How to adjust draft control to minimum sensitivity on Massey Ferguson 4225 tractor for attachable backhoe?

[Randalthor]

As the question states I'd like to know how to position the draft control lever (up or down) for minimum sensitivity. I have an attachable 3 point backhoe which the manuals state the draft control lever should be set to minimum sensitivity (i.e. heavy). The owners manual for the tractor doesn't use those terms. It just explains how to plow using the draft control (i.e. set the position control lever all the way up, enter the work and set the draft control to the desired depth).

I know that the draft control takes into account how much pull the plow is pulling and adjusts the lifting arms accordingly. I also know that to transport a plow, the draft lever is moved all the way up and the position control lever is also all the way up. All that makes sense. I just don't know what is considered (minimum or maximum sensitivity for the draft control lever). I've searched the internet and found conflicting answers.

With a three point backhoe, which has diagonal brackes (like most do) you don't want the lifting arms of the tractor to try to lift up the backhoe, once it's attached. It would bind the backhoe three point linkage, and either break something (very bad) or the hydraulic bypass valve would be engaged (better but still like to avoid). It seems to me you'd want the position control lever in the down position, and the draft control lever also in the down position, so there would be no possibility for the lifting arms to raise.

In other words, if one set the position control lever to the down position and the draft control lever to the down position, there would be no way the lifting arms would lift up, in case one accidentally moved the position control lever up (out of habit) to transport the backhoe. In that case the draft control would still be down, and even though the position control lever was moved up, the lifting arms still wouldn't lift up? Wouldn't that be the safest way to do it?

Your thoughts please.

 

[jeff9366]

The paired holes mounted on the tractor into whichthe INBOARD end of your TPH Top Link determine the sensitivity of Draft Control. Remove the pin, move the INBOARD end to a alternative pair of holes.





Draft Control is activated by increase/decrease in the pulling resistance of the implement, i.e. if the implement starts dragging the tractor down then the draft control lifts it.

You change sensitivity of Draft Control actuation by moving inboard end of Top Link up or down in paired holes. Usually three pairs of holes, sometimes four pairs of holes.

 

[loggin]

As the question states I'd like to know how to position the draft control lever (up or down) for minimum sensitivity. I have an attachable 3 point backhoe which the manuals state the draft control lever should be set to minimum sensitivity (i.e. heavy). The owners manual for the tractor doesn't use those terms. It just explains how to plow using the draft control (i.e. set the position control lever all the way up, enter the work and set the draft control to the desired depth).

I know that the draft control takes into account how much pull the plow is pulling and adjusts the lifting arms accordingly. I also know that to transport a plow, the draft lever is moved all the way up and the position control lever is also all the way up. All that makes sense. I just don't know what is considered (minimum or maximum sensitivity for the draft control lever). I've searched the internet and found conflicting answers.

With a three point backhoe, which has diagonal brackes (like most do) you don't want the lifting arms of the tractor to try to lift up the backhoe, once it's attached. It would bind the backhoe three point linkage, and either break something (very bad) or the hydraulic bypass valve would be engaged (better but still like to avoid). It seems to me you'd want the position control lever in the down position, and the draft control lever also in the down position, so there would be no possibility for the lifting arms to raise.

In other words, if one set the position control lever to the down position and the draft control lever to the down position, there would be no way the lifting arms would lift up, in case one accidentally moved the position control lever up (out of habit) to transport the backhoe. In that case the draft control would still be down, and even though the position control lever was moved up, the lifting arms still wouldn't lift up? Wouldn't that be the safest way to do it?

Your thoughts please.

Have you tried talking to the dealer? Sorry I do not know your particular machine but there is one way to find out for sure and that is to mount some type of ground engagement implement like a plow and see which position of the draft control allows the plow to go the lowest while plowing and then you know which setting is the least sensitive.

I hope this helps!!

 

[Randalthor]

The paired holes mounted on the tractor into whichthe INBOARD end of your TPH Top Link determine the sensitivity of Draft Control. Remove the pin, move the INBOARD end to a alternative pair of holes.





Draft Control is activated by increase/decrease in the pulling resistance of the implement, i.e. if the implement starts dragging the tractor down then the draft control lifts it.

You change sensitivity of Draft Control actuation by moving inboard end of Top Link up or down in paired holes. Usually three pairs of holes, sometimes four pairs of holes.

 

[Randalthor]

The backhoe manual says use the holes closest to the draft control spring. But, it also says to set the draft control lever to minimum sensitivity, which is what I'm unsure of.

 

[CobyRupert]

Typically, draft control isn’t used for most 3 point hitch applications, except plowing. One would expect that the draft control lever default position is set at minimum.

If draft control is done through the force measured by the top link, look at this mechanism. Typically, you can select 1 of 3 position to mount the top link into.
You can look at the top link connection point on the tractor and see how the mechanism “levers” (or pivots) to measure the force on the top link for draft control.
Hooking the top link to the hole that is farthest from this mechanism’s pivot point makes the “lever” longer and draft control more sensitive to input from the attachment than using the hole closest to the pivot point, which is probably the hole “closest to the draft control spring”.

 

[Randalthor]

Typically, draft control isn’t used for most 3 point hitch applications, except plowing. One would expect that the draft control lever default position is set at minimum.

If draft control is done through the force measured by the top link, look at this mechanism. Typically, you can select 1 of 3 position to mount the top link into.
You can look at the top link connection point on the tractor and see how the mechanism “levers” (or pivots) to measure the force on the top link for draft control.
Hooking the top link to the hole that is farthest from this mechanism’s pivot point makes the “lever” longer and draft control more sensitive to input from the attachment than using the hole closest to the pivot point, which is probably the hole “closest to the draft control spring”.

Yes, this tractor has three pairs of holes in the top link. The top pair of this Massey Ferguson is the closest to the "draft spring". I know that is going to have maximum impact on the heavy duty spring and have maximum affect of the draft sensitivity of the spring. That's where the backhoe manual says to pin the top link for the backhoe. No confusion there.

But...the backhoe manual says to set the draft LEVER to minimum sensitivity. That's the part I don't know. I don't know if the lever is set to minimum sensitivity when the draft lever is down, or the draft lever is up.

I called the dealer today, and the guy basically read me the paragraph out of a tractor manual, that I've already read out of my own manual multiple times. I'm starting to realize nobody really knows which direction to move the draft lever to minimum sensitivity, including the people who sell these tractors. God help us all.

 

[CobyRupert]

Is the draft level beside the raise/lower lever?

I think it would be weird if (say) one handle is all the way forward when the 3pth is most lowered, and this wasn’t also the handle position for the draft control to be at its lowest setting too.

Edit: Just watched a video of a MF 4225 that shows operator station and right side console. The result: I too have no clue which direction handle should go.

 

[jonsstihl]

I think the draft lever does not control sensitivity. like others have said, where you hook the top link controls "sensitivity" the draft lever just controls how much the plow moves when the "draft control" is activated by the forces on the top link.

sorry but I still don't know which way to move the lever though. messicks has a video explaining draft control.

try a test. position control lever down all the way. draft lever up no raise the position control lever . what do the arms do?

now try same thing but with the draft control lever down. raise the position control lever. What do the arms do?

my best guess is whichever position of the draft lever that doesn't raise the three point arms when the position control lever is raised is the one to use.

 

[kwbretired]

The draft lever needs to be in the down position for minimum sensitivity. I use this feature all the time using a grader box. I just don’t understand why this is so hard for everyone to figure this out.