[Jason E LeBlanc]

Well I have always been curious, so we bought both tractors and after seeding we tried the test. Tractor 1 is a quad 600 with pto and around 58000 lbs according to spec. Tractor 2 is case 535 on 800 metric large rubber. full weight package bringing her in at 56000 lbs, so very close.. We hooked them together and started driving in first gear away from each other at 1 mph. first pull was on a freshly graveled pad about a foot deep of crushed rock. Tractors never moved, just dug down. So it was tie. The second pull was on grass pasture very tall wet grass. same result, a tie. Third pull was on dirt in the field. same result. A tie. Both tractors held each other and this was a very fair comparison. Same color, close to same weight, and both big boys, did their job. Now during seeding, we were stuck many times with both tractors. Quad is my favorite because the cab and the ride across the field is amazing. you wont even splash a little coke out of the can. The 535 is a lot smoother on the road. So I Just thought I would share.

 

[offroadnt]

A little spare time on your hands?

 

[Tablemountainman]

That's very interesting. Thank you for posting.

 

[bussard]

Would of been good to compare against triples, have a feeling it would of pulled the quad around

Neighbour went from quad to tires this year after issues on wet soil, he said he was stuck many times when tires were going...

 

[afxrotor]

That is interesting, nice to know

 

[Don Boles]

Interesting none the less.

Not sure it proves much for the normal world but this is the most harmless example I've seen of this exercise.
You comment on ride qualities and in field performance is more interesting and more balanced than the "It's impossible to get my tractor stuck" drivel you often get here.

 

[mark 1056]

when you got stuck with each did you try and drive out ? after unhooking 9 out of 10 times the quad will where as tires you got a 50 50 chance

 

[SWMan]

Not sure it proves much for the normal world but this is the most harmless example I've seen of this exercise.
You comment on ride qualities and in field performance is more interesting and more balanced than the "It's impossible to get my tractor stuck" drivel you often get here.

I would agree that probably all this proves is which unit makes a bigger mess when you sit still and spin. Since tires immediately dig holes the footprint becomes much larger. It would have been interesting to see them pull the same implements across the same field and measure slippage/compaction which would most definitely result in crop loss, that is the tests I did with 3 separate implements on the same day/field.

FYI Don I got stuck this spring once with my drill in a spot I had dumped dirt with the scraper, tracks don't like loose mud at all!

Bussard you never did say whether your neighbor had 30" or 36" tracks?

 

[Jason E LeBlanc]

Both tractors have a chance of driving out after unhooked, thats a huge "maybe" and no promise that one is better. One thing that is fact though, is that I invent a new swear word almost every time it happens. I am sure some of you seen the pics of a quad this spring hooked to winch truck and tractors, and a back hoe. ... that was me. 7 hrs later I was out, only to go get the 535 outfit pulled out using the same winch truck etc at $350 an hour. haha. One has to think, I use to make a pretty good living with a 100 dollar micrphone in the auction business, haha. .... but I still wouldn't give up the farm life.

 

[Jason E LeBlanc]

Ok here is some interesting facts and or opinions. We pulled a case ih 800 70 foot precision hoe drill with 430 cart in front and 580 cart on rear. both tractors are run at 1750 rpm on cruise control. Neither had any power issue. Year was very wet and not ideal. 36 inch tracs on quad and slip was always around 2-4% going across field with full loads and about 60 percent power according to computer. 17 gal an hour ave in field.

535 w 800 metric. pulled identical outfit as we switched the tractors to pull the exact same drill. 1750 rpm 22 gal per hour, approx 8-10 percent slip and again 60 percent power was the normal. When crop came up,.....zero diff in compaction from tractors but yes we had lots from rear cart. Where the quad trac shines, is in the ride. I never realized just how much bounce is actually hapening in a wheeled tractor. Try the open coke test.. We also pull a 2000 bu grain cart on tracks, now this this is where it shines. No ruts, no bounce, and yes it will go though water and mud that Ipromise you, that you can not go with any wheeled tractor. I have tried..... But as far as to say that the quad demands the 100k more price tag, is merely a preference then a need. Saying that, I am not going back to tires. imo

 

[Tablemountainman]

Excellent info. A person can not really compare much better then that. How about using a blade, have you ever compared the two pushing snow or dirt? or pulling scraper?

 

[Don Boles]

How about using a blade, have you ever compared the two pushing snow or dirt? or pulling scraper?

Does Jason look like the NTTL?

 

[Don Boles]

36 inch tracs on quad and slip was always around 2-4% going across field with full loads and about 60 percent power according to computer. 17 gal an hour ave in field.

535 w 800 metric. pulled identical outfit as we switched the tractors to pull the exact same drill. 1750 rpm 22 gal per hour, approx 8-10 percent slip and again 60 percent power was the normal. When crop came up,.....zero diff in compaction from tractors

Try the open coke test..

Edited down just for discussion purposes only Jason.
Your figures would seem to indicate a 30% or greater fuel use by the wheeled unit and I'd be surprized if that's accurate.

Compared to my tractor yours are heavily ballasted I'm probably 10,000+ pounds less then your wheeled unit yet I use more fuel/hr and have less slip.
On flat ground anyway.

You spare no expense on test equipment!

 

[mbfarmer]

I'm thinking you guys don't know what wet is. Our 955c with 800's got stuck driving across the field to pull out our corn planter with nothing on behind. Our 865 had to come over to pull out the corn planter and the wheel tractor. Our wheeled 4wd was so useless this spring it just barely stuck around. There is no comparison when it comes to floatation. Neighbors could not believe the ground we were pulling through this spring. To be honest I couldn't believe it either. With that said we want to keep the wheels for tiling cause it pulls better while turning.

 

[SWMan]

Ok here is some interesting facts and or opinions. We pulled a case ih 800 70 foot precision hoe drill with 430 cart in front and 580 cart on rear. both tractors are run at 1750 rpm on cruise control. Neither had any power issue. Year was very wet and not ideal. 36 inch tracs on quad and slip was always around 2-4% going across field with full loads and about 60 percent power according to computer. 17 gal an hour ave in field.

535 w 800 metric. pulled identical outfit as we switched the tractors to pull the exact same drill. 1750 rpm 22 gal per hour, approx 8-10 percent slip and again 60 percent power was the normal. When crop came up,.....zero diff in compaction from tractors but yes we had lots from rear cart. Where the quad trac shines, is in the ride. I never realized just how much bounce is actually hapening in a wheeled tractor. Try the open coke test.. We also pull a 2000 bu grain cart on tracks, now this this is where it shines. No ruts, no bounce, and yes it will go though water and mud that Ipromise you, that you can not go with any wheeled tractor. I have tried..... But as far as to say that the quad demands the 100k more price tag, is merely a preference then a need. Saying that, I am not going back to tires. imo

Was that test with the same 600 quad you speak of earlier? If so what surprises me more than the slippage is the fact that the Cummins burnt less fuel than the Iveco! I and most other people noticed the opposite when comparing those two motors. I pulled a 66' BG drill with banders and 7950 tank all spring and rarely saw slippage over 2%, even up hills and through ditches with water it would generally stay under 6%. But this is with 30" Camoplast tracks.

Either there is some dirt out there that responds completely different to tires/tracks or I am starting to wonder if 36" tracks are ruining the performance of many Quad-tracs? I suspect they are.

 

[offroadnt]

Not sure it proves much for the normal world but this is the most harmless example I've seen of this exercise.
You comment on ride qualities and in field performance is more interesting and more balanced than the "It's impossible to get my tractor stuck" drivel you often get here.

Hey Don I resemble that remark . Our Versatile with the 900s is really incredible for traction. We never had to tow it once in the six years we've owned it. You think we have more common sense then most on here if that's the case, thank you

Hooking two tractors together like that doesn't tell you anything. Take the duals off or add triples you will have the same results. Super load one with weights so it doesn't spin it'll have the advantage, simple physics.

 

[Jason E LeBlanc]

Was that test with the same 600 quad you speak of earlier? If so what surprises me more than the slippage is the fact that the Cummins burnt less fuel than the Iveco!

Same quad yes.. I never said the cummins burnt less in the 535, I said it burned more. Again, I am simply going by the computer and not math. I simply found it interesting to compare some of this machinery, and not making one out to be better then the other.

Tablemountain, I did purchase a degelman 7900 6 way blade, but never used it and if I do, it will be for snow.

On a related note, I have had the unique opportunity to travel to several small towns and farms all across canada and in the usa as well. I will certainly point out that soil changes as you travel. Not all equipment works well in every climate or area., so if you have 900, 800, 700 metric or quad with 36 in or 30 inch, it may not be so good in other areas.(30 miles can make a huge diff in soil type) That would be the reason all types are made. I have sold many retirement farm auctions of every color of equip for almost 25 years and I have learned that ........."nothing improves quality, like ownership." I just like trying new technology and seeing what works best here on my farm. I purchased a magnum 340 with 800 metrics and dualed her up front and back to pull a 1245 planter, it works great in modest condition, but I manged to get it stuck also. When someone can promise me that what they have, will get me better traction, and so on, I will buy it. My guess is, mother nature has more to do with traction, then the rubber. As for the hooking up of the 2 tractors, it was to settle a bet. We had a lot of fun trying it,........... We were most impressed with the orange sling... Everyone had trying times to put in a crop so lets all hope it grows and everyone can prosper enough to buy the equipment you feel is best.

 

[bussard]

Soil must be different, I have seen more quads stuck pulling big drills this year than most, where triples bite down and keep moving threw, ya a quad will pull better over a hill, but being stuck and having to disconnect every wet spot is not the answer as well...

 

[SWMan]

I never said the cummins burnt less in the 535, I said it burned more.

Sorry i was reading that on my phone and clearly read wrong, it makes much more sense now.

 

[Duchek]

Soil must be different, I have seen more quads stuck pulling big drills this year than most, where triples bite down and keep moving threw, ya a quad will pull better over a hill, but being stuck and having to disconnect every wet spot is not the answer as well...

Have to agree with you on that. It seems that is also true in our area. Only been stuck once in the two years we have been running triples. It might just be though that I don't bother taking the risk of getting stuck and losing a day or two of seeding just to gain a little patch of mudded in seed that won't grow anyways.