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Puller question

grandpa Love

grandpa Love

Well-known Member
We have been to several pulls ,as spectators. Every one has had "wheelie bars" on every tractor. Today there was quit a few with out em. Is that unusual? I was told I could pull with my 960 with out em. Not sure if that's a good idea....so I didn't try..
 
Grandpa Love, Try it you might like it! Wished we had more pulls around me. I haven't pulled since 2012 and didn't have wheelie bars but I'm sure they want them on the tractor.
 
Bars are required in all the classes they pull in my area.
But then, nothing in the "antique" or "classic" classes here are stock.
Most tractors that originally had, say, 45 HP now are pushing 150.
A stock tractor wouldn't have a chance in these pulls.
Kind of takes all the fun out of it for me. :(
 
I'm gonna try it next show. I weighed my 960 today ,with me on it came in right at 3500. Buddy weighed his 951 and it was 4600. Blew my mind. Until he said his tires were full of fliud!
 
They had several classes of stock.
Guy even pulled with his 8N. Kid
ran a farmall a. First few rounds
were fun. After about 4500 lbs it
got serious.
 
Some places require, some recommend, and a few don't allow "wheelie" bars. And then there are the semantics of wheelie bars vs. anti tip bars in some groups.

They are a good idea especially the hotter and faster your tractor is. The typical rules of a hitch point at least 18 inches behind the axle and no more than 20 inches from the ground, fixed from movement in all directions, will keep most tractors from rearing to high. But there have been failures that have resulted in spectacular wrecks.

I don't run bars on my pullers, have never got to the point of being scared, but I have had my thoughts go from "am I winning" to "how in the heck am I gonna land this thing without breaking something?"
 
"They had several classes of stock."

We have "stock" classes here too.
Best I can tell that means they have to look original, be aspirated
as they came from the factory and have tires that are the stock
size or were a size offered as an option. If the "stock" engine has
now been bored out, stuffed with domed pistons, roller rockers,
ported, polished, converted to EI, etc. That's all good.
I know the guy running a Farmall A here got the engine block out of
a combine and I think he said he's running Chevy 350 pistons in it.
 
Grandpa Love, Local pull I drove tractor an hour and twenty minutes to get there. Got her warmed up for the pull and in the #7500 pound class was only four tractors and I won first. My wife filmed it and its on youtube under 2012 Oliver 1650 pulling. My daughter was all excited she's not like that anymore especially about tractors or tractor pulling! I keep hoping the wife and her will want to try it I have enough tractors for all of us!
 
I rarely watch any tractor pulls anymore. The fun "tug" pulls are fine and fun. The rest of the "serious" pullers are just racing check books around here.

Even with the antique tractors. Saw a JD "G" pulling tractor sell a few months ago. It brought $15K and the seller was mad as he had over $40K in it. Bank told him to sell it or forget his operating loan. LOL
 
2 years ago at a pull in Sigourney IA, an Oliver got light in the front. His hitch was not what is considered legal in that the parts that hold it up or adjusters where at or above the center of the axle. The hitch broke and it pulled the tractor straight up in the air because of how the hitch was designed. His wheelie bars weren't strong enough and they also broke. How he stayed on it I don't know. When up in the air he put the clutch in and it bounced down but when the front hit the ground d his foot came of the clutch and it went straight up again. This time he kept his foot on the clutch and got it stopped. It was scary to watch. There is a video of it on Tube somewhere. A proper made hitch and wheelie bars should be a must for every pulling tractor.
 
Our club and a club north of us in Michigan let farm stock pull with out wheelie bars.The club in Michigan won't let you pull in st0ck if you use bars.I pull a IH 450 8,000 lb. stock and an AC WD45 6,000 lb stock with no bars.
a268212.jpg

a268213.jpg
 

I have been pulling for 20 years this fall. Most pulls require wheelie bars, and it is often a requirement of the insurance company that is covering it. Around here the only difference between stock and enhanced rules is speed limit and tires. Before you go, get your hitch point up to the max allowed. At 3500 your 960 will need no wight on the front, but if you add 500 lbs to enter the next class you will need to hang 150-300 on the front somehow to hold it down. The amount depends on how tight the track is.
 
Our club has a 16 inch rule. Your front end can get 16 inches up then you get stopped. In theory the wheelie bars stop you from getting that high. Also if you just have pads and no wheels the pads need to be 25 square inches of surface contacting the ground.
 
Grandpa Love, A few pics of my tractors pulling. The 1950T on the stone boat was 1983 and I got 5th place. The White was 1991and I got 2nd. With the White you had to stay behind the pace tractor. Last pic is the only time my tractors road the trailer to the pull August 1991 and my brother drove the truck. I don't think I chained it properly but they made it to the fair!
a268214.jpg

a268215.jpg

a268216.jpg
 
Man! Those are great pictures. Never seen the concrete sled before,good looking tractors! , Yesterday was the 1st time I haven't seen an Oliver at a pull.
 
Thanks Grandpa Love! Still have the White but miss the 1950T. My son with his daughter and girlfriend rode it on the tractor ride at the local show in Roseboom N.Y.
 
(quoted from post at 04:27:40 05/20/18) Man! Those are great pictures. Never seen the concrete sled before,good looking tractors! , Yesterday was the 1st time I haven't seen an Oliver at a pull.
Click to expand...

That is strange that there would be no Olivers as they seem to be one of the most popular amongst pullers. Today we had around 50 tractors and I believe that we had only four JDs and four Olivers. There were ten Fords, and five of them were four cylinder row crop models.
 
Don't worry, just put your 960 in low gear and have some fun. You don't need wheelie bars and if it is required, don't pull at that event.....too serious. Your tractor will do well enough in the 3500 lb. class. The hard core, high dollar pullers, have taken the fun out of pulling for the average guy. I've pulled for over 30 yrs. & just do it to blow the soot out of my tractors and have fun. Like JD seller said, you can put a fortune into a tractor, & the right stock tractor can pull within a few ft. of the big $$$$$!
 
"The hard core, high dollar pullers, have taken the fun out of pulling"

This statement I agree with.

"the right stock tractor can pull within a few ft. of the big $$$$$!"

This one, not so much. 45HP doesn't compete with 100+ HP in the same weight class.

That's not to say you can't take your tractors and pull for fun.
I just wouldn't expect to win. Do it for the fun of it and you're golden!
 
I pull with the 950 and as long as the the club your pulling at doesn't require them you won't need them
I do very well in the 3500 lb class
I am 200 lbs and had to lighten tractor up to make class
Some clubs will give 50/100 lbs some won't so if your over you will be pulling in the next class and you'll probably be the lightest one and won't do well, although still fun an good experience for you
The deep dip row crop drawbar is no good
You will need one off an 800/801
Tractor is pretty well balanced and should come up much
See video in link

Kirk
 
I should had added to my post you should get a copy of the club rules you are going to pull at
Not all club have the same rules
 
Sorry couldn't post link from phone.
Either go to Google or YouTube and punch in
Jacktown pull with Ford 950
 
(quoted from post at 18:26:45 05/20/18) Don't worry, just put your 960 in low gear and have some fun. You don't need wheelie bars and if it is required, don't pull at that event.....too serious. Your tractor will do well enough in the 3500 lb. class. The hard core, high dollar pullers, have taken the fun out of pulling for the average guy. I've pulled for over 30 yrs. & just do it to blow the soot out of my tractors and have fun. Like JD seller said, you can put a fortune into a tractor, & the right stock tractor can pull within a few ft. of the big $$$$$!
Click to expand...

I nearly always pull in second with my 960 in the 3500, and it is a very close to stock tractor. I have my own dyno and nearly every year at some point I get an idea about a little tweak to get a little more power but I can never break 40 HP PTO. Still it is a very tight track that forces me to use first in the 3500.
 
(quoted from post at 02:53:42 05/21/18) Sorry couldn't post link from phone.
Either go to Google or YouTube and punch in
Jacktown pull with Ford 950
Click to expand...

Kirk, that has to be a very tight track in order for you to be able to hook up with those little tires!
 
Hey Kirk, looks like pie weights? I don't have weights and I still weighed 3500? Buddy weighed his 951D with wide front. He was 1000 lbs heavier. Said it was loaded tires? Cool video by the way!
 
Not all club scale are the same. Pie weight plates make it easier to throw a couple of pie weights on if the scale is running light. You will want to be at the top of the weight class without going over. Switched out the rest of ride seat and switched out the PA rims to 6 loop to shave a couple of pounds so I could add the weight plates
 
Tires are Firestone 12.4 X 28 23 degree. One of the club I pull
has tire restrictions but it seem like they only enforce it if
your not in the "click" or winning too much.
I pull 1st or second in the 3500 lb class consistency so I ain't
changing the tires or any thing else
 
One thing I would suggest is a lock out for 4th & 5th. You can buy one that flips from RedRock mfg or as I've done, make your own.
You won't get the sled very far in 4th gear
 
(quoted from post at 18:35:15 05/20/18) "The hard core, high dollar pullers, have taken the fun out of pulling"

This statement I agree with.

"the right stock tractor can pull within a few ft. of the big $$$$$!"

This one, not so much. 45HP doesn't compete with 100+ HP in the same weight class.

That's not to say you can't take your tractors and pull for fun.
I just wouldn't expect to win. Do it for the fun of it and you're golden!
Click to expand...

Royse, "the right stock tractor can pull within a few ft. of the big $$$$$!" This is actually very true in the high horsepower classes. When the pan drops nobody goes much further, which can easily put two tractors that are $50,000 apart within just a few feet of each other.
 
(quoted from post at 14:32:56 05/22/18)
(quoted from post at 18:35:15 05/20/18) "The hard core, high dollar pullers, have taken the fun out of pulling"

This statement I agree with.

"the right stock tractor can pull within a few ft. of the big $$$$$!"

This one, not so much. 45HP doesn't compete with 100+ HP in the same weight class.

That's not to say you can't take your tractors and pull for fun.
I just wouldn't expect to win. Do it for the fun of it and you're golden!
Click to expand...

Royse, "the right stock tractor can pull within a few ft. of the big $$$$$!" This is actually very true in the high horsepower classes. When the pan drops nobody goes much further, which can easily put two tractors that are $50,000 apart within just a few feet of each other.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what you classify as the higher horsepower classes.
I was referring to what would be called classics or antiques. I would
think your beautiful 961 would fall into these categories if it were a puller.

We have a JD A that pulls for "exhibition" here. It is unstoppable.
It has an 8 minute timer on the engine. Engine cannot be ran
any longer than that at any one time or it would self destruct.
I am told there are no cooling passages left in the engine.

I don't mind the guys who can put some good old fashioned
ingenuity into making parts fits and swapping some parts around
to make a few more ponies out of the stock parts.
I think that's all part of the game and its fun.

There's a point though, that I don't think they should be allowed
in the "stock" category. Like this A is no longer allowed.
 
(quoted from post at 20:13:34 05/22/18)
(quoted from post at 14:32:56 05/22/18)
(quoted from post at 18:35:15 05/20/18) "The hard core, high dollar pullers, have taken the fun out of pulling"

This statement I agree with.

"the right stock tractor can pull within a few ft. of the big $$$$$!"

This one, not so much. 45HP doesn't compete with 100+ HP in the same weight class.

That's not to say you can't take your tractors and pull for fun.
I just wouldn't expect to win. Do it for the fun of it and you're golden!
Click to expand...

Royse, "the right stock tractor can pull within a few ft. of the big $$$$$!" This is actually very true in the high horsepower classes. When the pan drops nobody goes much further, which can easily put two tractors that are $50,000 apart within just a few feet of each other.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what you classify as the higher horsepower classes.
I was referring to what would be called classics or antiques. I would
think your beautiful 961 would fall into these categories if it were a puller.

We have a JD A that pulls for "exhibition" here. It is unstoppable.
It has an 8 minute timer on the engine. Engine cannot be ran
any longer than that at any one time or it would self destruct.
I am told there are no cooling passages left in the engine.

I don't mind the guys who can put some good old fashioned
ingenuity into making parts fits and swapping some parts around
to make a few more ponies out of the stock parts.
I think that's all part of the game and its fun.

There's a point though, that I don't think they should be allowed
in the "stock" category. Like this A is no longer allowed.
Click to expand...

Sunday we had two Hot Farm tractors that are well over 600 HP, a nineties 160 HP Ford and my 200 HP Ford 9000 all hook in a Free-For-All. The 160 HP won at 17,000 lbs. I was second at 10,500 lbs and the two hot farms were 3rd and fourth. all within 10 feet.
 
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