Front tire loading

[Code54]

I know there is a LOT of thoughts about loading the front tires but what I was wondering is "why" is it a bad thing. Has anyone ever personally done it and had a problem or personally known anyone to have done it and caused a problem? I guess I don't under stand how adding something like 80lbs to my tires up front can be any worse than adding 120 in suitcase weight directly above the tires? Any thoughts in general?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I know there is a LOT of thoughts about loading the front tires but what I was wondering is "why" is it a bad thing. Has anyone ever personally done it and had a problem or personally known anyone to have done it and caused a problem? I guess I don't under stand how adding something like 80lbs to my tires up front can be any worse than adding 120 in suitcase weight directly above the tires? Any thoughts in general?

I believe that the thinking is that a person will wear the front end parts out faster having the weight there ALL the time. I have no doubt that the extra weight wears things out faster, takes more fuel to move, etc etc. In the real world of the home owner-user the additional wear and fuel use is so small that for all practical purposes it makes no difference. Do you really care if your tractor wears out 2-3% faster, or uses 1 oz more fuel per hour of use? I have all 4 tires filled on both of my Mahindra tractors, I feel that the additional performance out weighs ANY of the negatives that there MIGHT be.

Just my opinion, others do vary.

 

[MIKE R]

I have all 4 tire loaded on my Massey. I have heard about not loading the fronts if you have a loader on. With no loader it adds more weight to the front end balancing it for when using heavy 3 point hitch implements. I would not worry about the extra fuel used or tire wear as I think the pluses of the fronts loaded outnumber the bads.

 

[Code54]

Good points. Seeing the little tractor uses almost no gas I have to agree that would not worry me in the least! I bet I can cut 2 acres of grass on that little B7200 for the same amount of fuel the MX5100 takes to start!
As for the tire wear I have to agree I could careless, heck they will crack up due to age before I wear them out! I am interested in hearing what everyone else thinks. Thanks

 

[MHarryE]

At 75% fill the rears still have a significant air pocket that helps absorb shock. Fronts filled to 75% have almost no shock resistance. Larger ag tractors do specify loading the fronts which are usually larger than CUT rears in order to dampen wheel hop which is a major concern on large ag MFWD and 4wd tractors. John Deere has a paper with the steps one should take first trying to solve the problem with air pressure changes and then moving on to loading tires in different orders. Ours can get pretty wicked. So front fills are not always verboten but be prepared for reduced tire life, especially in rough conditions.

 

[bucktaker]

The old Ford 600 in my barn originaly had a mounted trencher, it had iron weights on the front wheels, underbelly frame monuted front blade,loaded rears with iron weights too and the trencher. We still have the front weights but they are no longer mounted. So if you have need for more front end weigth they have been doing it for a long time

 

[art]

It does wear parts as well as moving any heavy piece burn more fuel. Tire life on loaded tractors is half of unloaded. Travel speeds in fields is faster with unloaded tires vs loaded tires. Front end wear with a loader is far faster and the farmers that do have the breakage are normally glad when they go to three point hitch ballast to reduce the weight on the front end. Just as I have a recent green trade with a 800 dollar parts bill for the front steering cylinder(every 2,000 hours of ownership he needed to repair it) he was told he could turn with the brakes from the dealer as well as in the owners manual. I asked him not to and he was shocked, after he thought for a minute he said they won't be doing that anymore!
From a dealers stand point of repairs and parts sales, please do it!

 

[ruffdog]

My dad has a Case 1390 (David Brown 4x4) with a loader and I agree with MHarryE's comment about the lack of air pocket. Being that the 1390 has the loader on, there is no reason for the loaded tires anyway. The tires never seemed to have much of a resistance to impacts with rocks or stumps when loaded. One tire's sidewall gave out and needed replacing, so he did not have it loaded and it is working much better. I had always thought it was because of the lack of air volume.They are AG tires and the fronts are smallish anyways.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Like I said, for most of us home owner users, it will make little to no difference. 2000 hours of use will take me well over 15 years to get there. As far as a ruff ride, I guess that I just don't use my tractors like some of you must, because I feel that I get a much BETTER ride with the filled tires. The tractor doesn't feel like it's on balloons.

Each to their own, do whatever you feel is best for YOU.

 

[Soundguy]

The old Ford 600 in my barn originaly had a mounted trencher, it had iron weights on the front wheels, underbelly frame monuted front blade,loaded rears with iron weights too and the trencher. We still have the front weights but they are no longer mounted. So if you have need for more front end weigth they have been doing it for a long time

yep.. i have a 10' 3pt mower on a ford 5000.. in addition to a full set of pillow weights up front, I thru on 2 fat plate weights on either side of the bolster to hold that front end down.

on my 4600 i got those iron weights inside the rim dish, plus loaded the fronts.. plus built a big front bumper and grill guard PLUS cast some large convrete weights to hang on her .. it totes a very old and super hd servis (rhino ) mower.
without those weights, when loading on my deckover trailer it does the teeter totter and you look at the sky on the way up.. makes funny 'pinch' shaped divots in the seat when that happens..

soundguy