2WD sap hauler?

[whitetail farms]

does anybody in the north country or any where you normally have a good amount of snow use a 2wd farm tractor to collect im thinking of getting a farmall super A for next year to haul sap and buckets through the woods,but im not sure if this tractor would work even if I made good trails and kept them some what plowed any thoughts,i have dumping stations now but i would like to free up the two tanks im using for that cause I will be tapping another bush next year on tubing where ill need the tanks,any thoughts on this would be very helpful thanks,nick

[spencer11]

Not sure about a tractor but a 2wd atv doesn't work well in much snow...you may want to look for a 4x4 atv or snowmobile depending on how much snow you have. Or a utv/side by side if you can afford that

[whitetail farms]

yeah ive thought about a 4X4 atv but its just not a tractor.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Two wheel drive will probably be fine. I'd suggest tire chains. If the terrain is hilly, a super A may be a bit small. Mud usually is a bigger problem than snow.

[whitetail farms]

i do have one steep hill but it isnt big so i can leave the tractor at the bottom and lug the sap to the tractor down there and drive to where the trail goes up the side of the hill and it isnt so steep there but im thinking ill work on making good trails this summer that i might be able to plow out a little

[maple flats]

If the tractor has a differential lock and you put chains on it, you can go thru a lot. Without diff lock I'd try something else. I don't think diff lock was available on Super A.

[whitetail farms]

okay thanks guys ,it will either be a farmall or a ford n series,ive just always have loved farmalls and sense I put a farmall decal on my truck I feel like its only fitting to actaully get the tractor,but we will see what next year brings for now ill just carry the buckets to the dump stations

[Mark-NH]

I think the farmall will be better in the snow. Taller, more narrow tires with more weight over the rear tires.

[whitetail farms]

yeah right how would it be for pulling a few logs a year though?

[TerryEspo]

I have had a Farmall Cub and a Ford 9N. Both gone and no regrets, only joy.

They are great for pulling weight no doubt, great on hard ground, will pull or drag more tha you may want...but in greasy snow or mud,,,,yikes. Only if it had a bucket to push you out once stuck would I EVER again get a 2 wheel drive tractor.

A used 4x4 ATV and trailer with wheels, I feel is best , if too much snow for an ATV, snowmachine and sleigh.

Just my opinion, and what I use, have tried many options. I miss my Massey 1-75 the most, 2 wheel drive,,,with a loader, lol.

Good luck.

Terry

[Atgreene]

We've used 9N's, 2N's, 8N's, 600's, 800's, IH Cub, IH 300, IH 504, Ford 3000, Polaris Big Boss ATV with tracks, Kubota 4150 etc... etc... A two wheel drive will work fine with some tire chains and some weight and a lot of common sense. Loaded rear tires or wheel weights will help out a lot, but the chains will keep you moving through mud. If there's no road there to begin with though, even a 4 wd will have issues. Keep the snow in the road either packed down or roughly plowed from the start of snow season, otherwise you'll belly out in snow. The more snow you get rid of, the more frost in the ground, the better it will be until mud season.

As you can see from my pics, the ATV with tracks doesn't always fit the bill. The 600 with V plow is all my father uses to plow his farm and our maple areas. He uses both the V and a straight blade. Take your time with whatever you decide on and take small bites.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

We used a wide front farmall 300 in the woods for about 10 years. Would "walk" it's way through 30 inches of snow when equipped with double ring chains. If stuck, you had to watch out for the front end coming up but that is true of any tractor. I have used 4 wheel drives too. They are nice but they also get stuck and when they do, they dig themselves in on both ends!

[whitetail farms]

okay thanks for the advice everyone you are really making my decision easier,I have a bobcat so I should be able to make some decent trails on the bottom of my slope but I dont think ill try to get the up to the top or il have to have a change of pant on the ready,once you get to the top it mostly flat anyways but there are some muddy area maybe I could haul some sand or cheap fill up there to cover it

[heus]

Why not just use the Bobcat? I can tell you that my 650 Prairie 4x4 atv does a better job in the mud than my Ford 641 tractor did. Pulls almost as much weight too and less tearing up of the ground. If I had a skidsteer like a Bobcat I think I would rather use that. One tank in the front bucket and pulling a trailer with a tank behind.

[whitetail farms]

I dont want to use the bobcat because its an old m610 and it flops over in a heart beat it also has a vapor lock issue that I cannot figure out how to fix and without chains it woulnt go very far

[shane hickey]

Unless you have tracks on the bobcat dont do it it will get stuck very easy plus there a pain to climb in and out all the time

[David in MI]

We use an International Hydro 84 with a 275 caged tank on forks in the 3-pt hitch. It's 2WD, has loaded tires with Trygg tire chains (which are studded). Prior to tire chains I couldn't make it up even a slight grade; the chains made all the difference in the world for us. I still got it stuck in the mud last year (went off the trail into the soft stuff) and needed my neighbor to tow me out but this year I plan on keeping a hydraulic winch mounted to the front of the tractor. I don't know anything about the tractor you mentioned, other than it's red, which is of course the most beautiful of all colors on a tractor. :)

[whitetail farms]

haha that is true red tractors are real tractors not them green john deere things everyone else likes ;), but I also like allis chalmers and wouldnt mind settling for one of thoughs

[Mike R.]

A old 2 wheel drive tractor, specifically a row crop wide front will go through a fair bit of snow due to the tall skinny tires and high ground clearance. I have taken my tractor through 2 feet of snow without issues, mind you I do have 4 wheel drive if I get stuck. Remember tractors are very unstable on uneven ground.

If you are set on a Farmall go with a model C, H or M, as they will have the best weight and ground clearance.

If you haven't noticed I enjoy tractors and farm equipment very much. I've never owned a ATV but have a few tractors, each has its own purpose.

[whitetail farms]

okay thanks Mike i was looking into a c but i kin of like the smaller size of the A,all of my slope are short enough that i can park at the bottom and just bring the sap down hill to the tractor and then go up the slope on a traile where its not so steep so im not to worried about a tractor on the hill except for maybe pulling a few logs every year but i think i am going to try and put a hand winch or something on the back for that,My uncle old farm that is not running anymore due to him passing away has a M and H just sitting in the barn maybe i could try and get my hands on one

[Mike R.]

That would probably be your cheapest bet. Most likely will need a carb clean up, new plugs and fluid change and it should be good for a good long time. Heck I have a 99 year old engine that is still running with out ever needing a rebuild.

Get some photos of the tractor to post on here.

[Shawn]

Use three four wheelers with tracks on them and the tracks are studded, if little snow use tractor with four wheel drive and ice chains on back and tires front and rear are loaded. But with a lot of snow no get stuck with tractor not fun!:cool:

[whitetail farms]

yeah if i remember correctly both have narrow row crop wheels like the tricycle style though or atleast I know the M is does sure about the H

[heus]

My great grandfather used a Farmall 230 (later version of the C I think) when our woods was last tapped in the 1960s. There are still massive ruts all over the place. Many with 12" reds growing between them now. One of the reasons I went to tubing was because I was tearing up the ground with my Ford 641 tractor. My heart is in the Allis Chalmers line. I have had a WD45, styled WC, and unstyled WC.