Is there any difference in the way you drive wide front and narrow front tractors? As a more or less city tractor hobbyist, I"ve had an A, Super A, Cub, and an 8N, all wide fronts. I"ve never driven a narrow front, but wondered. Sorry for the basic question, but I"d appreciate opinions.
Zachary Hoyt
Well-known Member
If you are in a tight spot some narrow front tractors will turn almost 90 degrees, so that one rear wheel does not turn as you turn the tractor. My H and 300 were like that. I had an Allis C that didn't turn quite as far, it had a different type of steering box mechanism and I guess that was all the movement there was room for.
Zach
Zach
We had both wide and narrow fronts. Our C, SC, 200, and 240 all had narrow fronts but we did have a wide front we put under the 200 and SC from time to time for special use. The narrow front would not do well in plowed soft sandy soil the first time over after plowing. The wide front used a lot less horsepower just moving the tractor under those conditions. Our 656 had a factory wide front and all the Fords had wide fronts. The tricycle front did well for two row equipment being easier to turn on the ends . . . if the soil wasn"t too soft and sandy. For 4-rows and more there was no need for a narrow front except for a mounted corn or cotton picker.
The most difficult part about driving a narrow front is getting used to not being able to see the wheels most of the time.
Narrow fronts do ride rougher because it is more likely that both wheels will hit a pothole at the same time. On a wide front, usually only one wheel hits, and the tractor only bounces half as much due to the mechanics.
Narrow fronts do ride rougher because it is more likely that both wheels will hit a pothole at the same time. On a wide front, usually only one wheel hits, and the tractor only bounces half as much due to the mechanics.
its allbeen said, while all my old iron happens to be wide front i grew up on narrow fronts miss their turning ability in a tight spot, they look ' tippy' but in reality there not, you have to use some common sense when operating any farm tractor, a dozer, its not, steep sidehills ,they do not like, but when you think on it the wide front rotates on its kingpin under the engine, the narrow front would rotate on its axle, nearly a foot lower
NoNewParts
Member
pretty much the same
I like NF, under most conditions, steering effort is much less
and they maneuver great.
Actually, my NF tractors with wide spaced rears
'feel' more stable than my little Fords with wide fronts.
Until you get used to it, watch tight turns around
buildings, etc.
when you turn the steering wheel on a NF, it turns
immediately, and that inside rear will clip it if you are used to wide fronts.
sure is nice with a NF, being 10' away from the shop, at a right angle to the door...pull right in
I like NF, under most conditions, steering effort is much less
and they maneuver great.
Actually, my NF tractors with wide spaced rears
'feel' more stable than my little Fords with wide fronts.
Until you get used to it, watch tight turns around
buildings, etc.
when you turn the steering wheel on a NF, it turns
immediately, and that inside rear will clip it if you are used to wide fronts.
sure is nice with a NF, being 10' away from the shop, at a right angle to the door...pull right in
DaninKansas
Member
While a narrow front isn't as stable as a wide front the nut behind the wheel makes a bigger difference.
I loved mowing hay with the H we had growing up, you could make 90 degree corners with ease with a 9' sickle bar mower. With my wide front tractor I have now I find myself wasting a lot of time because you just can't corner sharp enough and usually end up making a circle at the end of the swath.
I loved mowing hay with the H we had growing up, you could make 90 degree corners with ease with a 9' sickle bar mower. With my wide front tractor I have now I find myself wasting a lot of time because you just can't corner sharp enough and usually end up making a circle at the end of the swath.
notjustair
Well-known Member
I have a narrow front M with a loader on it. I LOVE the narrow front as it makes it almost zero turn. I think narrow fronts with loaders are hard to steer, but that's why I have power steering.
There are two instances where they are a pain. In snow that is deep and wet they want to push snow and make you a big pile. In wet mud once you get that center full of mud the front wheels want to slide on the slime. I have a scraper on mine and that just seems like a good place for baler twine to hang up. It is especially bad when putting a new round bale in the feeder. That heavy bale makes those front wheels slide on the rotting hay and manure. That's what turning brakes are for.
I wouldn't give up my narrow front. I have wides, too, but they aren't handy in a tight spot.
There are two instances where they are a pain. In snow that is deep and wet they want to push snow and make you a big pile. In wet mud once you get that center full of mud the front wheels want to slide on the slime. I have a scraper on mine and that just seems like a good place for baler twine to hang up. It is especially bad when putting a new round bale in the feeder. That heavy bale makes those front wheels slide on the rotting hay and manure. That's what turning brakes are for.
I wouldn't give up my narrow front. I have wides, too, but they aren't handy in a tight spot.
brent wortham
Member
Wouldnt take a wide front without power steering i love my narrow front!!! It will turn right around!!! I drove the old M around couple days this week!! I may have to again today!
Everyone already pretty much covered this topic but I throw my 2 cents in anyway.
All my NF tractors will pretty much turn in place without using the brakes. Add brakes and they easily will turn in place. Always turned my nose up at NF tractors as a kid, but I like them now for the enhanced maneuverability in small plots.
The NF do ride a tad bit rougher than a wide front (Unless you have a JD with roll-o-matic front end). My NF John Deere A with roll-o-matic rides nice. I wish my Farmall h or my Farmall M had that roll-o-matic front end in them. Sure is a shame that IH passed on roll-o-matic as it was offered to them first back in the day (just another one of their many mistakes in making sound business decisions as a company). I also have a case DC with NF. Have not really drove that tractor much yet, but that chicken roost steering does have some advanatages built into its design as well (except for looks- LOL).
Small NF tractors usually steer easy even without Power Steering. Bigger NF tractors start to get hard to steer without PS but are still easier than comparable size WF (Farmall M size and bigger then I want PS). Almost all WF tractors steer harder than NF without PS regardless of size.
Tippiness is more the nut behind the wheel....than NF or WF except if a loader is involved.
All my NF tractors will pretty much turn in place without using the brakes. Add brakes and they easily will turn in place. Always turned my nose up at NF tractors as a kid, but I like them now for the enhanced maneuverability in small plots.
The NF do ride a tad bit rougher than a wide front (Unless you have a JD with roll-o-matic front end). My NF John Deere A with roll-o-matic rides nice. I wish my Farmall h or my Farmall M had that roll-o-matic front end in them. Sure is a shame that IH passed on roll-o-matic as it was offered to them first back in the day (just another one of their many mistakes in making sound business decisions as a company). I also have a case DC with NF. Have not really drove that tractor much yet, but that chicken roost steering does have some advanatages built into its design as well (except for looks- LOL).
Small NF tractors usually steer easy even without Power Steering. Bigger NF tractors start to get hard to steer without PS but are still easier than comparable size WF (Farmall M size and bigger then I want PS). Almost all WF tractors steer harder than NF without PS regardless of size.
Tippiness is more the nut behind the wheel....than NF or WF except if a loader is involved.
I have driven several of both, and the only problems I recall with a narrow front was maybe they push a little more in sand or snow and you need to use the individual brakes. Had an uncle that bought a WF Super C because he farmed some pretty steep hills in NE Iowa... he changed it to a NF and said there was little if any difference and the NF turned sharper... just had to use your head with both.
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