Tractor Stability

[RalphVa]

Our B2601 has rears filled with either salt water or windshield wiper fluid. I also carry something on the 3ph when using the FEL. It is VERY stable, much less pucker factor than any of the 3 JDs I owned. Do not carry the FEL very high with a load in it.

 

[RalphVa]

Drop the loader when you mow. You'll feel much better. It will remove quite a bit of weight, and lower the center of gravity.

Messicks just put out a video a day or two ago checking the weight on the front axle with the loader attached. It was on a BX and was in excess of 1,400 pounds on the front axle. Dropping the bucket reduced the axle load by 300 lbs. Dropping the loader took the weight on the front axle to somewhere in the 700 lb range. So, a weight reduction of 50% by simply taking a minute to drop the loader.

Here's the video.

I'd only remove the bucket. I'm on my 4th tractor and have NEVER removed the loader but have removed the bucket at times. See no reason to muck with those hydraulic couplings. Have always had rear wheels filled.

 

[dirtydeed]

I'd only remove the bucket. I'm on my 4th tractor and have NEVER removed the loader but have removed the bucket at times. See no reason to muck with those hydraulic couplings. Have always had rear wheels filled.

Watch the video in post #23. It takes a whole 2 mins to drop the loader. Who knows, maybe if you did you'd get better fuel mileage as well?

 

[River19]

I'm late to this party but our B2601 has the tires filled, spacers and I hang my 60" box blade off the 3pt and have done a reasonable amount of FEL work and it is stable. I always use 4wd even with small hills, Low on the tranny and just take it at a reasonable speed. There are no trophies for doing the job very quickly if it means pushing the safety envelope.