# Two wheel drive in sand



## CIRCLE-S (Sep 29, 2008)

I bought a Ford 1700 right off the bat, after I bought my land. Guess what I should have bought a 4X4 tractor. Land is blow sand and I can get stuck very easy. Yes I should buy a 4X4 but I am stubborn and don't want to spend $12g right now. 

My plan is to go with dual wheels on the rear and wider front. Most of the time I just shred but the tractor has a front-end loader and the sand should be easy to dig, but when I try to push any thing or carry any thing in the bucket the rear spins and digs a hole.

Will the wider front tire help first or the rear help the most? I know I need both but which will help best?

Thanks for sharing your experiences.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Welcome to Tractor Forum CIRCLE-S! The problems you are experiencing are very common on a tractor equipped with a FEL and 2WD. Probably the best single thing you can do to improve the tractor's performance and traction would be to add REAR ballast weight. This can be done by mounting a very heavy impliment such as a box blade on the 3 pt. hitch. Another option if you have not done so already is to fill the rear tires with fluid. The last and most expensive option is to add wheel weights on the rear tires. 

Since you have 2WD, you may have to practice the proper use of the rear differential lock which can also help you out with traction but should NOT be used making any turns. Straight line use only if possible. 

Try various combinations of rear weight and the diff. lock. This is should definitely improve your situation but the tractor will still have traction issues with heavy loads in the FEL bucket, so try to limit the weight of the FEL bucket if possible. 

Dual rear tires may help somewhat in that they add more weight to the rear of the tractor but may distribute the rear tractor weight and reduce the traction of the rear tires. In general dual rear tires are used for additional floatation and traction in soft/muddy soils. They may help you out somewhat but they will also add additonal stress to the rear axles and drag somewhat when making sharp turns. I think once you see the price for the addtional 2 rear tires, wheels, and hardware; you may want to try the above suggestions first. 

One other effective but expensive option is rear tire chains in addition with the above. Depending upon the consistency of the sandy soil, they may or may not help as much if the soil is pure sand. I think they would work in a sandy mix soil. 

Wider front tires would definitely be a plus in that they will be able to carry and distribute much more weight when the FEL bucket is full and not sink in and rut the ground up as much. Just be sure to get a front tire that has the proper wieght/ply rating to carry the weight the FEL will put on them. 

Anyhow, just my 2 cents worth. Hope this helps you out and provides a few ideas. I am sure other will jump in with some great ideas as well.


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## CIRCLE-S (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks TF for the reply. The cost of a 4X4 is why I am looking at dual rear. The rear differential lock is new to me. Did not know it exist. I will have to research that. I have a Ford 1700. 

I thought of throwing some 50lb plates on the shredder, but then thought that might not be good for the 3-point.

I think I will try front tires first.


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