OPERATIONAL TIPS FOR NEWBIES

[kebo]

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

The study I read didn't have any detail info on front or rear rollovers and where the attachment point was in each case. It would be good to know that (or any statistics in that regard) but I haven't been able to find any information on that. I think it would surprise a LOT of people on this forum.

It's not just the horizontal pulling force to be concerned about. You also have to consider the vertical (downward) force on the drawbar. For instance, if you are towing a big, heavy trailer (with round hay bales for instance) and they shift and roll forward, the sheer increase of the weight of the trailer tongue pressing down on the drawbar can raise the front of the tractor up (assuming the drawbar doesn't bend down with the increased weight), or at least make the front end a lot lighter.

The '81 JD 750 I had years ago came with a drawbar that was 2" wide by 1.5" thick and maybe two feet long. Well, one end was bent such that it was about 2 inches off of centerline of the bar. I would like to know the story behind that one!

 

[LD1]

The '81 JD 750 I had years ago came with a drawbar that was 2" wide by 1.5" thick and maybe two feet long. Well, one end was bent such that it was about 2 inches off of centerline of the bar. I would like to know the story behind that one!

Did the tractor look like it had flipped backwards. Probabally not. Just goes to show you just how much force is required to flip a tractor when pulling from a drawbar if it can bend 2" x 1.5" steel and still not flip. That much force isn't something i want do do with the front axle/guard.

 

[kebo]

Did the tractor look like it had flipped backwards. Probabally not. Just goes to show you just how much force is required to flip a tractor when pulling from a drawbar if it can bend 2" x 1.5" steel and still not flip. That much force isn't something i want do do with the front axle/guard.

Nope, it didn't look like it had ever been flipped. But, at the same time we don't know if it scared the bejesus out of whomever was sitting on it either (when it got bent)!

 

[pat32rf]

If your tractor has 4wd then you should USE it when descending any steep slope that is not dry bare pavement. Even with HST it feels funny to let up on the GO pedal then watch one wheel turn forward while the other turns backwards.
There is a vast difference between towing some easily moved object like a stalled vehicle and pulling on one that is stuck
If you have to "jerk" on a chain, then think of a better way, like a nylon strap/rope.
When you are pulling from your FEL and you think that lifting the bucket a bit will give more traction, or get the stuck item out of the mud/snow/ditch easier, be ready to stomp the clutch or get off the go pedal in a hurry. Its harder to balance on the two front wheels than it is the two rears....even if you have HST....
It is almost always easier to pull out a stuck vehicle by hooking to the FRONT of it than the rear, especially if it is in the ditch.
You don't warm up a cold tractor just to lubricate the engine, but also the hydraulic oil. Start the tractor and let it idle while you clear the snow from the seat, get your gear together, etc. Then drive slowly til things warm up.

 

[Soundguy]

The study I read didn't have any detail info on front or rear rollovers and where the attachment point was in each case. It would be good to know that (or any statistics in that regard) but I haven't been able to find any information on that. I think it would surprise a LOT of people on this forum.

That's why statistics with no contextual details are virtually useless.

It's not just the horizontal pulling force to be concerned about. You also have to consider the vertical (downward) force on the drawbar. For instance, if you are towing a big, heavy trailer (with round hay bales for instance) and they shift and roll forward, the sheer increase of the weight of the trailer tongue pressing down on the drawbar can raise the front of the tractor up (assuming the drawbar doesn't bend down with the increased weight), or at least make the front end a lot lighter.

2 points on this one..

1, this is why they make 4-wheeled hay wagons.

2, at whtever point the drawbar hits the ground.. that's about it.. no more rear roll.. with the height of the drawbar on most utility and smaller tractors being very slose to the ground.. you don't get much altitude on the fronts..

The '81 JD 750 I had years ago came with a drawbar that was 2" wide by 1.5" thick and maybe two feet long. Well, one end was bent such that it was about 2 inches off of centerline of the bar. I would like to know the story behind that one!

[/QUOTE]

Refer to #1 above... tractors have an intended toungue weight just like auto's do...

soundguy

 

[workinallthetime]

>>> 49. maintenace is the key to the life of your tractor, perform all checks, lubricate before ya head out, change oil and filters as recomended if not sooner.

>>>> 50. dont forget about the lttle lady in the house waiting for your return, and the ones that depend on you!!!

 

[LD1]

51. Use bucket curl to get unstuck.

It is real hard to get a tractor with loader truly stuck. All to many times I see and hear of guys that are new to equipment get stuck and don't know how to use the loader.

Dump the bucket all the way, lower it into the ground, and curl back as you engage reverse. This will push you back a foot or two. If that isn't enough to get you out, hold the brakes so you don't loose what you've gained, and do it again.

 

[Frosty2]

Hi,as a newbie,I appeciate the suggestions.Closed on my little 4.25 acre hideaway today.Been saving for years to do this.I had to buy a little (by you guy's standards) garden tractor to mow 1 acre and pull a cart around.The 95? CB 1440 that I purchased has a few bugs to work out but seems to be large enough for what I'll be doing.After reading through this thread I figured out what COG was.Even understood FEL,but ROPS has me baffled.I'm sure I'll have more questions as I get more into this but again I want to say Thanks for the suggestions from this newbie.

 

[Altex]

Hi,as a newbie,I appeciate the suggestions.Closed on my little 4.25 acre hideaway today.Been saving for years to do this.I had to buy a little (by you guy's standards) garden tractor to mow 1 acre and pull a cart around.The 95? CB 1440 that I purchased has a few bugs to work out but seems to be large enough for what I'll be doing.After reading through this thread I figured out what COG was.Even understood FEL,but ROPS has me baffled.I'm sure I'll have more questions as I get more into this but again I want to say Thanks for the suggestions from this newbie.

Welcome Frosty2! Congrats on your new property.

Sometimes on these posts there's alot of debating back n forth. Don't let that discourage ya though. People are just passionate about their opinions at times.

Use the "Search" section to find anything specific. There maybe some older posts, but nonetheless the info is great. Hope you got your reading glasses on!

 

[Altex]

Frosty2,

Forgot to tell ya, ROPS is Roll Over Protective Structure (roll bar). All new tractors have it. Alot of the old ones don't.