Which one will pull more???

[ShookFarm]

Dragsters with several hundred to a couple thousand horsepower maximize the contact patch to transfer power. Ag soil work maximizes traction through the lug pattern of R1's, soil contact plus a big ole' bite. If you are not working loose soil, it's a different ball game. An R3 or R4 may offer you all the traction you need. This is very subjective due to the variety of conditions. There is not one answer.

I have 103 acres. If someone were to offer me two tractors for free, one a 3720 with R1's and the other a 4020 with R4's, I'd take the 3720 every time. I can get into too much trouble with R4's in wet weather. But, just because that's the right answer for me doesn't hold water for anyone else.

 

[jcmseven]

I certainly am not against going back with the larger machine, but since my main objective is to do ground engagement I need to maximize my pulling power as much as possible. wolc123, I think my dealer would agree with you on this one, but I am not sure he is right (although he gives me good advice). I do not see where the hydraulic flow has bearing on the pulling power, but it certainly would with loader work and other hydraulic tasks. My thumbnail impression based on prior experience is as follows: when pulling heavy, wet gravel up my long, very steep drive with my 3720 and my previous 4520 I found that (highly subjectively) my 4520 with weighted R4's front AND rear pulled a 72" box blade slightly better fully loaded than my current 3720 pulls a 2060 BB with similar soil. However, when I tried the R1 tires, my 3720, with weighted R1's pulled the 5 footer better than did either other mentioned combination. (Unfortunately, they deformed a bit too much under a loader load and I felt I should go back to R4's--at the time). This, however, was my only gauge and thusly brings on the question: Can a properly weighted 3000 series machine approach or equal the drawbar pull of the larger 4000 series machine without the comprimises of the larger machine--with the appropriate tire/wheel combination and weighting??? Still sounds like our consensus is, "No." Thanks for the replies.