Pulling a disk strain on tractor?

   / Pulling a disk strain on tractor? #1  

Alan L.

Elite Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2000
Messages
3,227
Location
Grayson County, TX
Tractor
Kubota B2710
I've been disking several acres of heavy clay with my B2710 pulling a 6.5 foot disk harrow with about 200# of added weight on top.

What I notice, pulling it at full speed in medium range, is that the hydrostat whines much louder than usual. You can feel that there is some laboring pulling the disk, although the RPMS don't really go down unless I go up a fairly steep incline. I'm doing about 1800 to 2000 RPMS.

If this was a gear tractor I guess I wouldn't notice anything, but with the HST I wonder with the louder whining whether I am putting undue strain on this tractor. I've got the work to do, and the tractor is doing what I got it for, but I still wonder.
 
   / Pulling a disk strain on tractor? #2  
alan,
i dont think you are causing any harm to your tractor. i pulled a 6ft disk last year with my 2410 with no problem. in the same thick clay. the only thing i could suggest is try low gear. that is what i had to use and it worked fine.
 
   / Pulling a disk strain on tractor? #3  
I doubt that you're hurting the tractor, although if it were me, I'd move the RPMs up to about 2200. That just seemed to work better for me doing loader, box blade, or plow work with my B2710.
 
   / Pulling a disk strain on tractor? #4  
Alan, my tractor also really does feel like it is working pretty hard sometimes pulling my 8' disc. I am sure that your tractor is working pretty hard pulling a 6' disc through heavy clay, but as long as you are not running full steam ahead into rocks, etc, I do not think that your tractor should be harmed by this. If it is, it should go back to your dealer and you should get a green model /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.
 
   / Pulling a disk strain on tractor? #5  
Are you using the 5520 to pull the disc if so it shouldn't feel like it is working to pull a 8'. That tractor should be able to pull a 12' fairly easy in tough ground with no problems.

A B2710 is going to have to work to pull a 6.5' disc as a disc takes roughly 5-6hp per foot to pull. So at 27 engine hp he is overwidth on his disc. He would be better suited to a 5' disc.
 
   / Pulling a disk strain on tractor?
  • Thread Starter
#6  
<font color=blue>A B2710 is going to have to work to pull a 6.5' disc as a disc takes roughly 5-6hp per foot to pull. So at 27 engine hp he is overwidth on his disc. He would be better suited to a 5' disc. <font color=black>

That concerns me some, but the 6.5' was the smallest one TSC had the day I needed it last fall. I guess I will keep doing it, with increased RPMs, since I'm only going to be doing it one day 2 or 3 times a year. I supposed the symtoms of over-working the tractor might be overheating? It hasn't done that, or even close to it.
 
   / Pulling a disk strain on tractor? #7  
Is it a trailer disc or 3pt? If it is a 3pt it will pull easier as they don't dig as much as a trailer. Either way what little you use it should not hurt your tractor. Take care.
 
   / Pulling a disk strain on tractor? #8  
Yes I am using the 5520, and it does occasionally start to drag down a little bit with the 8' disc, but only when I have it dropped down as deep as I can go, and when I have the chain harrow behind it. The chain harrow really gets piled up with alot of dirt when running behind the disc, so it probably had alot to do with the overall load on the tractor. I also have the disc set as agressive as it will go, with the gangs running almost 45 degrees to the direction of travel. It does load down the tractor pretty good, but man does it tear up the dirt.
 
   / Pulling a disk strain on tractor? #9  
It still shouldn't drag down so that it is noticable, what gear are you running. If you are running a little fast I would imagine it would be noticable but if you are running in a lower gear that tractor should pull a 10' with a drag behind that with no problem. Is your disc 3pt or transport, a 3pt disc pulls easier then a transport and a 5520 should not strain with it. If you do have a noticable strain I would talk to the dealer and see if he would throw it on a dyno and see what it is putting out just to be sure as it doesn't seem right. I have been pulling a 10' transport with a packer behind a TN 65 which is considerably less hp then your tractor and I pull thru heavy clay with no problem. The only problems I have is in the wet heavy clay and it slows the tractor some but nothing major. I run in 4 low which is a pretty good click with that setup. I would be curious as to if your machine is registering low on hp though.
 
   / Pulling a disk strain on tractor? #10  
Keep an eye on your hydraulic fluid. Check it's condition and color. Since you are using it hard, you may want to change the fluid at a shorter interval.

If you are not burning or overheating the fluid, then it's probably just working hard, the way the tractor is made for.

I'm guessing that on the average, most of us on this board work our tractors pretty light compared to what they are designed to stand up too.
 
 
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