Steel Wheels

Dave8N in Pa · Mar 30, 2014

I have never been around anyone who used steel wheels. I found a set and am thinking about trying them. Has anyone here farmed with steel wheels? I know the bad points- they ride ruff and are bad news on frozen ground. What about traction? How do they compare to rubber on good ground or wet ground? Are they better or at least as good for plowing. I have some wet ground and would like to think they would do better then rubber. Am I wrong???

Greg K · Mar 30, 2014

They have good traction I believe, however it takes more horsepower to pull the steel lugs out of the ground. I guess what I"m trying to say is that a rubber tired tractor will be able to pull more since it is using less horsepower to turn the wheels and therefore has more to put to pulling. As far as the rough ride, yes they do ride rough on hard surfaces but usually you aren"t plowing frozen ground lol. IMHO if you want to put steel on it go ahead, its your tractor. I kind of like the look of steel personally.

El Toro · Mar 30, 2014

Our 10-20 was on steel until the main road was hard surfaced, then in order to reach some of the fields they switched to rubber. I've had old garden tractors on steel and they did ok in the garden when plowing or cultivating. Hal

gene bender · Mar 30, 2014

Not good on wet ground as they get stuck easy.

FBH44 · Mar 30, 2014

I have no personal experience, but I"ve heard every so often they"d bounce you real hard left-right-left-right-left-right.

Jim in Ma. · Mar 30, 2014

The old timers used them in market gardens. For haying, they had to remove the cleats because of them pressing the grass into the ground so bad you could not rake it clean. Some used Oak 2X4 blocks for a softer ride.

CNKS · Mar 30, 2014

I used narrow steel on an H in the 50's mainly for cultivating narrow rows, also used for tillage in other fields during the cultivation period. We had rubber for tillage otherwise. I could tell no difference in the ride when cultivating or tillage. Also no difference in power. One summer we left the steel wheels on and plowed with it, no noticeable loss of power there. When going to and from the field it was off the road and run on the edge of the field. So the only disadvantage is a rough ride on the road and the loss of 5th gear. Our H came with rubber so 5th was not locked out. However 5th did not need to be locked out because the H could not turn the steel wheels on soft or hard ground. I tried that several times, the H would not move. We did not have the wide steel, I doubt if it made any difference. As far as mud, stay out of deep mud, If really stuck you cannot spin the wheels with the hope of locking one and getting to move with the other wheel. However, I could turn around in "shallow" mud or irrigation water at the ends of otherwise dry fields when cultivating.

DeltaRed · Mar 30, 2014

'old timer' neighbor once told me that his old tractor would do everything a gear higher on rubber than steel.

Old-F20 · Mar 30, 2014

(quoted from post at 08:39:30 03/30/14) 'old timer' neighbor once told me that his old tractor would do everything a gear higher on rubber than steel.

that's pretty much true. Ive tried it with a couple I have plowing

Charlie M · Mar 30, 2014

I had them on my F14 for a while and got rid of them. In addition to the rough ride on hard ground they don't have a lot of traction on soft ground that had been plowed and disked.Also one year I cultivated with them and the dirt got inside the rim and just rolled inside around the rim and I had a dust cloud following me across the field.I'll take rubber any day.

CGID · Mar 30, 2014

Once rubber tires were introduced, is it true that steel wheels came back, but only in war times, due to rubber shortages?

CNKS · Mar 30, 2014

Steel wheels never left, at least not in the 50's -- in the area where we farmed vegetables, we had 20 inch rows, a little narrow for 10-38 tires and 9-38's were not wide enough for tillage, so we bought steel wheels for cultivation for an H that came with rubber. Steel is in the parts book for at least up to the Super MTA and I think the 350 and 450 -- I'm sure not many were sold. I also saw steel wheels on Ford's and Fergusons in the 50's in south Texas, I think those were custom made.

RyaninKS · Mar 31, 2014

Grandpa always talked about them having steel on there f-12's when he was a kid for cultivating. He always said the thing he hated most was if them steel wheels got in some mud and went around more than half a turn you might as well shut her down and go find a rubber tired tractor to get yourself out.

Dave8N in Pa · Mar 31, 2014

Thanks to all. As usual, many different opinions. I am surprised they don't get traction in mud. I didn't expect that. Thanks again.

redforlife · Apr 2, 2014

Rubber tires became available from factory in the 30's. Basicly from that point on, steel wheel's gradually were phased out. They did see a little come back in the WWII years because of rubber rationing. Basically anyone getting a new tractor then would get rubber if they had the ration stamps, steel if they didn't. Steel wheel's were available up into the 50's, but by then, very few were being sold. As more roads were being paved and rocked, those that prefered steel were more and more found to be turning toward rubber tired tractors.

redforlife · Apr 2, 2014

If parked outside and ground freezes, your steel wheels will be froze to the ground. You will not move the tractor. Heard a story about a tractor being froze down all winter. They have more traction than rubber on good ground. Rubber better in the mud. Steel will go in the mud, but can only sink in so far before it hits solid. Otherwise it will sink to far to have enough power to turn its own wheels. They O.K. for plowing but slightly less power on steel. If not a gear lower, you will notice a difference if in same gear.

Steel Wheels

Dave8N in Pa

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Greg K

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El Toro

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gene bender

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FBH44

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Jim in Ma.

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CNKS

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DeltaRed

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Old-F20

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Charlie M

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CGID

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RyaninKS

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Dave8N in Pa

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redforlife

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redforlife

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