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Increasing garden tractor pulling power

5K views 48 replies 13 participants last post by  FrankIII 
#1 ·
Hi this is my second post on this forum and I am in need of some ideas. Does anyone have any suggestions for increasing a garden tractors pulling power without a new engine? Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Well, I am for sure not an expert - but whatever you want to pull the wheels have to submit the torque to the ground.
A new engine with more hp will not help at all, when the tractor isn't capable to turn it into a pulling force.
To increase the traction adding weight is a common thing by using wheel weights as well as weights to the powered wheels (mostly the rear).
Next step is to review the tire profile type.
 
#3 ·
Welcome to GT Talk.

First questions. What are you working with? What do you plan to do with it?

Like stated above, weight will increase your ability to pull. If you are doing competition pulling I'm sure that you are limited on weight according to your class. There should also be a limit on the height of your hitch. You want to run your hitch at the maximum height allowed. This gives up pull on the tow weight making it easier to pull. Following the hitch height, you want enough weight on the front of the tractor to keep the front tires close to the ground. The higher the front is in the air, the lower your hitch is to the ground. Not to mention the whole control thing. ;)

One way to increase engine power is to increase RPMs on the engine, most stock small engines are governed to 3600RPMs. Increasing your RPMs to say 4200 would give more power with out damaging the engine. Any thing past 4200RPMs will take more $ in order for the engine stay together. In competition max RPMs is usually another rule according to your class.

Or there is the "throw money at it" solution. Take your existing engine and build the snot out of it. Here in the states we have kits that will help you get 13+ hp out of a cheap 6.5hp engine.
 
#5 ·
What type of drive system does it have? Does your tractor have diff lock?If you have a belt drive transmission weather it is gear or hydro make sure your belt is not slipping. If your belt or tension system is bad when you add extra weight your belt will slip and your tractor will not pull with proper torque. Also diff lock helps traction a good bit. If you have it use it!
 
#6 ·
Hi! thanks for all the replies! also this tractor is not for competition it is merely for farm work. it is a differential rear wheel drive. also, if it helps the tractor is a Westwood T1200. the tractor will be used for ground works and moving drainage stone in corporation with our Massey Ferguson 30E, so I am just looking for a solution to help move these heavy loads. the tractor is also fitted with a briggs and Stratton 287707 14.5hp engine.

kind regards!
 
#15 ·
Lawn tractors will pull a surprising load with a 14.5 hp engine, as long as the load is on wheels and there are no slopes involved.

In general, LT transaxles are limited to a maximum static load of 600 - 700 lb, including the operator, but not including the rims and tires and any ballast applied to them.

The lack of weight carried by the rear wheels is the limiting factor for pulling loads with your tractor. The engine is big enough to tow a 7000 lb trailer when installed in a heavier tractor that can carry more ballast.
 
#16 ·
For weight the easiest thing to do is fill the tires with RV antifreeze.
Using chains on the rear wheels helps a lot with traction in dirt as well as snow. I have chains on my Wheelhorse C160 and have done a lot of landscape dirt moving with a snow dozer blade. I have the rear tires filled, plus 66pounds of weight per rear wheel. Then I added the chains and they made all the difference.
 
#18 · (Edited)
make a box, put the carb inside, pressurize the box. (if the entire carb isn't pressurized on the outside gas will blow out and you probably will need an electric fuel pump or if it has a fuel pump the diaphragm may need a line to it from the box(pressure) cause the fuel pump will not work). put a large battery in front for counterweight. just an idea LOL
 
#20 ·
Glycol based fluid such as Antifreeze tends to make rubber go a bit soft. I wouldn't use it in tubes.

I had a set of tubed tires on a garden tractor loaded with Antifreeze and they started leaking after a couple of years. Once I got them drained (which took a very long time to do without making a huge mess) I pulled the tubes out and both of them felt like a slimy wet noodle. The antifreeze must have been seeping through the thin rubber, I could not find any holes in the tubes but they were both very slimy and soft.

Alcohol based Windshield washer fluid isn't quite as heavy but it works good in tubes. Windshield washer fluid can be alot cheaper as well. Some of our local auto parts places have the -20F blue stuff on sale for around $2.50 a gallon from time to time.
 
#22 ·
Glycol based fluid such as Antifreeze tends to make rubber go a bit soft. I wouldn't use it in tubes.

I had a set of tubed tires on a garden tractor loaded with Antifreeze and they started leaking after a couple of years. Once I got them drained (which took a very long time to do without making a huge mess) I pulled the tubes out and both of them felt like a slimy wet noodle. The antifreeze must have been seeping through the thin rubber, I could not find any holes in the tubes but they were both very slimy and soft.

Alcohol based Windshield washer fluid isn't quite as heavy but it works good in tubes. Windshield washer fluid can be alot cheaper as well. Some of our local auto parts places have the -20F blue stuff on sale for around $2.50 a gallon from time to time.
Thanks for letting me know!
 
#32 ·
sometimes it just doesn't move and it clicks under heavy load
Well..

What i would do in your position is just have realistic expectations. It sounds like the possibilities for your machine started in the 'low-to-medium' range and might have gone down to 'really low' if it makes a clicking noise and doesn't move. That's not engine or belts.. almost certainly internal to trans. Might have some already partially stripped teeth skipping across each other as the shafts flex apart from each other, etc.

The good thing, things that 'look like a riding mower', most people can't tell the difference between one with a lot of pulling potential and one without, so you can often find a 'good starting point' for pretty cheap because the person who has it might think it's 'just another riding mower'.

So i would keep your eyes out for the next project with better bones for pulling. Anything you learn on the current machine along the way will be put to use again in the future, so as long as you're not sinking a crazy amount of time or money, or getting demotivated and giving up, it's all good in the end.
 
#33 ·
Well..

What i would do in your position is just have realistic expectations. It sounds like the possibilities for your machine started in the 'low-to-medium' range and might have gone down to 'really low' if it makes a clicking noise and doesn't move. That's not engine or belts.. almost certainly internal to trans. Might have some already partially stripped teeth skipping across each other as the shafts flex apart from each other, etc.

The good thing, things that 'look like a riding mower', most people can't tell the difference between one with a lot of pulling potential and one without, so you can often find a 'good starting point' for pretty cheap because the person who has it might think it's 'just another riding mower'.

So i would keep your eyes out for the next project with better bones for pulling. Anything you learn on the current machine along th
e way will be put to use again in the future, so as long as you're not sinking a crazy amount of time or money, or getting demotivated and giving up, it's all good in the end.
Good idea! I think I will take a look for a quad though due to more speed and power
 
#38 · (Edited)
The angle of the tow bar is insignificant when compared to the weight difference between the 18 hp steam tractor and the 800 hp JD. Even when the steamer had its rear tires down in the trenches dug by the JD and the JD was on undisturbed ground with the tow bar almost dead level on the last pull, the steamer still walked away.

The purpose of posting the video is to show that more horsepower does not affect pulling power nearly as much as more weight. Even with a tow bar that is attached at the same height on two tractors that are the same except for the load on the rear tires, the tractor with more weight on the drive tires will outpull the other even if there is a 1.25% hp advantage for the other tractor. It is, after all, an extreme example when compared to the 44.44% advantage in this video.

Likewise, the low gearing is irrelevant. Whether high or low, once traction is broken, the tractor with the spinning tires loses. There-in lies the difference between torque and horsepower.
 
#39 ·
Understood. My point was that it was never a fair match to start with. Traction is key. Weight and surface area in contact with the ground factor in. It clearly shows the difference in technology used and the different design priorities considered between a modern pulling tractor and a vintage steam traction unit. HP = torque x rpm x K. I think gearing is relevant to pulling loads. If you are not traction limited then the torque at the wheels will be the limit and that depends on available HP at the working RPM and the gear ratio. If you have a lot of traction you can still move a lot of weight with a few HP, you just can’t move it quickly.
 
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