Leaving Plow and Wheel Weights on all year?

[Alrashid2 310]

Hey guys, wanted to get your opinion here. My buddy Dave sold me a nice set of wheel weights and a plow for my 312-8! Haven't had time yet to get everything installed but hoping to before Christmas. 

 

Anyway, I'm thinking of just leaving the plow and wheel weights on all year. The tractor will mainly be used for hauling firewood up to the house during the winter, and moving logs/firewood in the spring for splitting season. I'm going to try plowing the driveway with it, but may just be easier for me to snow blow it with my Ariens. I am thinking I could at least use the plow for clearing a path to the house up my path in the woods when we have snow, and maybe doing some grading of the yard in the summer. 

 

Any issue with leaving the plow and weights on 24/7 all year? For the plow, I think I just need to make a bit more room in the shed for parking the tractor, but wasn't sure if the plow frame greatly reduced ground clearance or not as I drive over a lot of bumpy ground through the forest. My thought was the added weight up front may help me stop my front end from jumping and doing wheelies at least!

 

Thanks guys

[midpack 892]

I've had a dedicated plow machine for a few years. The biggest issue is from sitting, sometimes it takes a bit to run, especially if critters decide it's a nice place to live 

[peter lena 8,726]

@Alrashid2  just thinking that front end slamming over rough areas , with the added plow weight , is brutal on the greaseable movement points , on the other hand it would be a terrific opportunity , to  detail in the plow steering movement point and related , lever connection connections . never jump my front ends , related rusty connection points , aerosol penetrating oil , then aerosol  RED SPRAY GREASE , make the rust run out , also get the center console side lift bronze bushings . get the lift lever inside spring push point , rust runs out of  tube , that plow steering quadrant , and related leverage linkage , points , especially main slide pin , make that plow come alive , done a number of them . like a roller stool around set up , makes  issue tracking easy , always improve on original loose / sloppy set up . hand squeeze lever , snugging up ,lube , is key for blade swing ease , also lube front of blade , for snow / slop  release ,  easy to do , pete 

[SylvanLakeWH 25,964]

I leave mine rigged all year. Not worth the work to remove / replace each year... 

[pfrederi 17,886]

Wheel Horse Snow Plows do not lift a great distance off the ground...Plow frame hits front axle...  That can be an issue if yo have to cross ditches/ very uneven terrain as it may try to dig in.  Makes maneuvering in a tight space a challenge.

[ri702bill 8,507]

I tend to use both tractors all year long. I do switch implements and have 2 pair of dedicated tires / rims for each.

[ebinmaine 68,406]

6 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

Wheel Horse Snow Plows do not lift a great distance off the ground...Plow frame hits front axle...  That can be an issue if yo have to cross ditches/ very uneven terrain as it may try to dig in.  Makes maneuvering in a tight space a challenge.

 

^^^^^ this.  

 

 

And......

 

15 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

I leave mine rigged all year. Not worth the work to remove / replace each year... 

 

 

^^^^^ this.  

 

 

If you're ONLY going to use ONE tractor you'll need to remove the plow.  

The weights can and IMHO should stay on all year.  

 

I keep a snowplow tractor set up all year and NEVER put it in the forest.  

 

 

 

 

 

I have others for forest work.... well set up in fact for my own rough terrain.  

 

 

 

 

[Alrashid2 310]

Thanks all for the responses. I guess once i get the plow/frame figured out and installed, I'll be able to take her for a test drive and see how she does in the forest. 

 

Anyone have a side photo of a 300 series with a plow fully raised? I'd be curious to visually see how much ground clearance I lose with that frame under there

[lynnmor 7,354]

If you have a nice lawn that might be soft, consider the extra weight packing it down or making ruts.  If you don't need the extra traction, taking them off might be a good thing.

[D_Mac 8,713]

On my 875 I leave weights and blade on all year. Takes up some extra space in garage but it's worth not putting them on and taking them off. If I needed to remove the blade that's easy enough but for sure leave the wheel weights on.

[ri702bill 8,507]

Notice on @D-Mac's setup above he has the plow raised. There is only roughly four inches of clearance under the cutting edge and about  a quarter of that between the A frame and the underside of the pivoting axle..... NOT an ideal off-road setup.

[Ed Kennell 38,684]

I leave my weights on year round.    I need the traction for mowing on my steep areas.     I also leave the blade on for clearing downed limbs from the woods trails and also find it useful for moving large rounds when using the wood splitter.     I replaced the 6" fronts with 8" and left the longer spindles on giving mine another inch of clearance under the axle and plow.

 

 

 

 

 

[TonyToro Jr. 1,607]

Same here I leave the weights on all year on my c-145

[rmaynard 15,610]

My 416-H stays equipped with plow and weights year round.

 

[Maxwell-8 4,306]

you are supposed to have more implements then tractors? 

[ebinmaine 68,406]

57 minutes ago, Maxwell-8 said:

you are supposed to have more implements then tractors? 

 

It's an option....

 

[midpack 892]

1 hour ago, Maxwell-8 said:

you are supposed to have more implements then tractors? 

I do, but they're spares 

[Alrashid2 310]

Thanks all, really good points...

 

My "yard" is already rutted and uneven.so I think keeping the wheel weights on all year should be fine!

 

As for the plow... I'll assemble it and get it working and assess from there. My biggest concern at this point is pulling firewood uphill through my yard after a snow storm... Anyone have experience with taking a tractor uphill in the snow, while pulling something?

 

The main reason I got the tractor is I was sick and tired of pushing a wheelbarrow uphill in the snow. I'm hoping either I can just drive it uphill in the snow fine, or the plow will be able to clear a path enough for me to make it uphill.

 

If neither work... Well I'm SOL then! Ha.

 

Maybe the wheel weights will help?

[SylvanLakeWH 25,964]

Without tire chains it will not pull a trailer full of wood uphill in snow... 

[ebinmaine 68,406]

13 minutes ago, Alrashid2 said:

I'm hoping either I can just drive it uphill in the snow fine, or the plow will be able to clear a path enough for me to make it uphill

 

Plow DOWNHILL first. 

Clear the path. 

Then connect the trailer and pull the load up.  

More weight. Good chains. 

Absolutely necessary.  

[Wayne0 515]

Ole' Rusty keeps chains and weights on year round. I do swap the deck for the plow in the winter. If I had a 3rd horse, I'd leave the plow on one of them year round.

[davem1111 2,037]

3 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Plow DOWNHILL first. 

Clear the path. 

Then connect the trailer and pull the load up.  

More weight. Good chains. 

Absolutely necessary.  

 

Good advice here.  You could also consider Ag tires (if you want to spend some more money).  My field/woods tractor has Ags and weights, and for snow I add the chains. 

[Alrashid2 310]

Thanks all for the advice! I'll be doing a lot of experimenting this winter, that is for sure!

 

On a side note, has anyone purchased from Linlcon at AZ Tractors recently? I was talking to him 2 weeks ago about a Dial a Height kit he was putting together for me from some scrap tractors. However, haven't heard back from him since Nov 26 despite emailing a few times since then. He was usually really responsive on email so wasn't sure if he took a long vacation for the holidays or something

[ebinmaine 68,406]

Just now, Alrashid2 said:

Thanks all for the advice! I'll be doing a lot of experimenting this winter, that is for sure!

 

On a side note, has anyone purchased from Linlcon at AZ Tractors recently? I was talking to him 2 weeks ago about a Dial a Height kit he was putting together for me from some scrap tractors. However, haven't heard back from him since Nov 26 despite emailing a few times since then. He was usually really responsive on email so wasn't sure if he took a long vacation for the holidays or something

 

I haven't heard anything about him on time off but I always give the advice to 

CALL LINCOLN...

 

 

[pfrederi 17,886]

In bad weather maybe only load the trailer half full...all to front ...increased tongue weight equals better traction