correct wheel width for hills

[sawtooth]

Hello,
I need to adjust the wheel width on my tractor but am looking for recommendations as to how wide I should go for hill work. Now the tractor is set up 56 inches centerline to centerline which is slightly more than how it came from the factory. I will be bush hogging and will sometimes have a front end loader attached. All tires are filled and its a fairly heavy Massey 461.

 

[rekees4300]

The wider the wheels are the more stable the tractor is on hills. I always remove the FEL before mowing hills. I also always only mow hills with the front of the tractor pointing down hill (go uphill in reverse).

 

[flusher]

Hello,
I need to adjust the wheel width on my tractor but am looking for recommendations as to how wide I should go for hill work. Now the tractor is set up 56 inches centerline to centerline which is slightly more than how it came from the factory. I will be bush hogging and will sometimes have a front end loader attached. All tires are filled and its a fairly heavy Massey 461.

Here's my 1964 MF135 diesel set up as a orchard tractor.
The rear tires are BF Goodrich 6 ply 18.4-16A (18" wide, 16" dia rims, 40" tall overall). The centerline of the rear axle is 18" above grade and the track width to the outside of the rears is 83". So the squat ratio is 83/18=4.6



My 135 squats pretty low. Haven't checked it out on hills because my 10 acres is flat hayfield. I don't know what the "correct" track width should be, but I'd worry if the squat ratio gets less than 3.5 or so when contemplating working on a steep hill. You can go to rear duallys if you can't get enough track width with singles.

 

[sawtooth]

ok so i may take it out a little more. Now does the front and rear need to be exact same width or can they be a little off?

 

[beenthere]

sawtooth
There is not "exact" answer to your question. It all depends on many variables, so "correct" may be one thing in a situation, but not "correct" in another similar situation.

And flusher, pulling that stump would be easier if the chain were hooked as high as possible. Too much temptation to get a run at it, and try to jerk it out. That is when things break. Nice looking tractor in the pics.

 

[RoyJackson]

sawtooth
There is not "exact" answer to your question. It all depends on many variables, so "correct" may be one thing in a situation, but not "correct" in another similar situation.

And flusher, pulling that stump would be easier if the chain were hooked as high as possible. Too much temptation to get a run at it, and try to jerk it out. That is when things break. Nice looking tractor in the pics.

pulling that stump would be easier if the chain were hooked as high as possible....meaning, as high as possible on the stump...not the tractor.

Definitely more leverage on the stump if hitched higher. I would push the draw bar in several inches too.

 

[Thomas]

If you feel more weight needed,half fill bucket but keep bucket low to ground.

 

[horse7]

Hello,
I need to adjust the wheel width on my tractor but am looking for recommendations as to how wide I should go for hill work. Now the tractor is set up 56 inches centerline to centerline which is slightly more than how it came from the factory. I will be bush hogging and will sometimes have a front end loader attached. All tires are filled and its a fairly heavy Massey 461.

Generally you want the rear outside walls to be slightly less wide than the bucket width. This is so that the rear sidewalls are less likely to be damaged when using the loader and pushing through dirt and rocks.

OTOH, you want as wide as possible for lateral work on hills-- you would need to decide what is more important and make compromises as necessary.

 

[beenthere]

pulling that stump would be easier if the chain were hooked as high as possible....meaning, as high as possible on the stump...not the tractor.

Definitely more leverage on the stump if hitched higher. I would push the draw bar in several inches too.

Thanks for clarifying that Roy. Your interp is what I meant and should have been more clear.

I like to leave even a higher stump, sever some roots and get the root balls out that way. With 100' cable, even do it with full height trees. Get lots of leverage that way.

 

[John Deere man]

I would go with wider tires and more weight on your frontend you can buy weights for tractor at your local Massey dealer for the weights