narrow front ends in snow

Charlie M

Well-known Member
Got my H out today and was going to take my ash bucket down the woods to dump instead of walking through about 9 inches of snow on the ground. Snow has become the type that would make a great snow man and as soon as the front wheels hit it all it did was push snow. It wasn't a big problem when the snow was fluffy last week. Narrow front ends are great at a lot of stuff but snow isn't one of them. I guess if the snow isn't low enough by this weekend I will have to get my M out of winter hibernation to make the trip - it has a wide front end and the snow we have wouldn't be a problem.
 
IH made a neet tire scraper (non contact) that attaches to the small atb on the back of the bolster. They work miracles. Jim
 
You can change the tread wider on a narrow front but be careful on frozen ground. That was one of the chores of late winter back in the day then change back to narrow before spring work and repack wheel bearings and paint touch up wheels.
 
(quoted from post at 17:13:58 02/24/21) IH made a neet tire scraper (non contact) that attaches to the small atb on the back of the bolster. They work miracles. Jim
They have absolutely no effect on pushing snow in front of the tires
 
My friend in Canada used to log with a JD A in the 1960's, they had a wooden runner that fit under the 2 tires so it just slid through the snow, I wish I had a picture of it.
 
They have the same issue in mud, you can push an enormous o mount of mud with them. They so have advantages too.
 
My 1946 John Deere B is narrow front and only had issues in deep snow. Only had issues in 2014 with over 2' of snow and last week with 18" on the ground.
 
Old Farmall might have a worse tendency to jerk the steering wheel from your hands and bust a knuckle with the wheels farther apart.
 
Amusing story about dad and a narrow front.
He purchased a MH33 wide front row crop new in 53 and loved that tractor. Around 1978 a deal came along on a MH33 narrow front, next winter it was on the spreader hauling from under the stable cleaner, we had a good snow storm and he was zipping across the field wide open in a big gear. Snow was drifted in the narrow transition from one field to another, when the the narrow front hit that drift everything stopped dead except the load of poo the spreader, he ended up with "splash forward" lol. Yes we were allowed to spread on the snow back then.
 
Be proactive to clean out the mud and ice from between narrow front wheels before they freeze solid. Steering gets a whole lot worse if the front wheels can't roll.

We turned out the front wheels on all narrow front tractors in late fall or early winter at the same time we installed rear tire chains. Those jobs are so much easier when it is still relatively warm and dry rather than waiting until after the front wheels are packed with frozen ice and mud. Some wet years we pulled off the mounted corn picker to turn out the front wheels for picking corn in snow and mud.
 
Back in the early 1940's, our road was not snow plowed all winter. The cars and tractors packed the snow hard driving on it all winter. In the spring when the snow plow showed up, Dad chained the tractor front wheels to the stone boat and pulled a 2 bottom plow behind so the V plow could get a bite into the hard pack.
 
At least me thought of creating a ski for the front wheels of our IHC BN has been tried before on other narrow front ends and works. My thought was to make one out of steel , leaving the tires showing just below the ski and it wide enough to be out side the two tires. This would allow for both snow and road and create ski like rods to "bite" into the snow similar to the skis on snowmobiles. Then create 1/2 tracks for the back tires. Could be an oversized snow machine. Not fast but effective.
 
I have had problems with mud with a narrow front a few times. Wasn't much of anything in the way of snow. It had to be deeper than just 9 inches more like around 18/ inches or more By then you can't hardly get around with the tractor anyway. . We use an H for the nimbleness in the woods without running over all the saplings coming in. We never replant trees and you can't see through the woods hardly with all the saplings coming up.
 

Sure a narrow front is more likely to push in snow or mud, but on the other hand, with just a tap of the brake it comes around a lot quicker and more easily than a wide front.
 

Sure a narrow front is more likely to push in snow or mud, but on the other hand, with just a tap of the brake it comes around a lot quicker and more easily than a wide front.
 
You just need the right narrow front.

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