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Europe versus America

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Bill Brox

08-31-2006 08:01:50

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Hi folks.

I wonder, why is the reason so many tractors in America had only one front wheel... or the trike type ?
I live in Norway, and have never seen a tractor like that here. All have the 4 wheel type, like Ferguson TE 20 or similar... well, now a days almost all tractors is 4 wheel drive so that is of course different.

I just wonder what the reason for it is... :-)

Bill

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jones in texas

08-31-2006 17:46:33

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Bill Brox, 08-31-2006 08:01:50

In the early years the wide fronts were used mostly for plowing wheat stubble and preparing the ground and planting the wheat. also used for pulling the combines at harvest.they werent used much for rowcrop until the Ford 9n .Some times old trucks would be cut down in wheelbase ,top of cab cut off,weight added,to pull combines in field and have afast road speed.

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JWCinMS

08-31-2006 10:07:28

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Bill Brox, 08-31-2006 08:01:50

Many have mentioned the narrow fronts (one or two wheels) allowed for sharper turning at the end of rows, additionally most early rowcrop cultivators were front mounted and were easier to mount on a narrow front. With a narrow front you could drive into the cultivator then fasten it to its mounting points and go on your way. With a wide front you would have to drag the cultivators in from the side then attach them and vice versa when removing. When a tractor did multiple task during the season such as plowing, mowing and cultivating the wheel spacing might have to be adjusted back and forth several times during the season. The narrow fronts only required the rear axle to be changed. Single wheels were prevalent with mounted cotton pickers more so with the highdrum models with drop axles for higher clearance. Cotton was often picked more than once if the harvest season was long enough. You did not want to break down the stalks or knock off unopened bowls during the first picking.

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Larry NE IL

08-31-2006 14:29:22

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to JWCinMS, 08-31-2006 10:07:28

Yep, also in the early days when the "small" tractors were debuting, the manufacturers went to a great deal of trouble to make the tractor front as thin as possible for the operator to see the crop as he cultivated.

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Jim Johnson

08-31-2006 09:14:21

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Bill Brox, 08-31-2006 08:01:50

If you are talking the single front and not the two narrow front tires, the place I've seen those the most where in between the row irrigated fields. For getting down the narrow rows and not disturb the roots or tear up the hills after watering.

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jones in texas

08-31-2006 08:48:49

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Bill Brox, 08-31-2006 08:01:50

In the 1930s most tractors came with narrow front wheels and the wide front was an expensive option ,mostly after market suppliers.I personaly always liked the wide front much better. Also many front mounted cultivators would only work with narrow front wheels.

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jubilee johnny

08-31-2006 08:47:46

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Bill Brox, 08-31-2006 08:01:50

I'm told the single front wheel followed the row almost like steering itself when cultivating for example. Not so good for front end loaders, though, except for scraping dairy lots.

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Allan In NE

08-31-2006 09:03:35

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to jubilee johnny, 08-31-2006 08:47:46

John,

Yeah, they always "said" that. :>)

The only machine I've ever ran that would actually steer itself was those old bean cutters with the center divider/vine roller mounted directly to the yoke on the single front end used in flood irrigated crops.

They had a runner on the front-bottom of the divider which would follow right down the middle of the ditch and it in turn would guide the tractor.

Allan

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other Will

08-31-2006 08:44:15

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Bill Brox, 08-31-2006 08:01:50

Also for mounting a two row corn picker.

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Coloken

08-31-2006 08:28:06

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Bill Brox, 08-31-2006 08:01:50

Here in the great plains.... the two wheels together were for corn in 36 or 40 inch rows. Planted with a lister in a furrow. In the irigated fields, like sugar beets, the single front wheel became popular. That is for narrow row spaceing, to cultivate. Great plains, dry land, wheat farmers, like myself, used "standard tread". Most of them did not even have 3 point. We pulled big machines round and round the field. A swinging drawbar helped on the turns. Round and round..maybe several days on the same field...like a 12 foot "oneway" on a 360 acre field.

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jubilee johnny

08-31-2006 08:53:49

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Coloken, 08-31-2006 08:28:06

I recently "rescued" my grandfather's 1946 jd "d" from Holyoke, Co. I hope to restore it at a later date. I noted the swinging drawbar as you were stating. Also, a neighbor of his who helped me load the tractor offered me grandad's jd "oneway" that he had bought at the sale when my grandad quit farming.

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Allan In NE

08-31-2006 08:38:02

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Coloken, 08-31-2006 08:28:06

One of my old landlords tells the story of pulling into a summer fallow field 'bout 5 one evening.

Parked his pickup at the gate and ran the machine 'round and 'round and 'round til long after dark.

Said that when he finally did quit for the night, it took him forever to figure out just where in the heck that darned pickup was. :>)

Allan

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bill mar

08-31-2006 08:13:03

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Bill Brox, 08-31-2006 08:01:50

i think a lot of the reason for the narrow front end had to do with row spacing.

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Allan In NE

08-31-2006 08:24:53

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to bill mar, 08-31-2006 08:13:03

Yep,

Methods used in row crop farming in the early days demanded a narrow footprint on the front end.

In roughly 1954-57 or so, the machinery styles started taking on a different design which allowed for more horsepower and the wide front end was almost a must for stability.

By the way, ever pull a potato planter with a narrow front end? Now, there's a treat for ya. :>)

Allan

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Harold Hubbard

08-31-2006 17:15:14

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Allan In NE, 08-31-2006 08:24:53

Yah! And a potato digger is even worse. Dad had an offset hitch made for our Farmall C, and would set one rear wheel way out and the other way in, so that he could sneak down the row without either running down the un-dug next row, or mashing the potatoes already dug from the previous one. I was too young at the time to remember much about it, but I think he planted the rows wider to make sure there would be enough room. By the time I was running the digger we had a Super C with a wide front.

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Mike (WA)

08-31-2006 08:18:53

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to bill mar, 08-31-2006 08:13:03

I know they were for cultivating between rows for corn and other row crops, but I always wondered what the advantage was over an adjustable wide front? Once you set up the width of the front, you'd never have to again, unless you changed planters. Having never cultivated corn, I sure may be missing something- ???

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Doug in IL

08-31-2006 08:43:11

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Mike (WA), 08-31-2006 08:18:53

Mike, the wide front axles didn't have as much crop clearance for the 3rd cultivation in corn. But, I think the biggest reason for the narrow front tractors was the wide spread use of the mounted corn picker. The very first corn pickers were pull type and were pulled by wide front tractors like the John Deere GP, or IHC 10-20. The problem with them was you either had to hand pick some corn rows for the tractor to run in, or run over a lot of corn. The mounted picker came out and solved those problems, as they could be driven right into the field and begin picking, as the corn gathering units were basically ahead of the tractor. When the self propelled combine, with cornheads came out, they pretty well eliminated corn pickers and the need for narrow front tractors.

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Allan In NE

08-31-2006 08:51:35

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Doug in IL, 08-31-2006 08:43:11

Well,

The whole darned line of machinery; narrow tillage units, planters, cultivators, etc., etc.

Remember how those early wide fronts took an acre to turn around? Ya actually had to stand on the brake and absolutely "drag" the darned things around.

The singles could spin on their own tire print.

Allan

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MN Bob

08-31-2006 09:02:08

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Re: Europe versus America in reply to Allan In NE, 08-31-2006 08:51:35

Yep, and now adays the fun use is square dancing tractors. Try putting a wide front end in a group of narrow fronts. Swing wide big boy. Bob

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