Always Set Parking Brake!

[lman]

I always put my F350 in Reverse or 1st gear and use the parking brake. I trust the manual transmission more than the parking brake.

 

[sixdogs]

A parking brake on a tractor is like a safety on a firearm. It's nice that you have it but don't ever trust it.

With that said, I almost never set my parking brake. The only time I can recall using it is when I'm chipping brush and don't like things revving up while I'm standing nearby.

On a slope, park so it can't roll and if it does, it won't go anywhere. Like up against a tree. It takes a little thinking but you can do it.



After all that, I once had a 13 ft wide, 10,000 lb rolling harrow get away from me on a slope and roll about 1/8th of a mile through a farm field and almost into a small ravine. Silly me; I trusted the blocks I put under the tires when I should have chained it to a tree. Lesson learned forever.

 

[hube2]

Mid ‘70s Ford, they did things differently back then.

Yep, 1976 Gran Torino

 

[dodge man]

With my Kubota BX you could leave the tractor running in gear(HST) and get off it, if it was relatively flat it wouldn’t roll. With my JD 2025r you have to put it in neutral to get off it and leave it running. You guessed it, I didn’t set the parking brake and no loader on it. I went in my shop to get a key and when I walked out it was rolling across my yard and about to take off down a hill. I ran over and jammed the brake on with my hand. It was about a week old.

 

[k0ua]

There was a recall on several of those Ford's from the 70's. Seems that unless you took great pains to put the car in Park, it did not actuate the parking pawl. More than one runaway Ford in those days.

 

[metalbender]

Another point is to use the brake to keep it from seizing up from lack of use.

 

[bdhsfz6]

The brakes on a few of my earlier Kubota's took a lot of pedal pressure to work effectively. It was often difficult to tell how effective they would be when the parking brake was set. My old L3010 would sometimes creep even though the parking brake was firmly set.

Kubota seems to have addressed this issue on newer models.

 

[DKCDKC]

I learned early. Just a few days after getting my new JD 3 series I was working a dirt pile in the woods on a shallow slope. I turned it off to move some limbs and, a few minutes later, stood to realize it was moving backward and gaining speed - even on a really slight incline. Fortunately it only drifted about 60 feet when the drawbar precisely hit a walnut tree. No damage at all, but a lesson learned. I have set the brake and put the FEL down every time since, even on very slight inclines.

 

[RjCorazza]

My tractor drifts also, and I have gotten into the habit of setting the parking brake. I also close the cab door each time I exit.
I would imagine getting pinned or run over would be a drag.

 

[fruitcakesa]

My tractor drifts also, and I have gotten into the habit of setting the parking brake. I also close the cab door each time I exit.
I would imagine getting pinned or run over would be a drag.

I also make a habit of closing cab doors when I exit especially when running the winch or another implement that could wreck havoc if something went awry

 

[bigtiller]

When I forget to release the parking brake on my 835m Gator, if I push on the throttle, a loud alarm reminds me to release it. I wish my tractor had that.

 

[Jstpssng]

My Kubota has a light on the dash when the parking brake is set.

 

[DieselBound]

Long ago, with my first tractor, I quit using the parking brake. Too easy to forget to release.

Then again - I don't have any really steep slopes. However - if I do park on any of the slopes I have - drop the rear blade - pin the grapple into the ground.

The parking brakes on my B7800 are non-existent now and I suspect that they got that way from running with them on! No hills, only some mild slopes which, if I messed up, COULD result in an event which I wouldn't be talking highly of Tooth bar is my parking brake! (and this too I sometimes forget to disengage before attempting to start out! also do that with various stuff attached to the front of my Kioti- I mumble something about being stupid and then off I go...).

Always look to face downhill with the loader bucket down and curled into the surface if possible. Again, a tooth bar works really well (if no concerns over disturbing what the teeth are digging into). And implement on the rear dropped fully: box blades are great anchors!

 

[KennyG]

My Kubota has a light on the dash when the parking brake is set.

So does my John Deere. I wish I could say it keeps from trying to drive with the brake on.

 

[Kschwennsen]

I set mine even on even ground, I don't need a kid hopping on and trying to go for a ride!

 

[hube2]

I set mine even on even ground, I don't need a kid hopping on and trying to go for a ride!

My 2 year old grandson is enamored with the tractor. I usually won't even run it when he's around, but if I do it gets turned off as well and the key comes out. He'll climb up onto in any chance he gets.

 

[Gord Baker]

Life Lesson here.

 

[deezler]

My 2 year old grandson is enamored with the tractor. I usually won't even run it when he's around, but if I do it gets turned off as well and the key comes out. He'll climb up onto in any chance he gets.

Thats great to hear. Always put the loader and the 3-pt down too! My kids will hop onto equipment randomly too. I always put my loader to the ground to make sure they dont accidentally hit the lever and hurt something/someone.

 

[Millwood]

Very lucky for two reasons. First, he wasn't on it when it took off and second, it was a rental
We have some very steep terrain up here! I always clomp down on my parking brake and lock it whenever I dismount, running or off.

 

[Shenandoah MF1760]

Hydro tractors are noted for rolling away

These things happen. Hydro tractors are noted for rolling away. Of course on that steep of a hill it was absolutely clear negligence to not set the parking brake, and also set the front bucket to act as a brake. With a gear tractor on a slight slope, usually when you shut off the tractor and leave it in gear, the friction of trying to roll over the engine will prevent the tractor from rolling away. But a hydro tractor will bleed down pressure and is almost guaranteed to roll away without the brake set.

But I never rely on the parking brake either, I set the bucket on edge to dig in and also if the 3pt has something on it like my blade or ballast barrel, I set them too. The terrain here is very hilly, and you will only make that roll away mistake once. I suggest the guy with the JD was very lucky and no real damage was done to property or to life and limb. It could have been a lot worse.

Yeah buddy!

My 1760 will roll on a 2 degree grade!