Draft control installed, but not working.

[ddipert]

Installed a draft control kit on my L4330 tonight. Directions from kubota were ok there were a few things that I wish they would have shown or talked about, any case it's installed. I went to test it per the directions nothing happens. Position control put in the mid way down. Draft control up,down or middle moved the top link holder forward and backwards. Lower links didn't come up like I would expected.

Where do I start trouble shooting?

Was thinking about taking the draft rod off the top link holder so I could move it by hand and bypassing the top link holder.

 

[repete]

Is your loader bucket in the float position?

 

[ddipert]

No the loader is not in floating bucket was off the ground when I was testing

 

[gwdixon]

Did you test the top link attachment point by putting in a pin and then using a long crowbar to move the attachment point toward the tractor as far as it will go? Sometimes it has to go a ways to activate the lower arms.

Your idea of disconnecting, or adjusting, the linkage to the hydraulic pump is a good one. That way you can move it through its entire range of motion to see if the pump is being actuated.

I've never found draft control very useful but maybe it will be an advantage for you. What are you planning to use it for?

 

[ddipert]

The crow bar I used was bent 15+ degrees I was putting more than the 100ft of force that install documents say to use. Maybe I wasn't moving it enough, I wasn't moving it all the way but very close to full travel.

One of the unclear parts of the directions was what way to stack the links (not the control levers) but the links that the draft control arm attaches to and the position rod attaches to.

I was planning on using draft control while plowing new ground and box blade work. At least this was my intentions of using it, might not work for what I want it for but I'll have to wait and see. I got a deal on the kit so I thought I would try it out.

gwdixon:What did you use it for and not find it useful?

 

[ddipert]

Is draft control off all the way up or down?

I looked over the system tonight after work. I'm able to get DC working without the links going back to the 3point. So I guess it's installed correctly just need to get the adjustments correct.

 

[gwdixon]

Is draft control off all the way up or down?

I looked over the system tonight after work. I'm able to get DC working without the links going back to the 3point. So I guess it's installed correctly just need to get the adjustments correct.

Excellent! The hydraulics are working - that is the main issue. Now all you have to do is hone in the linkage settings.

To answer you other question: I found draft control to be a crude and non-precise tool on my M7040. One wants plowing to have a consistent depth to turn over the soil evenly. Draft control raises the plow if you engage a heavy spot and there goes the perfect field. Others will say that it means the draft control was set incorrectly. Well, after giving it a try in all sensitivities the final decision was to leave it turned off. Plowing has been successfully done for many years with tractors that don't have draft control.

With a box blade one would think draft control would be the perfect answer to leveling land, spreading gravel, or the like. Not so in my applications. To activate the draft control a fairly full box is needed to provide the torque needed to compress the top link lever. That causes the tractor to "squat" a bit. Then the draft control kicks in, raises the blade, the tractor also lifts a bit, and material is deposited. What it ends up being is a wave pattern as the draft control engages and disengages. A "perfect" setting might work on flat ground and exactly sized material but that setting is always changing. It is far easier and more efficient to just use the 3PH adjustment lever to regulate the cut.

Having a top & tilt is a much better way for me to control the spreading and grooming of material. But your results may be different. Please post back on how your trials with the draft control work out. Not only me but others may benefit from your experiences.

 

[SDT]

The crow bar I used was bent 15+ degrees I was putting more than the 100ft of force that install documents say to use. Maybe I wasn't moving it enough, I wasn't moving it all the way but very close to full travel.

One of the unclear parts of the directions was what way to stack the links (not the control levers) but the links that the draft control arm attaches to and the position rod attaches to.

I was planning on using draft control while plowing new ground and box blade work. At least this was my intentions of using it, might not work for what I want it for but I'll have to wait and see. I got a deal on the kit so I thought I would try it out.

gwdixon:What did you use it for and not find it useful?

Draft control is intended for use with a properly sized plow and little else. It is a traction aid, not a leveling system.

SDT

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Draft control is intended for use with a properly sized plow and little else. It is a traction aid, not a leveling system.

SDT

Yes this is what Draft Control was intended for, but used properly it can be used with great success while grading also.:thumbsup: From all the different posts that I have read, it seems as though not all the draft controls work the same. That may not be the case and it might just be the operator, but there does seem to be some difference with the charistics between tractors.

I have used it with great success with my rear blade and yet I do not care for how it acts with my box blade. That seems strange to me, but that is how it is, for me anyway.

 

[sixdogs]

Yes this is what Draft Control was intended for, but used properly it can be used with great success while grading also.:thumbsup: From all the different posts that I have read, it seems as though not all the draft controls work the same. That may not be the case and it might just be the operator, but there does seem to be some difference with the charistics between tractors.

I have used it with great success with my rear blade and yet I do not care for how it acts with my box blade. That seems strange to me, but that is how it is, for me anyway.

Agreed. I installed draft control on both my L4300 and MX5100 and use with a heavy duty 8 ft landscape rake for grading. When the ground is properly prepped, I can make a field as smooth as a baby's bottom in draft control. Ironically, I have never used it with a plow.