OPERATIONAL TIPS FOR NEWBIES

[LD1]

Tractor Rollovers

85% are SIDE rollovers

15% are REAR rollovers

Less than 1% are FRONT rollovers

Less than 1% FRONT rollovers is probabally 99.9999% of people pull with the rear so that number is a bit skewed. And of the 15% rear 14.9999999% probabally weren't pulling from the drawbar.

Bottom line best adcive for the new guys, call your tractor manufacture and explain to them in detail what you will be pulling (ie a tree top, stuck truck, etc) and ask them if you should pull from the drawbar or loop a chain around the front axle

 

[Soundguy]

I like to lay a blanket or piece of old carpet over a chain being used to pull.. that or a section of old fire hose...

soundguy

46. with all this chatter about towing and where to tow/pull from I thought I should mention what I use to tow/pull/drag with. I use grade 40 to grade 70 3/8" chain, mw small machine only makes 30 hp so that is pleanty big for what I do. I would also like to mention that you should always be prepared for your chain or strap to break and have the correct safety measures in place to prevent sudden brain exposure.

GUYS DONT MAKE THIS INTO A STRAPS -VS- CHAINS DEAL!!!!

someone break out their owners manual and read it, mine clearly says pull from the draw bar good enough for me and my little b3030

 

[LD1]

47. use axle breaks if you get stuck.

This pertains mainly to older 2wd tractors that dont have a diff lock, such as the ever popular n-series of fords. If you get stuck, only one wheel spins due to the open differential, gently start using the break on the wheel that is spinning and it will force the one with the traction to spin and might get you unstuck.

 

[Soundguy]

It will force both of them to spin.. and might get you out.

soundguy

 

[/pine]

I can't seem to be able to get the back blade to make a smooth finish without digging in too deep or not enough

Have you tried adjusting the top link ? tip forward to dig in (pulling) tip back to smooth...the opposite for pushing backwards...

 

[workinallthetime]

I understand all the safety tips offerred here and all over TBN, but my problem is I can't seem to be able to get the back blade to make a smooth finish without digging in too deep or not enough. same holds true with using the FEL. Am I missing something or is just practice, practice, practice. Somewaht frustrated dude here. BTW this is an awesome site. just wish I could learn something

I do not have much experience with a back blade but some suggest using gage wheels added to the blade or if your 3pt has float use it, using shallow cuts and slow ground speed should help achieve what you need.
I use the FEL to do this kind of work and have found that a foreward and back motion will give me very good grading results. the lip of the loader in a reverse motion will give a fine smooth grade, the back more of a rough finish, tilt the bucket up and go foreward for the first pass, this helps break up the large chunks.
Just about every loader is built with slightly different angles and what works for me may not work for anyone else but with my machine and the materials i work with this is very effective. Working with gravel or clean soil will help you learn what works for you the quickest. This is hardly a one pass thing, multiple passes, laying your work out as you go, knocking down the hills, and fillin the valleys.
good luck to you.

again this is IMO, what works for me may not work for others and there may be a better way

 

[Runner]

Here's one that took me awhile to learn: If you have both mid- and rear PTO's, you can free up the rear one so that it can be easily turned with your fingers by shifting the control lever to the front PTO setting. This makes hooking up rear PTO-driven equipment a MILLION times easier.

May not work that way on all tractors, but that's how it works on mine.

 

[apmonte]

I' sure an exception to this can be found if you look hard enough.. however.. I'm refering to the 'average' farm or utility use situation...

I'll try to provide an exception. Although it's only a GT, in it's former life, my JD 445 was used to tow a helicopter in/out of a hanger using a front mounted pintle hook.

 

[MUDONTHETIRES]

48. If you need to leave your tractor seat for a minute or two while bushhogging, Disengage the PTO, put your tractor in neutral and apply the parking brake before leaving the tractor seat.

 

[Soundguy]

I'll try to provide an exception. Although it's only a GT, in it's former life, my JD 445 was used to tow a helicopter in/out of a hanger using a front mounted pintle hook.

Apples to popcorn comparison. That GT doesn't have enough guts to pull itself apart if need be.. whether due to traction or hp... the average farm tractor, with good traction tires and weight can do some severe damage to the front bolster / axle / kingpin pulling like that.. especially since many use the block as the frame.. not a unibody sheetmetal frame with an aluminum engine setting in a cradle like that lawnmower...

soundguy