JDgreen227
Super Member
As my JD is an E-hydro model. I have never used the tractor brakes for stopping or slowing, and the only use of the parking brake has been on flat surfaces. Being curious about how strong the brakes actually were, I drove up the only incline on my property, a slope about 25 degrees.
Stepped on the brakes, shifted into neutral and released the brakes...I was surprised at how much pressure was required to hold the tractor on the hill. Went to my garage and got an old bathroom scale, then duct taped it to the brake pedals. Back up the slope, and it took about 65 pounds of force to hold the tractor on the hill and over 150 pounds pressure on the pedals to set the parking brake so it would hold the tractor on the slope.
While this is not a very exact test, I am wondering if the pedal effort required could be considered normal?
Stepped on the brakes, shifted into neutral and released the brakes...I was surprised at how much pressure was required to hold the tractor on the hill. Went to my garage and got an old bathroom scale, then duct taped it to the brake pedals. Back up the slope, and it took about 65 pounds of force to hold the tractor on the hill and over 150 pounds pressure on the pedals to set the parking brake so it would hold the tractor on the slope.
While this is not a very exact test, I am wondering if the pedal effort required could be considered normal?