Dif-lock, I never use it?

[Grateful11]

The greatest point of clarification is that the engagement mechanically locks two axles together, so they must be moving at the same rpm or both stopped at time of engagement. Damage is done NOT because the diff lock is used when only one wheel had traction, but because the engagement was done while one was stopped and the other turning. The safest thing to do is to be sure both wheels are stopped before engaging. If that is consistently practiced, there will never be any damage to the tractor.

That's right because if you think about it nearly all the weight is on the tire
that's not turning. Popping in the Diff. Lock would instant throw all that torque
onto the wheel that not spinning and has nearly all the weight on it.

A couple years ago in was in the Case IH 5140 2WD 100hp+ tractor and my
wife wanted me the get just a little closer to an area that is known to be wet
from time to time. Next thing I know I'm slowing down to a crawl in like 5
seconds and had a 15' disc harrow behind me. I immediately raised the disc
wheels and remembered from the manual that it said you had to be stopped
before engaging the Diff. Lock, which in this tractor is an electrical switch,
so I stopped turned on the Lock and moved forward about 2' and stopped,
used the power reverser to rock it back and forth and after about 10 tries I
got it out. I was like man I could have buried this thing. It was about the
second time I had ever used the tractor. This a cab tractor and you can't see
the wheels spinning at all from the cab. She and Dad ran everything here
until he passed recently.

 

[KubieTwo]

Usually I will have to apply slight pressure while moving very slowly and sometimes turning the steering wheel a little one way or the other. I can then feel when everything lines up and it engages. The pedal should go all the way down.

You are correct that it takes a little movement once you try to engage the diff lock. On the BX tractors it is not a fancy arrangement of clutches as some may think and they without understanding of the design step on the lever with wheel spinning under load and rip the edge out of the hole, damage the pin(s), etc. The system can withstand a few of these moves but continued misuse will take its toll. Think of it as similar to putting an auto transmission in park while still slowly moving.

It is very simply a pin (or set of pins) that must slip into place to lock one side gear to the pinion carrier so they cannot rotate independently as they usually do. The pin(s) and the holes have to align to allow the lock, so some rotation is required to move the parts into position....but this is why it should be done slowly rather than having one wheel spinning rapidly when the pin is perhaps only partially pushed into the hole.