Brake Pedals on the left foot or the right?

[_RaT_]

Interesting, your cruise control works in reverse. Thats the first time I have ever heard of it. I just assumed it was a liability issue to have cruise control in reverse.

 

[thcri]

It would be nice if there was a standard for all tractors but we will never see that I don't think anyway. But safety is an issue and I still think of drivers ED. Some people on automatics will brake with their left foot, which is a NO NO. We were taught to brake with the right foot thus taking our foot off the gas pedal. Brakes will do a better job if you don't have to fight over the gas pedal being on the floor also. When I talked to my New Holland dealer about the brakes being on the right side with the Hydro pedal that is exactlly what he told me, Safety. You have to take your foot off the hydro to hit the brakes. I didn't think much and told him I still wished I could brake to help turn my tractor, that is what I did for years you know, but I really never have had to help turn mine with the brakes.

Now I don't know if I totallly believe my dealer because some of the bigger New Hollands do have the brakes on the left side.

murph

 

[755inNY]

<font color="blue"> He told me that the NH compact utility tractors specifically placed the brakes on the right side because of the safety factor of making emergency stops. Apparently, the field tests some years ago revealed that the difference (between left and right side brake placement) was significant enough that the design engineers felt that for emergency stopping reasons alone, NH would put the foot brakes on the right side. </font>

Nice "explanation" from the rep, but, as we've read in numerous other posts on TBN, ya can't always trust what a salesman tells you. Not saying this guy was lying, only that sometimes things are emblished to support what ever the situation. The only way the results of this test make sense is if the tractor was a gear tractor or the driver's were more used to operating a gear tractor. With the HST, just removing pressure from the pedal slows the tractor down in a hurry.

Let's face it. The brake pedals are on the right side because the clutch pedal is on the left side for gear tractors. Period. When tractors went to hydro, some manufacturer's did a better job with their designs than others. Some just kept the gear transmission layout and simply converted to hydro. Why in the world would you have differential brake pedals on the same side as the "go" pedals of an HST? Why would you sacrifice control of the tractor by forcing the use of the heel and toe of one foot to modulate forward power and directional braking? What if, instead of placing more pressure on the brake pedal to steer away from an object, you mistakenly apply more pressure to the forward pedal. You'll turn less and go forward faster. Bang! I don't buy the emergency braking theory for placing the brakes on the right for a hydro.

Reminds me of when I bought my JD755. All of the other hydros on the market at the time had the differential lock on the right side. A great place for gear tractors but useless for a hydro. I had a Ford salesman suggest I reach down with my hand to activate the diff lock. I'm sure glad I didn't fall for that.

Jeff

 

[PineRidge]

The way I see it that brake pedal can be in any where of up to 4 places on your tractor. Left, military left, right, and military right. Confused yet? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[keeney]

My 4100 HST has brake pedals on both sides. Two differential pedals on the left, and one big pedal for both brakes on the right, above the hydro pedal. Additionally, the differential pedals on the left can be locked together if desired.

In practice, I just use the big pedal on the right to set or release the parking brake (push down brakes and flip the parking brake latch to hold them engaged).

I use the differential brakes on the left often. Two specific situations come to mind:

1. Last summer when it was so rainy and muddy, menuevering with the loader in 4wd. If on the side of a hill, the weight of the loaded loader would often make steering in the up-hill direction an issue due to the poor traction. The differential steering was very helpfu in the mud.

2. When plowing snow with the front blade. If there is any down-pressure on the blade, the front wheels tend to have little or no traction for steering.

Steering with the differential brakes just comes naturally to me now, so I use it almost by instinct whenever the steering response is sluggish due to bad traction on the front.


I do wish that the poarking brake was more aggressive. If parking the tractor on a hill with a heavy trailer in-tow, the brakes will not hold and I have to get off and quickly find a rock or something to chaulk a wheel with.

- Rick

- Rick

 

[Radiopoor]

I would tend to agree with thcri. The brakes on the right format "was" sort of a standard before our new fangled Hydro trannys were developed and anyone who misspent their youth on old Farmalls and John Deeres would be use to that configuration.

One day last summer while mowing my yard I suddenly came upon some thing I didn't want to run over, without even thinking (dangerous I know) about it my feet came up and threw the clutch and brakes even though just taking my foot off the Hydro pedal would have probably been sufficient.

Just my .02 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Ron

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I do wish that the poarking brake was more aggressive. If parking the tractor on a hill with a heavy trailer in-tow, the brakes will not hold and I have to get off and quickly find a rock or something to chaulk a wheel with)</font>Keeney, check your owner's manual for the procedure for adjusting your brake. I suspect there is nothing more wrong with the parking than that the brakes need to be adjusted a little tighter. It should be an easy adjustment. John

 

[keeney]

I did do some adjusting on the brake pedal free-play, but its a combination of two things:

1. Even at full pedal pressure, the stopping power is not all that great.

2. The parking brake mechanism, even though it is kind of a ratcheting thing, always releases a bit of pressure from the brake when you set it due to the flex of the various linkages involved.

I wish that there was a more definite LOCKING mechanism like putting an automatic transmisison into park such that the wheels would not spin, period.

- Rick

 

[CTyler]

The L3130 was/is my first tractor. Having the brakes on the right seemed natural, never gave it a second thought. Probably because when driving a car/truck I use my right foot, as do most peeps, to apply the brakes.

I didn't use the differential braking very much until plowing snow. Used it quite a bit to keep from being sucked off the edge of the drive. I can do the heel/toe thing but the cruise is much easier. All the cruise handle does is move the hydro peddle. So you're just running the hydro peddle by your left hand.

 

[Hypernix]

Hummm.... Geez I got ripped off with my 4110 HST then! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Cause it dosen't have have that big break pedle on the right! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif I definitely think it would be useful though! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Hyp3rnix