Didn't Even Grunt

[Texasmark]

Cleaning Willows out of a pond. Got all the growing ones packed up and hauled off and decided to see if I could get this one out of the water. Stump is adjacent to it for an idea as to diameter and location and it was too much for me to do anything with getting it down due to it's size and location. So I just "felled" it into a corner of the pond.

So today I hooked my 6530 to it and put her in 1/24th (Creep) gear, which I have used maybe half a dozen times since 2007....but it was there to use, set the RPMs just over the torque peak (1600) and backed this big sucker out. Had to come at it twice as there was a fence behind the tractor and I had to keep moving up and picking up the slack then come in from the side. The picture showing nothing but grass are the tire tracks where I did the initial pulling....nice grip, soil just right, Creep working as it should, no slipping, no engine going nuts, no slipping the clutch, just nice, smooth, raw power........one of the reasons I bought this tractor. About 25' showing, all in one piece, and more still submerged. When it dries out, will cut in chunks, hang them on the FEL and haul it to the pile.

 

[Bird]

It's always a good day when things work the way you want them to.:thumbsup:

 

[oosik]

Yes, it's such a pleasure to read where a project goes right. That stump is a willow?? I always think of willow being the diameter of my thumb.

 

[BertZegers]

Cleaning Willows out of a pond. Got all the growing ones packed up and hauled off and decided to see if I could get this one out of the water. Stump is adjacent to it for an idea as to diameter and location and it was too much for me to do anything with getting it down due to it's size and location. So I just "felled" it into a corner of the pond.

So today I hooked my 6530 to it and put her in 1/24th (Creep) gear, which I have used maybe half a dozen times since 2007....but it was there to use, set the RPMs just over the torque peak (1600) and backed this big sucker out. Had to come at it twice as there was a fence behind the tractor and I had to keep moving up and picking up the slack then come in from the side. The picture showing nothing but grass are the tire tracks where I did the initial pulling....nice grip, soil just right, Creep working as it should, no slipping, no engine going nuts, no slipping the clutch, just nice, smooth, raw power........one of the reasons I bought this tractor. About 25' showing, all in one piece, and more still submerged. When it dries out, will cut in chunks, hang them on the FEL and haul it to the pile.

I have used tractors in creep gear. If the tractor gets stuck, or has to pull heavy, I would take it out of creep and put it in low gear. In creep when tires get good grip you risk braking gears or shafts. In low gear the engine will die.
What does your manual say? I think I know!

 

[AllByteNoBark]

Good job. That is a pretty big willow. I have read where one large willow can suck up between 50 and 100 gallons of water a day. Your pond will probably thank you.

 

[CobyRupert]

Good job. That is a pretty big willow. I have read where one large willow can suck up between 50 and 100 gallons of water a day. Your pond will probably thank you.

All went well, so this is just Monday morning quarterbacking / "Let me tell you what you should of done":

Bert is likely correct in that it makes sense that tractor has a lot more torque in a low-low creeper gear. (Enough to break gears and shafts?...agree w/ checking manual.)
...but what I'm pretty sure about is: If you think you need to apply extra torque for a pull, you definitely don't want to be pulling with the FEL (or pull anything serious with the FEL in any gear for that matter.)
Tractors are for pulling, but not on their loader arms. You can place a lot of (too much) leverage on the arms.

One waterlogged willow was obviously okay, but if it had snagged on a root, rock, or the bank, etc...the increased torque would be searching for a weak spot (the rock, the chain or the loader arms, mount, etc.. . :2cents:

 

[Texasmark]

I have used tractors in creep gear. If the tractor gets stuck, or has to pull heavy, I would take it out of creep and put it in low gear. In creep when tires get good grip you risk braking gears or shafts. In low gear the engine will die.
What does your manual say? I think I know!

It says don't use it on the highway, nothing about using it for work at Creep speeds!

On the rest of the posts, at first I didn't think I could do it. The photos don't really show the magnitude of the task. I thought about wading out and crawling on the thing with my chain saw and whacking off the side branch which my 16" guide bar might just reach across. Decided that was a bad idea trying to balance on the main stump and attempt that.

On breaking something in creep, pros and cons: It was designed in the tractor to be used in instances where very low ground speed is required. HP consumption requires torque and time....running at 1600 rpm helped to slow the time and the torque was a complex value when the ground engagement of the tires was part of the torque application.

Things went very smoothly and as you can see by the tread marks. Buttttt there is a limit to everything and I thought I would stop where I stopped, having had things go right ( as noted) and not to press my luck. Once I get some pieces lopped off and hauled away, then pulling the remainder out will be a no brainer.

Really, I posted this because Branson Tractors are not one of the heavy hitters and needs all the publicity it can get (opinion) to get a good footing in the market place.....and it seems to be coming along.

I shopped all the major colors in the spring of 2007 for a downsized (from the then current 100 hp I was running ...JD4230C), fully decked out, "retirement" tractor and didn't see anything that I just had to have and temporarily gave up on the idea. In September I was driving down the interstate and saw this lineup of red tractors that looked really good. Made a U turn, salesman showed me the whistles and bells and the rest is history.

On Willows and water absorption, I had no earthly idea I had the Willow "problem" that I had. I have been working about a week, 6 hours a day, with adequate equipment and have 3 huge piles of remnants. Summer time water level should show a marked improve ment this summer. Next step will be to drill holes in the stumps and apply stump killer to finish the job.

 

[ovrszd]

For stump treatment. If fresh cut during the growing season simply splatter a couple tablespoons of Tordon RTU on the stump and it will kill it.

If old cut but still alive and in growing season, drill a hole in the stump and add a couple tablespoons.

It won't kill the stump if it's seasonally dormant.

Great stuff. Cheap. Effective.

 

[ovrszd]

Tractors are for pulling, but not on their loader arms. You can place a lot of (too much) leverage on the arms.

One waterlogged willow was obviously okay, but if it had snagged on a root, rock, or the bank, etc...the increased torque would be searching for a weak spot (the rock, the chain or the loader arms, mount, etc.. . :2cents:

Absolutely. Never pull backwards hitched onto the FEL. A serious failure in the making!!!

 

[npalen]

With regard to using the creeper gear, I wouldn't think that you could be applying any more power or torque than in any of the other lower gears. Traction would be the limiting factor especially on grass. Right?