the wheels, and small 10’’ rims, I also can’t see how pulling a ripper, or pushing a blade should work. - Physics is simply not on your side, sorry
Where modern light-weight, powerful 2-wheel tractors really shine, is working with PTO-powered implements. With most other implements, chances are that you will run out of traction long before you run out of power! I have found, that only really power-hungry implements like my flail mower and drum mower, are able to take full advantage of my 12 hp engine.
I don’t want to sound negative, but I think that you are expecting too much of a 2-wheel tractor with this kind of job in mind. On top of that, you will also have a hard time yourself, operating a 2-wheel tractor in this kind of terrain. Working with a 2-wheel tractor on level and even ground is no big deal, and this is what you will see in most sales videos. Working in rough, uneven and rocky terrain though, is not only tough on the tractor, it will be tough on you too! When the going gets tough, these tractors seem to develop their own mind, and chances are that your tractor has other plans for where to go than you do, and you might struggle to stay on top and be in command. I’m modelyear 1958, and like to think that I’m in pretty good shape for my age, but after 3-3½ hour hard work with the flail or drum mower, I’m done. If you are perhaps 30-40 years younger, big and strong, you might easily do more than that, but like jeepcoma rightly says: „I’d bet you hate every moment“
Best regards
Jens
Old Gravely and Simplicity tractors pop up pretty often within a few hour drive of me. I like the way many of them look and their wheels, but they focus on draw bar work, as you said. Every once in a while, one will have a rotary plow. I don’t have much use for pushing or pulling, other than carts and barrows. I need PTO and belt power.
My ideas about what can be done are skewed by watching all of the “iron buffalo“ videos. Those are awesome! Yeah, I know they are bigger and diesel. I know I can’t and my tractor can’t do what they do. I sure dream, though!
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