[AT] High Clearance tractors

Mon Mar 1 11:18:47 PST 2021

My friend has Farmall AV.. and it's got more clearance yet. It has dropped
castings for the rear axle and taller posts for front axles. The V models
were also available in HV and MV.

Dave

On Mon, Mar 1, 2021, 1:03 PM Spencer Yost <spencer at rdfarms.com> wrote:

> Here in the south tobacco cultivation required high clearance rather than
> hi crop but also requires visibility.   Hence the taller, offset tractors
> like the Farmall “A” and Oliver 44 were most popular.
>
> I also think that high clearance might be a bit relative. The Farmall A is
> not a particularly tall tractor but is taller than tractors comparable to
> it in terms of horsepower and size
>
> Spencer
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 1, 2021, at 12:48 PM, Dean VP <deanvp at att.net> wrote:
>
> 
>
> Brad,
>
>
>
> I was directing the question towards you  thinking you were exposed to all
> kinds of farm machinery. I drive through the San Joaquin valley twice a
> year  and just am in in awe of all the farm machinery that is so different
> than I am familiar with. But the “High Clearance” not High Crop tractors I
> was asking questions about were those of the 40’s and 50’s. Sometimes
> called “Vegetable” tractors. And were quite common in the San Juaquin
> Valley.   In JD’s parlance they typically were configured like this:  Extra
> Long Rear Axles, Extra Long rear axle housings, dished cast rear wheel
> centers, 42” rear tires and a single 16” front wheel.  If the tractor had
> an adjustable wide front end the spindles were 2” or more longer.   Now for
> al long as I have been involved in antique tractors, since 1998, I have
> always considered these particular tractors, primarily taller (High
> Clearance) tractors.   But It has always puzzled me that they really are
> not that much different in height vs a 36” vs a 38” vs a 42” rear tire.
> One might think the rear axles might be 3” higher off the ground due to the
> tire size difference but due to the difference in tire profiles there
> really is less than 2” difference in height.   So I am now questioning what
> does “High Clearance” really means to a farmer.  Does it primarily mean
> taller or more adjustability wheel width?  Since so much of the
> configuration change is associated with added width High Clearance must
> mean more row width compatibility.
>
>
>
> Since I have no experience farming in the San Joaquin Valley I can only
> relate to Iowa 1940’s and 50’s corn and soy bean  row crop farming. The
> extra 2” in vertical height would not have been that big an issue since the
> third or sometimes fourth round of cultivating occurred just before the
> corn got too tall and in the heat of summer there may be only a few days
> between 2” difference in height. Sometimes the corn stalks had to bend
> pretty good the last time we were out there, sometimes called “laying it
> by”.  But I suspect there are certain crops in the valley that grow to a
> certain height  and row width is a bigger issue.   Since we did not
> irrigate in NW Iowa we were restricted by how many stalks per acre the land
> could support based on our limited rain supply.   That has changed
> drastically since then with newer hybrids of plants that are more drought
> resistant.  In fact now the plant goes dormant until the rain comes and
> then starts growing again.  So instead of the 40” rows we used with spaced
> seed drops at 40’s not they are down to 20” rows with drilled seed drop.
> Instead of the 60 to 80 bushel per acre they are now averaging 200 to 300
> bushel per acre on non-irrigated land.  But… since they don’t cultivate any
> more tractors don’t need to be configured as “Row Crop” tractors or adapt
> to the narrower rows as much.
>
>
>
> Dean VP
>
> Apache Junction, AZ
>
>
>
> *From:* AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> *On Behalf Of *
> bradloomis at charter.net
> *Sent:* Monday, March 1, 2021 4:44 AM
> *To:* 'Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group' <
> at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [AT] High Clearance tractors
>
>
>
> I forgot this then had come in, there was no traffic. Was this directed at
> me Dean? First and foremost I am not a farmer. I’m a maintenance mechanic.
> But I’ll certainly venture a stab at your question. I believe most all on
> this list can identify a ‘high crop’ tractor when seen. Generally the
> castings for axles are different putting the entire tractor at a higher
> level. High clearance? See the photo I took from the driveway of my work.
> Kubota is a rarity around here. But the four tall, skinny, probably 12”
> wheels are what I would say is ‘high clearance”. Drive through the Salinas
> valley, salad bowl to the world and the fields are full of Deere with these
> tall, skinny wheels and tires. Granted there are also a ton of Deere big
> tracked machines for earth work. But then again, maybe your question was
> directed at Brad G?
>
> Non-farmer Brad
>
>
>
> *From:* AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> *On Behalf Of *Dean VP
> *Sent:* Sunday, February 28, 2021 6:52 PM
> *To:* 'Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group' <
> at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [AT] High Clearance tractors
>
>
>
> Is the list down?
>
>
>
>
>
> Dean VP
>
> Apache Junction, AZ
>
>
>
> *From:* AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> *On Behalf Of *Dean VP
> *Sent:* Monday, February 22, 2021 6:56 PM
> *To:* 'Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group' <
> at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> *Subject:* [AT] High Clearance tractors
>
>
>
> Brad,
>
>
>
> I have a totally different subject and it would be informative I think to
> get a farmers perspective on it.  This is in regards to 1940/50’s “High
> Clearance” Tractors Not “High Crop” tractors.  There are various attributes
> on a “High Clearance” Tractor primarily related to extra- long axles/axle
> housings and offset wheel centers to offer even more width adjustability.
> And often a single front wheel and even narrow 42” rear tires.  The added
> adjustable wheel width is quite significant but the actual axle height
> doesn’t significantly increase, maybe 2” at most. So my question is when
> you as a farmer go looking for a “High Clearance” tractor is your primary
> focus on the increase in adjustable rear wheel width and if so how
> important in addition to that is the increase in axle height?
>
>
>
>
>
> So hopefully you can help me define a “High Clearance tractor” is one that
> primarily offers wider rear wheel settings and the increase in vertical
> axle height is secondary.
>
>
>
> Dean VP
>
> Apache Junction, AZ
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