Anyone Use 3pt Draft Control?

[MichKubota]

I just purchased a L4150 and the draft control was frozen solid. Took it apart and with lots of penetrating oil got it all freed up and works good.

It was obvious that the previous owner never used the draft control. I like using draft control with box blade when grading road.

Lots of modern day tractors don't offer draft control.

Does anyone else user draft control?
Is it important feature for you?

 

[Verticaltrx]

For general utility work I don't use draft control, never have tried it using a box blade. For field work, especially moldboard plowing, it is a must have feature IMO. Even my old NAA Ford still has functioning draft control and really makes plowing much easier.

For most compact tractor usage draft control wouldn't make as much of a difference. I think this is why on many small tractors it is no longer an option. Even if it had been available on my little Kubota I don't think I would have opted for it.

 

[TripleR]

I used it farming, but don't farm anymore or use draft control.

 

[MichKubota]

I think the original Ferguson 3pt hitch design (first used on 9N) only had draft control. Position control was not part of the design.

Funny how product take shape and original design changes for customer demand.

 

[slowzuki]

How do you do that? Its top link sensing, you have to have a pretty full box before it pulls on the top link.

I just purchased a L4150 and the draft control was frozen solid. Took it apart and with lots of penetrating oil got it all freed up and works good.

It was obvious that the previous owner never used the draft control. I like using draft control with box blade when grading road.

Lots of modern day tractors don't offer draft control.

Does anyone else user draft control?
Is it important feature for you?

 

[MichKubota]

Maybe I am doing something wrong. I do have a big load on box blade.

I setup the top link to be at its highest sensitivity. Then adjust the draft control as I am using the box blade. As the box blade fills and at the point the tractor begins to loose traction from load, the draft control is adjusted to lift box blade.

After that first adjustment, each time the box gets too full it lifts box blade just enough to relieve some of the load and it drops down again.

I find it is easier to adjust the box blade with draft control then with position control.

 

[kco]

I used the DK35's draft control for the first time a week ago. I have straight shanks on my cultivator to use it as a ripper. I ripped up my neighbour's overgrown, never-finished riding ring. It is very rocky and the cultivator dug out mainly softball size rocks, but some up to basketball size. The draft control was a big help in reducing stress to the equipment.

Today I used the landscape rake to bust up the sod and rake out most of the rocks. It is getting too wet so we will continue the work next spring. My neighbour is getting a rock bucket and has an old pull-type disc. We will rip it up again, rake and disc it, and use another neighbour's harrows to finish it. Lots of fun.

Draft control is not a necessity for me but I can see where it must be very useful for people who do "real" ground-engaging work with their machinery.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Maybe I am doing something wrong. I do have a big load on box blade.

I setup the top link to be at its highest sensitivity. Then adjust the draft control as I am using the box blade. As the box blade fills and at the point the tractor begins to loose traction from load, the draft control is adjusted to lift box blade.

After that first adjustment, each time the box gets too full it lifts box blade just enough to relieve some of the load and it drops down again.

I find it is easier to adjust the box blade with draft control then with position control.

This is exactly how it should be used in your grading situation. I do the same with my box blade and rear blade and land plane grader blade. Makes grading a whole lot easier when you don't need to always be watching the implement. Makes it a lot easier to pay attention to how the top and tilt need to be adjusted as you are moving along.

A lot of people think that Draft Control is only for plowing, not realizing that it can be used for many other jobs as well.