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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Why Tricycle gear?

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Mark

11-29-2003 10:15:27




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Hello all, I'm a long time reader of posts but never had anything to post until now.
I was recently asked a question and did'nt have an answer.
Why was the tricycle arangment used on tractors? I don't see any current manufacturer using it.
Any one know? Theories?




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Dave in Mo

12-02-2003 11:33:18




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 Re: Why Tricycle gear? in reply to Mark, 11-29-2003 10:15:27  
I might as well add my 2 cents worth. There is less soil compaction with a narrow front end. The weight is distributed over 4 tire tracks rather than 2, but finally, the 3 point hitch did in the narrow front ends in more than anything. A light tractor like a 9N had to be the utility type since raising the implement at the end of a row made the front end very light. Turning and hitting a bump at the end of a field could be disaster.

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JMS/MN

11-29-2003 17:55:14




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 Re: Why Tricycle gear? in reply to Mark, 11-29-2003 10:15:27  
Two reasons- ability to cultivate higher row crops, and the ability to mount corn pickers on the tractor- both were important in the 30s and 40s. As far as steering, yes, a narrow front might tend to follow the previous cultivation track, but a wide front end will transmit much less shock to the operator on uneven ground. Standard fronts in those years were on wheatland versions of tractors, because they were not used for raising row crops. Herbicides have replaced cultivating, and combines have replaced pickers. Wide fronts are definitely more stable than narrow fronts, even though they generally have a wider turning radius. With either front on a loader tractor, common sense is still the main requirement for safe operation.

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paul

11-29-2003 16:59:27




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 Re: Why Tricycle gear? in reply to Mark, 11-29-2003 10:15:27  
In addition the good answers below, tractors cam about & took their current form right around the war years, when being frugal was a requirement. A narrow front end was cheaper - less iron, less engeneering. While the rest of the country boomed a bit after the war, the ag sector actually contracted as it mechanised, and those that kept farming had to push a pretty sharp pencil.

Some things haven't canged. :)

Another reason that you don't see new narrow fronts, is that tractors got too big. They will sink in a mud hole with a narrow front when they get to 100 hp.

--->Paul

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Ron

11-29-2003 16:33:04




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 Re: Why Tricycle gear? in reply to Mark, 11-29-2003 10:15:27  
With the "Tricycle" front end, you could cultivate MUCH Taller crops because all they had to go under was the rear axle housing... A wide front end is much lower than the rear axle housing, and was the limiting height that you could get a crop ( say, corn) under without breaking it down.... Besides, I like them because they don't take up as much room in the tool-shed..!!!



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Lowell

11-29-2003 16:30:24




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 Re: Why Tricycle gear? in reply to Mark, 11-29-2003 10:15:27  
I might add that in addition to power steering the 3 point hookup made it possible and practical to use many formally front mounted implements on the rear using the 3 point hookup.



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harry

11-29-2003 16:10:56




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 Re: Why Tricycle gear? in reply to Mark, 11-29-2003 10:15:27  
Tricycle front ends were used widely in the haying country when farmers mowed with sickle mowers round and round. they will nearly turn a square corner



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Ron 1456

11-29-2003 10:43:49




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 Re: Why Tricycle gear? in reply to Mark, 11-29-2003 10:15:27  
Mounted corn pickers and some row crop cultivators required the use of a narrow (tricycle) front end on a tractor. The narrow front with the two wheels was much more popular than the single wheel front end in the Corn belt. I'm not sure about other areas of the country.



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RayP(MI)

11-29-2003 10:39:43




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 Re: Why Tricycle gear? in reply to Mark, 11-29-2003 10:15:27  
Tractors with the tricycle front wheel arrangement steer more easily, especially in row crop applications. We had our rear gang on the cultivator set to the width to the front wheels. A second cultivation was a breeze, because the tractor practically steered itself. Tricycle tractors can turn much tighter corners. Before power steering, the tricycle tractors were much easier to steer because less effort was required to actually turn the steering wheel. Mounted corn pickers, cultivators, and manure loaders were much easier to mount, without a wide axle to contend with. Wide front tractors are the norm now, because of more stability, especially with front loaders installed. Since the advent of power steering, the steering effort is no longer a consideration. The stability issue is probably overblown by those with little experience with tractors of various designs. Most of the tricycle tractors are fairly stable unless the operator is doing something stupid, and WFE is no guarantee of any measure of protection when that happens. You can get into trouble with any tractor when you exceed safe operating parameters. I'm sure that others will have other opinions - stay tuned!

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