M widened narrow front?

Fred47M

Member
Seen pix of narrow front m with the front wheels set wider. They just flipped them inside out right? Probably a little more stable, but do they steer much harder that way. Just curious? Ultimately want a wide front. Thanks
 
Gene, 1 reason for setting to wider position was having to feed cattle in this area is a clay soil that likes to ball up, also its easier to clear mud and manure from pedestal area in freezing weather with a spade.
 
No more/less 'stable' than any other narrow front. I don't think it will be any easier/harder,but will tend to be more 'jerky' as one side or the other encounters a rock/clod,or other obstacle.I agree,the reason to be wide would be for easier clean out of mud.
 
When I was growing up on the farm, we had an M that Dad widened out the front tricycle wheels in the wintertime. It kept the mud from balling up in between the tires. Worked pretty well. Don't remember if it handled any differently.
 
If you have a suicide knob on your steering wheel be careful and keep your thumbs out of the way. If one tire hits something hard it will tear the steering wheel out of your hands and possibly make an awfully sore thumb.
 
Have M & 450 with narrow front endsee. and have run them narrow and wide. They don't have power steering and don't steer hard in wide position. They can be set in three positions and I have only used narrow and wide settings.
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Back when I started farming, an M with live hydraulics was my loader tractor. I had to widen out the narrow front to feed cattle in the mud. Even with a scraper it was just a mess that would freeze rock solid. I still have the tractor - I took off the loader years ago and use it just to grind feed. I've been meaning to narrow it up just because I like the looks of them close together, but it gets forgotten everytime I back it into the shed.

I never felt like it handled different but it has power steering. It's like the rear wheels dished in - it just doesn't look right in my mind unless the fronts are as close as they can get. Course, I've got oversized tires on the front anyway for feeding with so it doesn't look quite right as it is.
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DeltaRed, I agree with you. Just a question tho. Were they not supposed to stay on row better on bedded crops, do not do bedded here in Ohio.
 
The tractor came with 6.50x16's and could only use one position on inside and they all most rubbed each other at that setting.
 
Wide setting works best in deep snow. Use to haul manure in winter and snow would pile up in front of tires in narrow position.
 
I have a B and I've flipped the front wheels so there wider. I didn't leave it that way. It makes it harder to steer. I figured the wider stance was to allow the wheels to run in the furrows during seeding or cultivating. I'm not sure though.
 
One thing NOBODY has mentioned is when the tractor is used with a loader, cultivator, or mounted corn
picker, any heavy mounted attachment with a front weight bias the adjustable front wheels are supposed to be set in the narrowest position.

When my M was the loader tractor on a hog and cattle livestock farm it regularly navigated drawbar deep mud and I never remember the front wheels freezing together. It had mud scrapers but the bolt holes on the lower pedistal broke out and they can't be attached now. The thing Dad really complained about was picking corn with that M and the 2M-E picker. Wet weather mud built up, leaves and husks balled up and skidded the front tires clear across the field. You steered with the brakes.

And the variable tread width wheels/rims DO provide Four tread widths. If you mount over-size tires that negates one of the positions the tractor still has the 4th position.
 
Dad bought a used cockshutt E4 Diesel from a farm where the owner never went to the field. All untrained unskilled help. Guy had a coal mine to pay for farm. Second year we had tractor one front axle broke off. Could clearly see rust where axle had been broken from freezing.
 
This tractor is belt pulley delete. What you are seeing are weights used when I take this tractor pulling. There is another set just like it on other side.
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