I was using the FEL of my '64 4000 Ford to expand my driveway by carving away part of the hill side.
My goal was take a scoop, drive up the hill to dump it in a place that was out of the way.
While on dry solid ground, and the tractor ran out of "oomph' getting up the hill with the loader bucket about 1/2 full of dirt. There was no choice but to back down and dump the load elsewhere. The hill I am climbing is a old logging road, it is well traveled and packed down; it does have about a 13 percent grade on two of its steepest inclines. Still, the tractor has climbed this hill before, albeit slowly, but I figured that was because of low gearing for power.
It seems to me that this climb, even with a load, should have been no problem at all for a 50 HP tractor. I want to get a box blade for driveway maintenance and I have drain ditch to maintain. I also intend to use the FEL bucket for clearing my driveway this winter. Now I have a concern if this tractor has enough power for the work I intend to do.
What is a reasonable expectation of a '64 4000 tractor? Was I asking too much of it to climb a hill with a load? Will I be over taxing it if I try to use a box blade for ditch maintenance and earth moving?
If there is something specific you would want to know regarding this request, if I can provide it, I will do my best to furnish it.
Thank you again for helping me, a tractor novice, with my questions.
My goal was take a scoop, drive up the hill to dump it in a place that was out of the way.
While on dry solid ground, and the tractor ran out of "oomph' getting up the hill with the loader bucket about 1/2 full of dirt. There was no choice but to back down and dump the load elsewhere. The hill I am climbing is a old logging road, it is well traveled and packed down; it does have about a 13 percent grade on two of its steepest inclines. Still, the tractor has climbed this hill before, albeit slowly, but I figured that was because of low gearing for power.
It seems to me that this climb, even with a load, should have been no problem at all for a 50 HP tractor. I want to get a box blade for driveway maintenance and I have drain ditch to maintain. I also intend to use the FEL bucket for clearing my driveway this winter. Now I have a concern if this tractor has enough power for the work I intend to do.
What is a reasonable expectation of a '64 4000 tractor? Was I asking too much of it to climb a hill with a load? Will I be over taxing it if I try to use a box blade for ditch maintenance and earth moving?
If there is something specific you would want to know regarding this request, if I can provide it, I will do my best to furnish it.
Thank you again for helping me, a tractor novice, with my questions.