1943 Farmall H - Wide vs Narrow frontend

What’s the big difference between the wide and narrow front end. I want to do lite work with this tractor, mainly moving some brush around and gathering cord wood, but I do not have the flattest land, just rolling...I am leery of the narrow front....advice I could use .. thanks from an almost new, old tractor lover

My nickel’s worth.

Chris
Southern Maine

My dad did have a wide front for the H but it couldn't be used with the model 31 loader. Some years later I did install a wide front on 300. I could readily see all I really achived was to make tractor more cumbersome and clumsy.

One final bit of advice, set those rear wheels at 72" minamum tread, center to center. The rear wheel tread plus rear wheel weight, is basically what keeps all loader tractors upright, nf or wf, and don't forget that dose of common sence.

Do not drive with the bucket raised. Do not turn at high speeds. Set the rear wheels out as wide as possible if you are worried.

Put chloride in the rear tires, will do more good for safety/balance than cast weights because the weight will be carried lower and will also lower the center of gravity.

I prefer narrow front for working around the yard, easier to steer and much tighter turning circle.

I can vouch for that. I'm from the midwest and saw my first trike 5 years ago. Up until then it was all singles or wides.

Guess it is a regional kind of thing.

Allan

This topic seems to come around regularly every 28 days like some other things. I try not to get involved anymore but I think the consensus is that the NF's are as safe on hills as WF's. "Safe" is all in the head of the driver.

I grew up on a NF Farmall M here in our hills. We used a loader to clean a large heifer barn and toaroads. We got that NF M and loader in 1946 and used it until 1990; never an accident or even close to it. And I'm talking some hilly country.

Keep the rear wheels wide, the tires loaded, use weights, and just THINK.