Draft Control? When? How? Why?

Slippy · Feb 27, 2003

I have a draft control on my tractor, but I have to say I don't really understand when, how, or why it can be used. I have read the manual and it gives a breif explanation, but I still don't really understand its use. The best I can tell is that it really is not used unless plowing. Any help? And, if it is not being used, what position should the lever be in?

beenthere · Feb 27, 2003

You are quite right, in that the only time you will use it is when you are plowing. Do you plow? Do you pull any ground-engaging attachments similar to a plow? The draft usually works (some electronic ones on later tractors of larger than CUT size I believe) when a compressive force is applied to the top arm (such as when plowing and the plow sucks into the ground) causing the 3pt to lift slightly to bring the plow up a bit and create less compressive force on the top arm. This "controls" the draft of the plow.
Set the lever for "no draft" if that is explained in the manual. If not, and you are not putting a compressive force on the top arm with any of your attachments, it may not matter where it is set.
This isn't a complete explanation on draft control, but maybe will help you understand how it fits into your uses of your tractor.

EdKing · Feb 27, 2003

I found that along with a hydraulic top link, draft control is very useful while using a box blade. It makes it a lot easier to grade an area, without having to constantly adjust the hieght and front to back tilt of the blade. It allows the tractor to slightly raise the blade if it digs in to much, or hits a large rock. I found it will give you much smoother results.

Gil · Feb 27, 2003

For plowing there is no substitute for draft control. You just aim the machine where you wish to plow, drop the impliment and let the machine control the load it can pull.
For a very good discription of the operation, go to www.tractorsmart.com. Click to enter. Click technical info. Click three point lift types and look for draft control.
Gil

timb · Feb 27, 2003

Anyone have any idea why a draft control setup would prohibit a "top and tilt" combo? I thought that I saw something to this effect for a couple of manufacturers, but right now I only find it listed in JD's specs. For JD the two options are mutually exclusive, you pick one or the other (or none).

Tim

MossRoad · Feb 27, 2003

( Anyone have any idea why a draft control setup would prohibit a "top and tilt" combo? I thought that I saw something to this effect for a couple of manufacturers, but right now I only find it listed in JD's specs. For JD the two options are mutually exclusive, you pick one or the other (or none).

Tim )

I don't know why draft control would prohibit top and tilt. On my IH2500B the draft control raises and lowers the lift arms automatically according to the movement of the rockshaft in relation to the draft control sensitivity setting. As long as you keep the top link(or cylinder for top and tilt) from changing length, draft control should work just fine?

Slippy · Feb 28, 2003

Ok...sorry, I still don't get it. I use my box scraper alot. I am putting in trails through my woods. I use my box scraper to smooth , cut, dig, etc. I use the adjustment of the right rear arm to tilt the box on side hills to cut deeper on the top side. (wish they made one that was automatic) I also use the FEL to take out say a big rise just before getting to a big dip in terain, then smooth it out with box scraper.

So,no I do not plow with a plow, but do alot with box scraper. So...does the draft control put down force on the arms to apply top force on the implement? In other words, is it like putting weight, or block on top of the implement to keep down force on it? The more draft you apply, the more force? Sorry to be so thick headed but I have played around with the thing and don't seem to get diff results. As much box work as I am doing and will keep doing, if this thing is a great help, it would be worth while to learn how to use it. Any more explanation? And, if the lever is forward, top pointing toward front of tractor, does that mean the draft is off?

Slippy · Feb 28, 2003

Oh, and one more thing...how do you apply the draft control? Apply it with lift up, down, etc.?

EdKing · Feb 28, 2003

Anyone have any idea why a draft control setup would prohibit a "top and tilt" combo? 

I have both draft control and a top and tilt on my tractor. I can't see any reason why you couldn't have both.

BTW, where abouts in SouthWest Pa are you ? I live about 20 miles west of Waynesburgh, down here in Greene County.

EdKing · Feb 28, 2003

So...does the draft control put down force on the arms to apply top force on the implement? 

No, draft control will not put more down force on the implement, but it will let you set a more aggressive angle on the box blade, without having to worry about it digging in to deep and stopping you.

The way draft control works is it senses when the implement tilts foward due to it hitting more resistance in the soil. If you hit heavier soil, or the blade starts to dig in too deep, it will raise the implement slightly and then allow it to lower again once the resistance is passed.

The posistion of implement (up or down) does not matter when setting draft control. I set mine so it just prevents the box blade from digging in to deep and causing the tractor to stop due to lack of traction.

timb · Feb 28, 2003

BTW, where abouts in SouthWest Pa are you ? I live about 20 miles west of Waynesburgh, down here in Greene County 

Ed - then you're in beautiful country. I used to hunt down that way around Pine Bank and fish at Ryerson. Our property is right above the "Yough" at the very bottom of Westmoreland County - maybe 40-45 miles northeast of you. I'd like to be further out but that's my wife's old stomping grounds and about as far from the day job as I can get and commute.

 I have both draft control and a top and tilt on my tractor. I can't see any reason why you couldn't have both.

I don't either but that's in the JD "Build & Price" (4510-4710) that way for option LVB25312 "Top and Tilt Field Kit".

 Top and tilt kit provides hydraulic cylinder for center link and hydraulic cylinder for right side lift link of 3-point hitch. Allows hydraulic positioning of the rear implement.

Notes:
1) The diverter valve kit must be installed on tractor for top and tilt operation.
2) Not compatible with draft sensing kit LVB25270

... and under the details for LVB25270 Draft Sensing Kit...

Note:
Not compatible with top and tilt kit LVB25312.

MossRoad · Feb 28, 2003

Read this. It is a direct link to the article that Gil posted a link to. Helps explain things very nicely. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

ns_in_tex · Feb 28, 2003

OK, let me try to explain how I think they work.
I think there are two different ways draft controls work, but they still accomplish the same task.
I also like to use draft control on my box blade.

Lets say your box blade weighs 1000 lb, but when you let it all the way down, it cuts too much dirt for you to pull, very quickly. With the draft control you can contol how much down weight is on the blade or how much weight the blade is pressing on the ground and your tractor carries the balance of the load. Such as 500 lb of weight on the ground & 500 lb weight on the tractor. If the box blade hits a snag, the hydraulic lift will try to pick up all the extra downward pull, up to the limit of your hydraulic system. Since this is all automatic with the tractor hydraulic system, when the blade catches a load, it increases the the downward weight & the draft control will automatically picks up on the blade with the hydraulics, until the extra load is overcome.
Using draft control you can leave the hydraulic lift lever all the way down to follow the contour of the land and contol your load right up to limit of the traction your tractor can pull.

Really works great with a heavy blade. I suppose it would do the same with a light blade & a smaller tractor.

Gil · Feb 28, 2003

My boxblade works very good with draft control. I have a long gravel driveway, drop the boxblade, let it fill up with gravel, raise the draft a little to carry this load, and the draft will follow the ground level without digging in or lifting out to leave a very smooth drive. Does a much beter job than can be done by trying to control by hand.

And by the way, moving the draft lever toward the front adds draft, and to the rear lightens the load.

I wish You well
Gil

Rowski · Feb 28, 2003

I don't have a box blade but do use it with a rear blade. Find it works very well from keeping me slipping the wheels much. I don't use it all the time but some times its very helpful. Last summer I had to remove "hump" in a field we are reclaiming. I set the position control to the depth (in this case all the way down). Then set the draft control to the setting that gives me the best traction with biggest bite (slipping wheels slightly but not to much). Works great when you hit a rock, root, or stump. I have tried the draft control with the rock rake but did work well for me, I usually only do fine finish work with my rake.

MossRoad · Feb 28, 2003

Be honest...

How many of you have had your 3pt implement jumping up and down for no apparent reason? You stop the tractor and all is well. You start moving and it starts jumping again. Visions of major repair $$$ and panic. Then you remember you have draft control and found you had it on the most sensitive setting.... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

JohnMiller3 · Feb 28, 2003

Basically, this is how I set up my Deere draft for plowing (moldboard):

1) Mount the top link in the bottom or middle position for draft sensitivity
2) Place the Draft Control in the fully OFF position
3) Place the Position Control completely all the way UP
4) As the tractor is going forward, lower the implement for ground engagement with the Position Control setting to the proper depth
5) Adjust the Position Control stop and lock
6) As the tractor continues going forward with the implement engaged into the ground and under normal soil conditions, adjust the Draft Control slowly ON until movement of the implement is detected (up or down slightly), then stop draft adjustment
7) Only adjust the Draft Control now for fine tweaking and then leave it alone. A little lever movement goes a long ways and there is a “lag” from adjustment of the lever to implement movement
8) Some other things will affect draft: You can move the top link up one position to increase draft range or to prevent erratic implement movement/hunting up/down (be careful, moving the top link too high up will turn off the draft sensing, even with the control ON) Some tractors have an rate of drop control (usually under the seat) that will affect the speed of implement movement while in Draft mode (my old Massey), others like my Deere, this controls only the implement position drop speed
9) Use the position control now to lift implement out of ground engagement (end of plow furrows), and transporting short distances, when moving Position Control for ground engagement, just move control back to your previous “Stop & Lock” set position
10) Warning - some 3-pt hydraulic systems with the implement attached will creep/lower with the Position Control in transport position and the Draft Control turned ON (in other words, going down the road, you may find the plow dropping on its own to plow the pavement with the Draft Control still ON)

EdKing · Feb 28, 2003

I used to hunt down that way around Pine Bank and fish at Ryerson. 

I live about 3-4 miles away from Ryerson, a little off of 21. It is actually shorter for me to drive back roads to Ryerson.

The top-n-tilt/draft must be a JD thing. I guess it depends on how the draft control works on the JD. After using both I wouldn't want to be without either one while using the box blade.

bgott · Mar 1, 2003

What the other guys said, also, Have you ever noticed how hard it is to not " washboard" the ground you're trying to smooth? What I mean by that is the effect you get from the scraper digging deeper when the front wheels rise and shallower when they hit a depression? With draft control the mechanism senses the up and down motion from the front of the tractor and compensates. On my TN 65 I set the control about 4 notches from the top of the quadrant and run up and down and 'round and 'round until I have the short rises and depressions cut down. By that, I mean the rises, or slopes, that are shorter than the tractor's wheelbase. The undulations that are longer than the wheelbase have less of an effect on the draft control because you're not varying the force by as much as you traverse them. Then I go back and cut down the high spots with position control and go back and use the draft control again. I do this until I have it as smooth as I need it.

Slippy · Mar 1, 2003

Thank you, again! I think I understand now. Am going out today to test it. This tilt kit I see posted, can you get these at like TSC or other places for all tractors, or is this proprietary to JD? I am constantly adjusting the right arm to compensate for grade requirments to make the trail as smooth as possible. Being able to do that with a lever would be alot eaiser on me and get the job done sooner.