Doin' the PT Pucker

[Charlie_Iliff]

Re: PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

<font color=red>To make it a bigger challenge, put a wide bucket on the front so that it can swing into things as your watching the rear push the trailer </font color=red>
And a narrow course between decorative trellises - say at canopy height.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

Someone's spouse has to have a prized rose garden with trellises that we can convert to a skills test course.

 

[ponytug]

Re: PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

As Charlie implies, this is very difficult, even more so if you have soft ground.

Pushing two wheeled trailers with a single pivot point: easy
Pushing a four wheeld trailer with rotating front wheel pivot: Training wheels off.
Pushing two four wheeled trailers with two pivots: Challenging.
Doing it with large loads: Yikes!

I worked for awhile on an alfalfa farm, where we used double four wheel trailers behind a tractor. (A Deutz!). Despite my best efforts, every so often, I would have to back the double trailers up. Let's just say that it gets into very high order spaces quickly. I did get to the point where I could parallel park them next to the barn, but it did take some seat time to get proficient. Of course, once other people knew, I ended up with task of getting the trailers out of some real SNAFUs that others had gotten stuck in, usually with about three or four tons of alfalfa on each trailer. Sometimes it is better if other people don't know you can do something...

I am always amazed to watch the semi-driver's skill finals, or a professional heavy equipment operator.

I'm still trying to get the hang of the PT and earth moving. Everytime I try to scrape going forward, I make some horrendous scalp that takes me ages to patch up. The 4N1 in reverse has been great; I just don't seem to get the hang of using the blade going forward. Certainly makes me feel all thumbs.

All the best,

Peter

David:
Hooking the wagon to the front and pushing it backward would be no problem. That would be the same as hangar work with a towbar. I think the airplane tug attachment is essentially the same as the adapter we put together with a 2" receiver. I use that a lot to push a two wheel trailer backward, and could figure out an airplane or four wheel wagon.
The contest, however, would be to hook the 4 wheel wagon to the back of a Power Trac, as it is done with conventional tractors, and then try to back it up. No fair practicing first, and Hans can't enter, because he probably already has tried it.

 

[jfh28]

Re: PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

Same here.....I can't grade going forward to save my life. But I can back drag with the best of them.

Jack

I'm still trying to get the hang of the PT and earth moving. Everytime I try to scrape going forward, I make some horrendous scalp that takes me ages to patch up. The 4N1 in reverse has been great; I just don't seem to get the hang of using the blade going forward.

 

[J_J]

Re: PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

Same here.....I can't grade going forward to save my life. But I can back drag with the best of them.

Jack

I think the reason is that going forward the blade acts as a chisel, and if there is no easy way to control the depth, even though you play with the joystick it will try and dig in. Dragging backward, you are just pulling on a chuck of metal. If it is angled wrong, it will also dig in.

 

[ponytug]

Re: PT Pucker and Tractor Driving Contests

Well, I defer to the experts. Having tried it, it seems complicated to me, but here are my thoughts for what they are worth.

• The pulling the 4N1 with the clam blade open and cutting, tends to lift the rear wheel when it sticks, thereby self correcting and lifting the blade back to the set height. (I agree that you can set the blade to dig in too much, but it is easy to correct.)
• Pulling the LMB or 4N1 closed, are always less than 90 degrees (normal) to the surface and tends to get pushed up by rocks, etc., and thus doesn't dig in.
• Pushing the 4N1 closed, slight variations in the flatness cause the blade to dig in, unless the leading edge is higher than the trailing edge, which then pry up the blade/obstruction. Ditto with the LMB.
• Pushing the 4N1 with the clam shell open, i.e. blade only, seems to dig in very readily, I think because of the lever action of the ratio of the distance to the front wheels to the rear wheels tends to enhance the digging by lifting the rear end, unless the blade is less than normal to the surface.

But perhaps I'm not thinking about it correctly. I certainly know that pulling the 4N1 clam open gives me a beautifully flat surface, especially if the attack angle is set slightly in, and the bucket is in float. Pushing, well, let's say I could use all the help I can get.

All the best,

Peter

I think the reason is that going forward the blade acts as a chisel, and if there is no easy way to control the depth, even though you play with the joystick it will try and dig in. Dragging backward, you are just pulling on a chuck of metal. If it is angled wrong, it will also dig in.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Hey, For all of my gripin I got to do the pucker (kinda) today. Skidding a downed tree with a chain off the bucket. Tree in Ravine.The back end got up, maybe a 1/2", but it happened.... Well, now that that anti climax is over...

 

[SpringHollow]

Hi Carl,

I finally got the tractor up and running again. Have the desiccant breather cap installed so hopefully no more water problems.

Installed the used snow plow and was plowing 12" of heavy wet stuff. Decided to try using the float position and did a reverse PT pucker! The plow dug in and the tractor kept going so the middle of the tractor humped up in the air. I guess I will not be trying the float position again!

The plow springs kept tripping at the slightest bump. My other plow was no way near that sensitive. The adjustment nuts are all rusted on so i will have to try the candle wax method. On the plus side, grass is enough to make it trip so it did not dig up the unfrozen driveway or yard.

Supposedly we are getting another 6-12" tonight.

Ken

 

[RegL]

Hi Carl,

I finally got the tractor up and running again. Have the desiccant breather cap installed so hopefully no more water problems.

Installed the used snow plow and was plowing 12" of heavy wet stuff. Decided to try using the float position and did a reverse PT pucker! The plow dug in and the tractor kept going so the middle of the tractor humped up in the air. I guess I will not be trying the float position again!

The plow springs kept tripping at the slightest bump. My other plow was no way near that sensitive. The adjustment nuts are all rusted on so i will have to try the candle wax method. On the plus side, grass is enough to make it trip so it did not dig up the unfrozen driveway or yard.

Supposedly we are getting another 6-12" tonight.

Ken

I never use float for plowing snow going forward for the reason you described. I almost always use draft control though. It allows the loader arms to adjust to changes in terrain but not cause the tractor to ride up over the bucket. I do use float to back drag.

 

[SpringHollow]

Hi RegL,

It never occurred to me to try draft control. Do you set it to just barely keep it on the ground or slightly above?

Ken