Combine Tires Work Well On 8N

Combine Tires Work Well On 8N COMBINES Miscellaneous 30-4-3 "I use a Ford 8N tractor to put in feed plots for pheasants and deer," says Leon Lease of Beresford, S. Dak. "I do that because myself and family members enjoy seeing wildlife and sometimes hunting. The only problem was that, because the acreage has a lot of swamp ground, the 8N's tires would sink." Lease resolved the problem by adapting 16.9 by 26-in. combine wheels and tires to the tractor in place of its original rear wheels. He bought the replacement wheels and tires for $200 at a combine salvage operation and made adapters to mount them. "It only took a half day to complete the project from start to finish, and I haven't been stuck since," Lease says. "They look really sharp on the tractor and I also made a partial cab for it." Although the old tires had fluid in them, Lease says it wouldn't be needed because of the increased surface area they provide. Since Lease is an engineer by trade, he drew up his own blueprints for the steel adapter. Then, he had it custom made on a lathe at his own company's machine shop. He says that, although he's not interested in building adapters for anyone else, he's happy to share the idea and blueprint with anyone who's interested. To complete the project, he bought stud bolts for mounting the big tires from his Deere dealer, and this cost an additional $32. He says that if he had to hire out the machining, it likely would have cost about $200, plus $30 for the materials. "I'm really happy with the way this conversion improved my tractor's performance on wet ground, which is the only thing I use it for," Lease says. "In most cases, it would also eliminate the need for chains if you wanted to use the tractor for snow removal." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Leon Lease, P.O. Box 409, Beresford, S. Dak. 57004.

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.