Speaking of brakes

   / Speaking of brakes #1  

knucklehead

Platinum Member
Joined
May 22, 2002
Messages
818
Location
Maine
Tractor
1979 Ford 1700
I was reading the "hang my head....." thread, and there was a brief mention of brakes. When parking or dismounting for any reason, I always leave both range and speed selectors in neutral on the transmission, and I always set the brake. Is there any problem with leaving the brakes engaged for long periods in different seasons/conditions?

I like that C clamp suggestion for the clutch -I was thinking of some kind of swinging lock like on the brakes, but was concerned that the design be such that the clutch didn't get jammed in the engaged position someday /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. I was going to just use a stick. Sticks have served me well since childhood.
 
   / Speaking of brakes #2  
I never set the brake on any tractor or car that is going to sit for any time. There have been many summer fun cars in our family. They are all put away in the fall with fresh oil, stabilizer in the gas, a two by four to just release the clutch, brakes free and weight off the tires.

With my 4300 HST it is parked without setting the brake but the FEL is down and this time of year the mower drops anchor too. This is just become habit.
 
   / Speaking of brakes #3  
I never set the brakes on a tractor but with mechanical brakes, I don't see what it would hurt. Perhaps the brakes would stick, but I'd doubt it. I always lower the FEL and implements and leave the trans. in low first. Never ran away yet. In a car with hydraulic brakes, one really couldn't set the brake except the Ebrake. The pressure wouldn't hold.
 
   / Speaking of brakes #4  
On the cars I should have said emergency brake. One of my friends pulled up the emergency brake when he put his car in storage to head to Florida for three months. He could not move it when he got home.
 
   / Speaking of brakes #5  
I stand corrected, I guess they could stick. Funny, I'd never thought of setting the parking brake, with the FEL and blade (or whatever) down and trans in gear, it would never run away.
 
   / Speaking of brakes
  • Thread Starter
#6  
O.K., I know it's overkill, but I was concerned about safety. I drop the attachments and chock the wheels with rocks if I am close to anyplace where I wouldn't want the tractor to go. I guess I was subconciously thinking back to the time I was helping my Dad start a '56 International pickup (3/4 ton 4wd - wouldn't I like to have that back), and it hopped forward on the starter and stopped on my Converse hightops. Someone (I won't mention names, but I grew up with him, and we were rivals in the same house) had been playing with the shifters. We had lotsa levers in that war wagon - including a big hand brake lever. Felt like someone was pulling my big toenail out - glad we were on the grass.

Since I'm not out there every day sharing coffee with it anymore (how quickly the romance fades with inanimate objects), I'll proabably stop leaving the brakes on.

Technical question - does it matter if they are wet brakes?
 
 
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