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Quad trac ballast question

8K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Caseisthebest 
#1 ·
Pricing out a used 620 quad currently on 36" goodyear tracks. Pulling our drill isn't an issue for traction currently with out 430 quad. Hp is our issue. Going to this extra hp hopefully makes life easier in the hills pulling and going direct into hay ground. My question is guys that are running these high hp tractors do you think that frame weights would be good idea over fuel tank in back to put the extra hp to the ground to prevent slippage with the extra hp or do the extra width of track give enough traction. How about in wet spots with the extra floatation I don't just want to sit on top and spin. If I have extra weight will it help dig in and pull. Any opinion would be awesome. Let's hear what you believe.
 
#2 · (Edited)
I drove a 600 for one spring with a 43' 1895 and a second year with a 60' 3710 and 7950 cart without any weights on 36" tracks. I thought it was fine but there is only one valley hill in one field that amounts to anything.

When it was hooked onto a 70' 3720 with the HF option and the same tracked 7950 cart some weight was then added. The wide cast iron nose was installed on the tractor that has the weights sitting in front of the tracks. We weren't positive if that would be enough or if the weight bias would be well suited for disc drill speed but it worked good in the mostly no till conditions.

I was concerned about ride stability from losing some mass centralization with the forward positioned weight but strangely it seemed better. It likely has something to do with the fact there isn't any tire sidewall deflection to ever get the tires and ballast into the same frequency, whereas on the tracks the leverage of the ballast kills the natural frequency movements in the chassis caused from the undercarriage. It will definitely pull harder no matter if its wet or dry.

If you had big hills and that much load behind I doubt if it would be enough weight when you have to start gearing down much, I doubt if you could ever ballast it enough. I just curve and climb that one steep hill on an angle for a few passes and turn the top of it into a headland. If you spin out going straight up a place like that with that big of a rig and that style of air cart, you will not be very happy for a few hours.

If hills are the concern, I would want the money spent on front weights.
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#3 ·
Ive got a 550 with just the cast nose weight, seems like most models come with this. If was to upgrade to a 600 or 620 then I would add a lot of weight. I have a NH T9.615(rated 550hp) Smarttrax that probably weights more than 10,000lbs over the Case and its like a whole different animal. The Case will run 3-5% slip where as the NH is 0-2% in the same conditions.

I would go with this front bracket plus the rear bracket on the fuel tank. If you take 620hp x 110lbs you could really load it up.
 
#5 ·
Not sure if I've ever seen a 600 or 620 on 30" tracks, maybe that's for a reason.
I have one with a nose weight. I think 36" tracks are mostly valuable for keeping the under-carriage clean, not sure they make a whole lot of difference to pulling power. I have done lots of heavy pulling with 550 quads on 30" in the past and not had any issues with slippage at all.
 
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#6 · (Edited)
Because of the location of the idlers I don't think the 36" have a lot more traction but at 620hp you need all the help you can get. They do help flotation.

I have a 500 on 30" & 550 on 36", very slight difference. The ballast will help you the most when it gets wet. Tracks tend to squirm around on the top slick mud and the extra ballast will get them to bite better. On dry ground ballast wouldn't even cross my mind, but we have had lots of mud for the last 4 of 6 years.
 
#7 ·
Jason that's exactly what I was thinking as well. Our salesman is telling me that the front weights aren't needed. (Because the units he is trying to sell currently don't have I think he is to lazy to source them is the real reason) and I'm determined the rear are needed. As well he claims not nessasary. I agree the tracks being 36" and undercarriage only 30" that the extra width will be extra flotation not traction.
 
#8 ·
The 36's will have more traction when it is soft! Different machine but we have 36's on our Challenger and wouldn't think of narrower unless we were pulling scrapers on hard pan.

During seeding while the fields are still soft from the thaw the lugs on the 36's sink plenty and you will have better traction when its soft.

Greasy on top with the big footprint can be nasty though and why some guys will argue for tires.

I'm for ballasting up, hence the L7800 cart we have in the plans. +12000 on the hitch.
 
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