What is draft control

[5030]

That video is incorrect.

That video is misinformation and should be removed and Mossy is 100% correct. Draft control is to be used with ground engaging implements, that is why smaller units inly have position control as the lack both the power and the weight / traction to utilize ground engaging implements such as moldboard plows or Swedish Tine cultivators to name a few.

Basically how it works:

Position control (which will be standard on almost all low powered tractors)...

There will be ONE lever next to the seat. That controls the height the 3 point lower arms will be set at and the top link bracket (where the top link adjuster is pinned to or a hydraulic cylinder is pinned to) is hard mounted to the rear casting and don't move. All control is achieved by raising and lowering the lower lift arms. There is no way to adjust the depth other than the lower arms.

Draft control is a bit more complex. There will be 2 levers next to the seat. One lever controls the lower arm height, the other controls the sensitivity of the draft mechanism. The way it works basically is, the top link is attached to the tractor with a cam shaped pin that allows the top link forging to move in relationship to the load placed on the implement. It acts against a stationary stop block mounted to the rear housing casting and has a set space between it and the moveable top link. When the ground engaging implement encounters a difficult spot, the top link will rotate slightly and contact the stop block and try to rotate further. The moveable top link will have a 'feedback rod' attached to it and the rod will actuate the 3 point hydraulics to lift the lower arms enough to lift the implement out of the ground enough to clear the hard spot. Soon as it clears it, the pressure on the top link is relaxed and the implement is allowed to drop to the preset position again.

You still use the position control lever to initially set the implement depth, the draft control lever (the second lever) only adjusts the sensitivity of the moveable top link forging when it contacts the stop block.

The 'feedback' linkage is adjustable via a threaded coupler and lock nuts and the space between the stop block and the top link forging is also adjustable by shimming or removing shims from the stop block. Kubota (because all I'm familiar with as it's all I have) recommends about 1/16" clearance between the stop block and the top link forging and that is how mine are set.

If you have say a rear mount backhoe attached, you ALWAYS want the draft sensitivity control lever set in it's lowest position or the draft control will be trying the raise the lower arms when you are digging because the upper mount on the backhoe mounts to the upper (top link mount) and will put severe pressure on the top link forging and possibly break it or the rear case. In fact, after you mount the hoe, you want the position control (other lever) in the lowest position as well.

When using the draft control, all the draft lever does is control the sensitivity of the draft control linkage, that is, how fast the draft control linkage reacts to the had spot encountered by whatever ground engaging implement you are using.

Why it's important to keep the upper link forging greased, so it can freely pivot and contact the stop block. I use mine quite a bit but when not having a mounted ground engaging implement, I ALWAYS have the draft sensitivity lever set in it's lowest (no actuation) position and just use the other lever (position control) to raise and lower the mounted implement.

I'm sure that is 'plain as mud' but of you only have one lever, you don't have draft control. You always have to have 2 levers, no matter what make the tractor is, they are all the same basically.

Just remember, when mounting a backhoe, even if it's a subframe mount, ALWAYS set the lower link link control in the LOWEST position and if you have draft control, the lever must be set in the least sensitive position.

 

[npalen]

I don't think the draft control is actuated when the "front of the tractor becomes light", in fact hitting an obstruction or hard spot with a moldboard plow, for example, would tend to transfer weight to the front end of the tractor. This is because the line of draft is above the front wheels.

Yes, the draft control is actuated in the above scenario but not because the front becomes light.
Part of the reason that draft control is effective is that the raising of the implement puts temporary additional weight on the rear wheels for added traction. Yes, that does lighten the front end briefly as an effect of draft control but doesn't cause the activation of it.

Edit: A fallacy of draft control, in my opinion, is that its purpose is to control depth of the implement. It does control depth in an attempt to control draft to control wheel slippage and/or engine lugging but its primary purpose is to control draft.

A negative result of draft control is the inconsistent depth of plowing. A field consisting of different soil types, hardness and moisture will result in varying depth of tillage caused by the draft control system.

 

[Snaker]

Seems like a lot of the folks commenting here are looking at whatever is in front of them and talking as if theirs is some sort of universal standard, its not. There are all kinds of different designs.
Even if your not fond of reading operators manuals, the 3 pt is a area where you should read up.

The draft function has nothing to do with digging holes or changing angles or getting the front end light, those would be signs for the op to adjust the draft.

A 3 pt with draft can have multiple control levers or it can have one. One of my tractors had a single lever with the top 80% of the range being the position adjustment and the lower 20% being the draft section.

One way to tell if you have draft is to look at the arm mounting. A top draft will have some sort of linkage or moving parts at the top link mount and the lower arms will be mounted to the frame. A lower draft will have the top link mount be the frame and some sort of linkage on the lower arms.

A nice benefit of a lower draft sensing would be using a semi-mounted plow for instance, where only the lower arms are connected. In that case a top link draft would be useless.

 

[rScotty]

That video is misinformation and should be removed and Mossy is 100% correct. Draft control is to be used with ground engaging implements, that is why smaller units inly have position control as the lack both the power and the weight / traction to utilize ground engaging implements such as moldboard plows or Swedish Tine cultivators to name a few.

SNIP

I'm sure that is 'plain as mud' but of you only have one lever, you don't have draft control. You always have to have 2 levers, no matter what make the tractor is, they are all the same basically.

Just remember, when mounting a backhoe, even if it's a subframe mount, ALWAYS set the lower link link control in the LOWEST position and if you have draft control, the lever must be set in the least sensitive position.

It seems that nothing on tractors is ever 100% standard and the same.

Most of the experienced operators seem to be saying the same thing, but take that statement that you always have to have 2 levers to have draft control.

True, but not always true. For example, our John Deere only has a single lever for the position 3pt hitch control. But it does have a sort of second adjustment just as 5030 requires. There are multiple mounting positions for the top link where it attaches to the tractor body. That corresponds to a sensitivity control lever. By changing mounting position the draft can be very sensitive or not at all.
rScotty

 

[5030]

My forged top link mount also has 3 positions for the top link so you can fine tune the sensitivity of the draft control and my lower links also have 3 attachment positions.

 

[5030]

All sorts of different variations. I'm just noting what my M series Kubota's have as that is all I own so I have nothing to compare to. Bottom line is it's for ground engaging implements only and most times, mine are set at the lowest position.

 

[ptsg]

Are there any less than 40HP new compact tractors offered today with draft control?

In the US, probably not. In Europe, they start right 20 or 22 HP with draft control.

 

[LouNY]

And then my Branson 8050 has electronic draft control;

and the 3 pt control;

And this system is similar to the larger IH's on the farm.
My draft sensing is on the top link at the tractor end,
which has 3 positions which will also effect the sensitivity.
The larger IH's have a load sensor on the lower lift arm to monitor the pull.

 

[5030]

Happy for ya... Like I stated a few comments ago, many different systems employed to achieve the desired result. Myself, I prefer an mechanical system over an electronic one as electronics are more failure prone. I read somewhere that Branson is getting out of the tractor business and the 'Branson' brand will be TYM. Don't TYM build them anyway in Korea?

 

[LouNY]

Branson was taken over by TYM, they are both Korean brands.
And as far as likening the mechanical or the electronic draft control,
if you look at my tractors and all the farms tractors the Draft control is turned off or disabled or set to
minimal effect. When performing tillage operations my hand is next to the hydraulic control.
I am the draft controller not the tractor.

 

[DK35vince]

I read somewhere that Branson is getting out of the tractor business and the 'Branson' brand will be TYM. Don't TYM build them anyway in Korea?

Branson is made by Kukje (TYM bought Kukje a while back), but they are different tractors so far.
I've looked at TYM and Branson, my opinion I think the Branson is a nicer/heavier built machine

 

[Raul-02]

That video is incorrect

I wouldn't know I never had it.

 

[5030]

Branson is made by Kukje (TYM bought Kukje a while back), but they are different tractors so far.
I've looked at TYM and Branson, my opinion I think the Branson is a nicer/heavier built machine

Don't know one from another actually. All I know about are the 2 M9's I own. I'm sure they will outlast my needs and being pre 4 and well maintained, bring a premium price for my wife when she sells them off after my demise along with everything else farm related. She don't even know how to start them, let alone hook up hay tools.

My M's have had an excellent track record for me. No issues other than routine service since 2002 and 2004 respectively. Reliable as 2 rocks and very miserly on fuel, an important aspect today.

 

[K5lwq]

Happy for ya... But what does any of that have to do with draft control?

 

[ptsg]

Happy for ya... But what does any of that have to do with draft control?

Just typical practice from our resident troll, no less. Turn every single thread into something about him, then when he gets confronted, says he doesn't care about anything else other than his stuff. Classic.

Anyway, back to draft control. See it working at 0:13 mark. No tire spin, no light front end, no tires digging.

 

[Snaker]

Draft Control: What is it and How is it Used? – Your Local Farmer

I missed this video the first time and realized its a good one.

I just want to add a thought on this that is somewhat debatable.
I think that draft should be looked at as an operator helper but also as compromise.
It assists the job by reducing the load, lifting the implement till the load is reduced.
Once the load is reduced, the draft allows the 3 pt to settle back down to the selected depth.
So the work is a series of depth oscillations.
That usually means that the job isn't being accomplished properly

Take plowing, the more obvious.
If the draft is triggered every couple of minutes, that's fantastic, that's what its for.
If the draft is triggered every couple of feet, that's a problem and a operator who is smarter than the rocks they're plowing will do a plan B.
Thats because they are making a mess of the field.
They would need to:
Set the draft heavier so it doesn't trigger so often
Reconfigure the equipment to pull easier
Switch to a different piece of equipment
Get additional traction for the tractor
Get a different tractor
Wait for the ground to get drier, or wetter
Have a neighbor bring another tractor and chain and pull them around the field all day (that does happen)

The point is that a continuous draft trigger is not such a good thing and signals the operator to make a change.

 

[npalen]

I missed this video the first time and realized its a good one.

I just want to add a thought on this that is somewhat debatable.
I think that draft should be looked at as an operator helper but also as compromise.
It assists the job by reducing the load, lifting the implement till the load is reduced.
Once the load is reduced, the draft allows the 3 pt to settle back down to the selected depth.
So the work is a series of depth oscillations.
That usually means that the job isn't being accomplished properly

Take plowing, the more obvious.
If the draft is triggered every couple of minutes, that's fantastic, that's what its for.
If the draft is triggered every couple of feet, that's a problem and a operator who is smarter than the rocks they're plowing will do a plan B.
Thats because they are making a mess of the field.
They would need to:
Set the draft heavier so it doesn't trigger so often
Reconfigure the equipment to pull easier
Switch to a different piece of equipment
Get additional traction for the tractor
Get a different tractor
Wait for the ground to get drier, or wetter
Have a neighbor bring another tractor and chain and pull them around the field all day (that does happen)

The point is that a continuous draft trigger is not such a good thing and signals the operator to make a change.

You make some very good points! I agree that if the tractor can't pull the plow at a uniform depth, other factors should be looked at. I realize there are field conditions which dictate decreasing depth SLIGHTLY and temporarily to increase operating efficiency. An example would be a hard spot that the tractor can't pull thru without spinning out or changing to a lower gear. The flip side is that the hard spot will probably be there again next year if not taken out.

Going thru a sharp draw or over a sharp knoll is where draft control should be effective at actually maintaining depth to a reasonable extent. Tractor rear wheels drop into a ditch and the draft control should raise the plow and vice versa when going over a rise.

 

[MossRoad]

 

[MossRoad]

You make some very good points! I agree that if the tractor can't pull the plow at a uniform depth, other factors should be looked at. I realize there are field conditions which dictate decreasing depth SLIGHTLY and temporarily to increase operating efficiency. An example would be a hard spot that the tractor can't pull thru without spinning out or changing to a lower gear. The flip side is that the hard spot will probably be there again next year if not taken out.

Going thru a sharp draw or over a sharp knoll is where draft control should be effective at actually maintaining depth to a reasonable extent. Tractor rear wheels drop into a ditch and the draft control should raise the plow and vice versa when going over a rise.

That's depth and/or position control, not draft control. All draft control does is control the draft (pull) on the tractor. It does not control depth.

This is why it's important for everyone to speak the same terminology and why draft control seems to be a confusing mystery to a lot of people.

 

[Bentrim]

Harry Ferguson invented the three point hitch because people were getting killed when the tractor rolled over backwards while trying to plow. After some attempts he on a handshake agreement allowed Henry Ford to use it. The 9N, 2N, 9N. Harry wanted to use the hitch but Ford refused to stop. Harry sued Ford. Ford lost and had to use a different system for their hitch. Ferguson started US production of the TO20 later to be the TO30, later the TO35 then Massey bought Ferguson and it became 35. FYI Ferguson tractors TO= Tractor Overseas, TE=Tractor England Remember Ferguson was Irish.
What was unique about Ferguson's three point was it used position & draft control by controlling input to a scotch yoke pump.
Draft control some refer to as automatic depth control. On Ferguson's tractor the top link with a ground engaging implement pushes toward the tractor as the implement tries to rotate around the lower hitch bar. this force operates internal linkage to raise or lower the implement by the amount of force of the top link. The benefit of this is as the implement pulls harder and the hitch attempts to raise the implement it also adds weight to the tractors rear wheels.
Later tractors and other makes have used lower link sensing. The amount of pull from the lower links is used instead of using a top link. This became necessary especially for semi mounted plows.
A good draft system will be very sensitive to minor changes in the load. A poor draft system can be very frustrating.
WARNING Do NOT use DRAFT control to attach or detach implements. Usually they either moves full up or full down and can move unexpectedly. Use only POSITION control when attaching or detaching implements. Position control should move only according to movement of the control lever