Seat switch, is it a good or bad idea?

[PineRidge]

I have a sticky seat switch on my TC40D. It allows me to get off the tractor after setting the emergency brake and while the tractor is still in either high or low range. I could replace it or give it a shot of WD-40 which might free it up but should I, I'm really not wanting to at this point, read on to find out why?

I have on more than one occasion set the parking brake, placed the range selector in neutral and jumped off the tractor to hook up an implement only to hear a dreaded click (yes the parking brake released on its own) and since a lot of my property is on a slope the 40D tries to bolt away from me wildly in neutral. I have adjusted the parking brake more than once but the confounded parking brake thing persists. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Now here's another scenario that I found out quite by accident. The engine is running, the parking brake is set, the tractor is in either low or high range and I get off the tractor to hook up an implement. The safety switch under the seat doesn't kill the engine (it's sticky, remember? We're asking questions later /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif), the parking brake lets go on its own but since the tyranny in in either low or high range the tractor doesn't move an inch. So far I'm liking this scenario a lot better than chasing my tractor down a hill. Which scenario is safer in your opinion?

 

[PineRidge]

I have a sticky seat switch on my TC40D. It allows me to get off the tractor after setting the emergency brake and while the tractor is still in either high or low range. I could replace it or give it a shot of WD-40 which might free it up but should I, I'm really not wanting to at this point, read on to find out why?

I have on more than one occasion set the parking brake, placed the range selector in neutral and jumped off the tractor to hook up an implement only to hear a dreaded click (yes the parking brake released on its own) and since a lot of my property is on a slope the 40D tries to bolt away from me wildly in neutral. I have adjusted the parking brake more than once but the confounded parking brake thing persists. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Now here's another scenario that I found out quite by accident. The engine is running, the parking brake is set, the tractor is in either low or high range and I get off the tractor to hook up an implement. The safety switch under the seat doesn't kill the engine (it's sticky, remember? We're asking questions later /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif), the parking brake lets go on its own but since the tyranny in in either low or high range the tractor doesn't move an inch. So far I'm liking this scenario a lot better than chasing my tractor down a hill. Which scenario is safer in your opinion?

 

[JerryG]

Mike,
I have had bad luck with WD40 on some things. For instance, it makes some o-rings swell and I don't think that it is dielectric. I have had very good luck with PB Blaster. It doesn't seem to have any of the problems that WD40 does. If you have a can of it, give it a try. After all you don't have anything to lose, it is messed up anyway.

Having said all of that please get the brake fixed. Several of us consider you a friend and would hate it if you got injured or killed because of a faulty brake. Please get the brake fixed.

 

[JerryG]

Mike,
I have had bad luck with WD40 on some things. For instance, it makes some o-rings swell and I don't think that it is dielectric. I have had very good luck with PB Blaster. It doesn't seem to have any of the problems that WD40 does. If you have a can of it, give it a try. After all you don't have anything to lose, it is messed up anyway.

Having said all of that please get the brake fixed. Several of us consider you a friend and would hate it if you got injured or killed because of a faulty brake. Please get the brake fixed.

 

[jinman]

Mike, I like the second scenario much better than the first. As a matter of fact, when I read the first scenario where you said you put the range selector in neutral, I thought, "Why did he do that?" In my estimation, the pedals centered is neutral. The neutral range is something I have to use to start the tractor and nothing else. I even leave the tractor parked in low or high range. That way if I forget and leave the key in the ignition (extremely rare) I know a kid is not going to be able to start the tractor by accident, playing with the key.

I have never (yes, never) had a single problem with the parking brake releasing, but I still don't trust it. I leave the tractor in low range when I get off and the engine is running. I bypassed the seat switch about the second month I owned the tractor (see attachment), and don't even give it a second thought about standing up or getting off the tractor if I need to while the engine is running. I use my seat belt almost all the time, but when I need to take it off and stand up, I do it. This may not be right for everyone, but it's just the way I operate my tractor. I don't get off the tractor with the PTO engaged to a rotary cutter. That's a firm rule that I enforce on myself.

I most often have a loader on when I'm hooking up a 3PH implement and that makes a dandy parking brake, but in your case, I'd try to get the brake mechanism fixed (first and foremost) and then I'd leave the range selected anytime I had to get off the tractor. That's kind of like wearing both a belt and suspenders. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[GATC35]

On my old TC35D the parking brake always worked normal. When I bought my TC-45D I was surprized all all the problems I had with the parking brake. It would not engaged or dis-engage on it's own. When the brake was set and you went to realese it, you would hear the "click", but the engagement handle would stay in the up position and the indicator light on the dash stayed on. This really bothered me because my wife and 15 year old daughter sometimes drive the tractor. I had always taught them never to dismount the tractor unless the parking brake light was illuminated. So now the parking brake was not set and the dash light was illuminated (design flaw ?). After the tractor almost running me over one day and travling 50 yards to the bottom of the hill, by itself. I had enough. I took the complete parking brake assy. apart. I cleaned all pivot points with gun barrel brushes and emery cloth. Lubed everything well and put it back together. No problems since. Never found anything wrong, just suspect something binding due to no lube.

As far as the seat swithch goes I wired a toggled switch into mine. With the switch in the OFF position (circuit open) the seat switch works normal. With the switch in the ON position (circuit closed) the tractor thinks the seat is occupied at all times. I did this so I could leave the range selector in "N" with the parking brake OFF. This allows me to push the tractor forward while trenching with the backhoe. Just rasie the stabilizers, push forward, then put stabilizers back down, dig a little repeat process. Somethimes in really tought good ole Georgia red clay the backhoe may try to drag the tractor backwards. I can turn around and drop the FEL down with the bucket curled completely down to give more braking effect. Normally when bush hogging I turn the switch OFF so the seat switch works normal. Just a little extra safety feature in case something goes wrong.

Mike...hope this helps. Please be careful. Would hate for someone to get hurt.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I cleaned all pivot points with gun barrel brushes and emery cloth. Lubed everything well and put it back together. No problems since. Never found anything wrong, just suspect something binding due to no lube.
)</font>

I had to do that to mine too. The parking brake lock handle had to be pushed down to disengage. After cleaning, it quit binding and has not been a problem since. Luckily, it was very easy to disassemble/reassemble, so it was no big deal.

 

[Doc_Bob]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I
Isince a lot of my property is on a slope the 40D tries to bolt away from me wildly in neutral. )</font>

Yes, you have some Mr Toads wild ride hills!
Bob

 

[daTeacha]

Mike -- when you tried adjusting the brake, did you also mess with the cable for the brake release? Presuming your 40D is not too different from my DX29, I'm going to guess that's your main problem with the brake. My parking brake worked fine, but the engagement of the lock was too little, sort of like a hair trigger on a gun. On the 29, it was a simple matter to adjust the engagement in the pawl so the brake unsets only after a healthy push on the pedal. I also adjusted the brakes up about 1/2 turn on the turnbuckle on each side, since I sometimes could push the pedal down past engagement with the cable lock.

I'm debating the seat switch with myself as I write. Leaving the tranny in either I or II with the engine running might cause the tractor to move if you inadvertently push or drop some thing on the hst pedal, but it also helps to keep it from moving if you inadvertently let the brake off. Standing up can be useful sometimes, but NH's liability lawyers would probably have apoplexy if they thought someone was driving the tractor that way.

I guess I like the switch in the line best -- that way you can have it either way at your discretion. Of course, that means fixing the stock seat switch and the brake, too. Then you could put a switch in the brake safety circuit to bypass that, too, but you'd need to fix the brake first. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[PineRidge]

Sorry I didn't post back before this. My patience would't let me wait the 5 minuted that it took to open the thread. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I'm going to play with the parking brake pawl/mechanism again and see if I can't get a more secure lock. But I'm also putting a jumper on the seat switch. I've used it both ways now and like it better when the switch isn't in the circuit.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, and I'm a careful guy by nature.