# Tricycle vs. Wide Front - Big Tractors



## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

Are Tricycle front generally more unstable overall than wide-front end tractors? Obviously it appears that way, but as I have restored -plenty- of tractors, none of them were narrow/tricycle.
Any general opinions or input on issues/problems/comments or other between the two? 

Thanks.


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## Durwood (Sep 16, 2003)

Must be something to it Andy,as far as safety.. To my knowledge , no one makes a trike anymore.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Weren't the trikes originally designed for cultivation? With the advent of RoundUp and RoundUp ready seeds and plants, the no till philosophy of agriculture, cultivation has pretty much become extinct.

The wheel base of the driven tires plays a large role in the triangle of stability. A question better answered by an engineer.....where's Willie when you need him


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

4 wheels are always better then 3 but if you dont have hills i dont see where it would matter much. Or should i say wider front end is always better because most of your Tricycle fronts have two wheels so that would make four.:lmao:


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## parts man (Sep 24, 2003)

From what I have heard, the narrow fronts are less stable than a wide front, especially if equipped with a front loader. I've heard people say that when loading with a narrow front, they had to keep the bucket low to the ground as posible, and you don't load on ANY type of grade!!


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

Ya need to go to school and count, even tricycles have 4 wheels at least the ones I have seen do.........just happens two of the are close together:furious: 

I like the tricycle tractorsd as they looked especially good to me on those old tractors. As everyone stated so far the trikes were more prone to stability problems, but they seemed to turn sharper and if you spaced your rows and tires right was a piece of cake working row crops.

IIRC there was a John Deere that actually had a single front wheel. Then again I may have been dreaming, but I oculd have sworn I seen a single wheel on the front of an old deere.......


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## farmallmaniac (Feb 16, 2004)

some old farmalls had one wheel on front too. Wasnt that for cotton?
Ryan


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## parts man (Sep 24, 2003)

Ryan, I think that maybe the cotton-picker models did tend to have the single front wheel, but they were used in other applications too. 

I like the look of the narrow fronts better too, kind of classy, we have narrow fronts on all of our antiques that had one availlable for them, but they are just parade tractors, not for work.


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## farmallmaniac (Feb 16, 2004)

I want a big MD with wide front


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Thats all my Grandpa had and my Uncle to. I don't ever remember them ever turn one over and i think they look better.


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## johndeere (Sep 17, 2003)

Narrow front ends were popular during the mounted corn picker and cotton picker days.The mounted picker went over the tractor and the front wheels stradled the rows.They were also popular with mounted cultivators.This was back when corn rows were planted in a 40'' or 36'' row.Now days corn rows are mostly 30'' rows.It is harder to get a narrow front end tractor down a 30'' row.That is why a wide front became more popular.Now days culitivators are rear mounted and it is actually easier to watch your row with a wide front.Then you have the (Front Wheel Assist )FWA option for todays tractors so a narrow front is just no longer practical.


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## johndeere (Sep 17, 2003)

I forgot to mention turning radius.The narrow front end tractors had terrific turning radius.Back then the wide fronts ends did not.But with today technology wide front tractors now have a tight turning radius.Back then with 2 or 4 row equipment you had to be able to turn around on a dime.But now days with 12 or 16or even 24 row equipment turning radius is not as important.


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## FLH69 (Apr 29, 2004)

I have an old Case VAC with the tricycle front end. You have to be careful on slopes and also make sure your rear tires do not run up over anything. I have a neighbor that has a Massey Harris
with the tricycle front end that he upset when one of his rear tires went up on a stump that he did not see. Luckily he was not badly hurt, messed his knee up a little.


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## parts man (Sep 24, 2003)

With the narrow front you can turn a tractor right around one hind wheel.


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