Pull from the front or the rear?

[strantor]

I have two months of experience operating my new tractor. I didn't grow up around tractors so I don't know all the tips and tricks. I posted a picture on Facebook of me pulling a stuck truck out of a ditch with my tractor, and I was pulling from the drawbar. I had a couple of people comment and say that I should be pulling from the front, because pulling from the rear introduces risk of flipping the tractor over.

From a practical standpoint, the name and apparent purpose of the drawbar indicates (to me anyway) that's where you're supposed to pull a load from. From a physics standpoint, on a level pull with no weigh on the drawbar, and with the drawbar being positioned below the axle, it seems (to me anyway) that the only possible force that pulling from the drawbar could induce on the nose of the tractor is downforce, not up Force. And with it being a four-wheel drive tractor, it seems (to me anyway) that pulling from the front poses just as much risk of flipping the tractor over forward, as pulling from the rear poses of flipping it over backwards.

So what's a You Sage tractor operators? Am I better off pulling from the front or the back?

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Back from the drawbar. If you hook above the axle center line you have a chance of going over backwards. The tractor in latin actually comes from "to draw or pull" if I remember correctly. The three point hitch actually transfers weight forward by its design and increases the tractors ability to pull.

 

[TheMan419]

The draw bar is the place to pull from. That is its point. The draw bar should be below the rear axle. That configuration will prevent you from flipping over. If your attachment point were above the rear axle you could pull the front end off the ground and flip over.

 

[mddorange]

While the draw bar is as stated above, either direction can lead to a wrecked tractor and maybe a dead driver.

When it flips over backwards it is due to using too much acceleration with good traction from the rear tires on a non movable object. Even using the draw bar will not prevent it from happening. Many a tractor pulls have ended that way.

The same could happen when pulling from the front, but it would be harder.

 

[MossRoad]

I have two months of experience operating my new tractor. I didn't grow up around tractors so I don't know all the tips and tricks. I posted a picture on Facebook of me pulling a stuck truck out of a ditch with my tractor, and I was pulling from the drawbar. I had a couple of people comment and say that I should be pulling from the front, because pulling from the rear introduces risk of flipping the tractor over.

From a practical standpoint, the name and apparent purpose of the drawbar indicates (to me anyway) that's where you're supposed to pull a load from. From a physics standpoint, on a level pull with no weigh on the drawbar, and with the drawbar being positioned below the axle, it seems (to me anyway) that the only possible force that pulling from the drawbar could induce on the nose of the tractor is downforce, not up Force. And with it being a four-wheel drive tractor, it seems (to me anyway) that pulling from the front poses just as much risk of flipping the tractor over forward, as pulling from the rear poses of flipping it over backwards.

So what's a You Sage tractor operators? Am I better off pulling from the front or the back?

Pull from the drawbar. That's what it's designed for. It's attached to the tractor under the rear axle.

As for pulling from the front VS pulling from the rear and rollovers, it would be MUCH harder to roll over forward than it is to roll over rear-wards, even with 4wd. There's a lot more weight at the rear than the front to counteract those forces.

Pull from the drawbar.

 

[California]

Pull from the drawbar, and as low as possible. But this still exerts the force that can flip the tractor over backward if it has perfect traction. Be ready to push in the clutch if the nose rises.

A friend told me this is how his father became disabled. Small crawler tractor with perfect traction, a heavy trailer with brakes locked, and the tractor walked inside its tracks up and over to the back.

 

[jeff9366]

Pull from the drawbar.

 

[ning]

Pull from the drawbar.

In the pic in this post, the chain may be attached to the draw bar, but by going up and over the implement, the effective point of attachment is actually above the rear axle (assuming the implement remains where it is, though it can't go a lot lower and avoid ground contact).

 

[BubbaJr]

The very best answer, call a tow truck, that's what they are designed for. No risk to you or your tractor.

There is nothing to prevent the 3pt and drawbar from rising up and putting the forces above the rear axle under the right circumstances. If you try to pull from the front you will lose a lot of tractive effort from the rear wheels.

Joe

 

[jeff9366]

In the pic in this post, the chain may be attached to the draw bar, but by going up and over the implement, the effective point of attachment is actually above the rear axle (assuming the implement remains where it is, though it can't go a lot lower and avoid ground contact).

100% true.

I was in HST PLUS/LOW/LOW with quite a bit of throttle, moving very, very slowly, over known sand where load would not hang up on something fixed. I had to lift front of the stump a tad to keep from plowing too much sand, stopping progress.