Leaving Plow and Wheel Weights on all year?

[Ed Kennell 38,687]

6 hours ago, Alrashid2 said:

 My thought was the added weight up front may help me stop my front end from jumping and doing wheelies at least!

Having the weight of the plow out front will certainly be a plus in keeping the front end down especially when pulling those loads of firewood up the hill.

Just get a set of Vee Bar chains.  They work best on turf tires.      I have chains for sale if you ever head west.

[Alrashid2 310]

Thanks guys! Called Lincoln and we got the order squared away. I'll eventually make a post on how I did the retrofit of the Dial a Height, if i am successful... Also need to make a post update on replacing the belt when I get to that!

 

Not a bad idea at all to go half a trailer... I need to haul up 4 carts worth every 3-4 weeks. The cart is small though, only 6 cubic feet, so I'll try a full cart first and worst case unload a bit if needed. We'll see. This is a grand experiment!

 

May get some time this Sat to work on it. If not, it'll be next week. In the meantime, I did spraypaint the cast iron wheel weights that @davem1111 graciously sold me. Took a chance on this metallic aluminum Krylon paint and I think it'll match my rims pretty nicely!!

 

EDIT: Scratch that, thought I snapped a photo but guess I didnt. will post one later!

Edited December 9 by Alrashid2

[Alrashid2 310]

Thanks @Ed Kennell will keep that in mind! Thought about doing chains but wasn't sure if they'd be too abrasive on a muddy yard. Yes, my lawn isn't pretty and has some ruts, but I didn't want to tear it up into a full on mud pit with chains

[ebinmaine 68,440]

2 minutes ago, Alrashid2 said:

didn't want to tear it up into a full on mud pit with chains

 

Get the chains. 

 

Believe it or not you'll likely do LESS damage WITH chains. 

 

Chains prevent most of the wheel spin. 

 

From experience in mountain country..... you will NEED chains to move even the slightest distance uphill in frozen ground.  

 

 

[Ed Kennell 38,687]

2 minutes ago, Alrashid2 said:

Thought about doing chains but wasn't sure if they'd be too abrasive on a muddy yard.

IMO, just the opposite,   Max traction with chains = less spinning when pulling and better control with less sliding when braking.

[ebinmaine 68,440]

2 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

IMO, just the opposite,   Max traction with chains = less spinning when pulling and better control with less sliding when braking.

 

Absolutely agreed 

[Ed Kennell 38,687]

WOW, that's scary.   The PeeAaa Ed dog and the Maine Bear typing the same message at the same instant.   

[ebinmaine 68,440]

2 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

WOW, that's scary.   The PeeAaa Ed dog and the Maine Bear typing the same message at the same instant.   

 

It should scare you ... that you think like me.  

[MainelyWheelhorse 566]

7 hours ago, Alrashid2 said:

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

@Alrashid2 On my 308 with the plow raised its roughly 5 3/4 to 6 inches at the lowest point and 6 1/2 out by the plow pivot. This is from a flat cement floor to the frame.

[Alrashid2 310]

@MainelyWheelhorsethanks for this photo and for the measurements! Greatly appreciate it.

 

Wow, so your photo shows the plow RAISED? That is much lower than I anticipated. I'll have to see if I can make that work or not!

[kpinnc 12,560]

I’ll be the first to admit that snow isn’t something I normally deal with. That being said, my personal answer to the question about weights is what surface you use the tractor on making trips for wood. 
 

Weights and chains work great for pressing down against a prepared hard surface. Snow is displaced, and chains bite against the hard surface. 
 

Here at least, soft mud is more of an issue all year round. In that case, floatation mated with cleat and rib tires provides much better traction and control. Additional weight works against you, because the contact patch sinks. This makes every inch of forward motion is a climb out of a hole. Wheel spin is inevitable. 
 

Forgive me for being the monkey wrench bearer, but if you’re traversing snow covered wet ground, I am not sure extra weight and chains will benefit you. Of course if the ground is frozen (really frozen), you will be in better shape. 
 

Just something to think about… 

Edited December 9 by kpinnc

[MainelyWheelhorse 566]

@Alrashid2 I haven’t adjusted mine a ton from when I got it. I mounted mine off the mowing deck mounting arm. if yours has the chain to the mowing deck arm like my 308 you may be able to get more height out of it by moving the bolt on the arm further up the link or once you get the dial a height on cranking that all the way up. I haven’t had a huge problem with it unintentionally contacting the ground as it’s set up now.

[Brockport Bill 1,715]

removing the plow from tractor only takes a few minutes -- removing the blade from frame is pretty simple as well - and easy to store against a wall --- so unless having the plow on serves a use function during summer makes sense to remove

[pfrederi 17,887]

46 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

I’ll be the first to admit that snow isn’t something I normally deal with. That being said, my personal answer to the question about weights is what surface you use the tractor on making trips for wood. 
 

Weights and chains work great for pressing down against a prepared hard surface. Snow is displaced, and chains bite against the hard surface. 
 

Here at least, soft mud is more of an issue all year round. In that case, floatation mated with cleat and rib tires provides much better traction and control. Additional weight works against you, because the contact patch sinks. This makes every inch of forward motion is a climb out of a hole. Wheel spin is inevitable. 
 

Forgive me for being the monkey wrench bearer, but if you’re traversing snow covered wet ground, I am not sure extra weight and chains will benefit you. Of course if the ground is frozen (really frozen), you will be in better shape. 
 

Just something to think about… 

 

 

Different seasons and conditions do require different approaches.  Once the ground freezes weights chains and narrow tires work best.  However during mud season fat ag tires with no weight work better.

[kpinnc 12,560]

4 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

Different seasons and conditions do require different approaches. 

Yeah we rarely see the ground hard frozen, and when we do it’s only for a few days. I run weights up front just to keep the nose down, but have never needed additional weight in the rear. Might be due to the weight of the operator? 

 

 

[ebinmaine 68,440]

1 minute ago, kpinnc said:

Yeah we rarely see the ground hard frozen, and when we do it’s only for a few days

 

 

 

 

Oh man.  

It can be solid frozen here for MONTHS.  

[kpinnc 12,560]

5 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Oh man.  

It can be solid frozen here for MONTHS.  

It’s funny to think, my machines run mostly in hot weather. They spend winter in the garage, taken out every couple weeks just to recharge batteries and circulate oil. You guys run more in the cold. I wouldn’t know how to use a snowblower if my life depended on it. 
 

I have 3 dozer blades. Never once have I pushed snow! 

Edited December 10 by kpinnc

[Pullstart 63,100]

I don’t snow plow, but weight = traction and I leave my weights on year round.  I don’t really want to say this out loud, so I’ll type it.  I have a new set of 100 (ish) pound wheel weights I don’t even know what to put them on.  Weights for days!

[Ed Kennell 38,687]

12 hours ago, kpinnc said:

I have 3 dozen blades

Wow, that's alotta blades.

[Alrashid2 310]

Thanks all for the continued advice/opinions/photos! It'll help me figure out what I want to do. Can I ask, for those that just remove their plow and leave the frame on the tractor, why do you do that? It seems like the lowest point on the tractor is the frame, not the plow, and the plow only adds a few more inches of length to the front. Unless I'm wrong?

 

First things first for me is I will get the plow/frame installed with the axle bracket and make sure everything works at least. Once I get that figured out, I'll take her for a drive and see if I get stuck anywhere... That'll help me decide if I will keep it installed or install/remove as needed. I'd prefer to keep it installed as I have yet to figure out where I will be able to store it... I am completely out of storage space. My plan was to put it on a pallet out back and cover with a tarp, but after seeing how heavy the thing is, I don't think I'd be able to easily install/remove next to the pallet out in the mud and woods... 

 

Once I figure all that out, I'll retrofit the Dial a Height I'm getting from Lincoln. 

 

Oh, and before all of that, I need to replace my belt and install some wheel weights, ha! Question for you guys: do you need all 4 bolts on each wheel weight? Or is 2 enough, across from each other? 

[ebinmaine 68,440]

1 minute ago, Alrashid2 said:

Question for you guys: do you need all 4 bolts on each wheel weight? Or is 2 enough, across from each other? 

 

 

We use 2

[Alrashid2 310]

Nice! So no issue just using 2? anything i should be aware of?

 

And do you have the nuts/threads on the outside or inside? I noticed my weights and rims both have square holes

Edited December 10 by Alrashid2

[pfrederi 17,887]

You use carriage bolts head to the inside with the square hole to anchor it.

[Handy Don 12,470]

2 hours ago, Alrashid2 said:

Nice! So no issue just using 2? anything i should be aware of?

 

And do you have the nuts/threads on the outside or inside? I noticed my weights and rims both have square holes

I agree that two is adequate when using iron weights.

The concrete-filled plastic weights, however, have less internal structural integrity so I’d use all 4 with thick washers under the nuts to distribute the loading--and do NOT over tighten these lest you bend the plastic and crack the concrete inside.

Also, with either type of weight, consider trimming and rounding the ends of the bolts so that they just barely protrude from the nylock nuts and don’t imitate the antagonist’s chariot in “Ben Hur” with your legs or shed door frame as targets!

Edited December 10 by Handy Don

[kpinnc 12,560]

4 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

Wow, that's alotta blades.

I hate iPhones. I never typed “dozen”, but it doesn’t just check spelling, it injects grammar where it believes it is needed. 
 

…And people want AI. Bunch of bleeping idiots.