DRAFT CONTROL How does it work?

[npalen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvtFPwNPgAE

Somewhat interesting video showing how the old geezer can lift a three bottom plow with one hand. He cheats using draft control.

We had an 8N Ford tractor on the farm that came with a 2 bottom 14" plow. We never used it for plowing as it couldn't hold adequate depth without running out of traction. I'm of the opinion that using draft control for moldboard plowing would be fine if the tractor had enough power to maintain depth in spite of varying soil draft conditions.

The draft control MIGHT help protect the implement if an immovable object was encountered. Moldboard plowing needs to be done at a constant depth based on experience. Letting the plow rise and fall according to draft will result in uneven ground and failure to bury crop residue and weeds that are the reason for plowing in the first place. A plowing depth of 6" was considered absolute minimum otherwise you were "chicken scratching".

 

[ovrszd]

Maybe I don't understand. But what makes the arms come down again? Presumeably, pushing on the top link makes the arms go up only.

The implement's builtin design that causes it to cut deeper. Very obvious with a moldboard plow.

 

[ovrszd]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvtFPwNPgAE

Somewhat interesting video showing how the old geezer can lift a three bottom plow with one hand. He cheats using draft control.

We had an 8N Ford tractor on the farm that came with a 2 bottom 14" plow. We never used it for plowing as it couldn't hold adequate depth without running out of traction. I'm of the opinion that using draft control for moldboard plowing would be fine if the tractor had enough power to maintain depth in spite of varying soil draft conditions.

The draft control MIGHT help protect the implement if an immovable object was encountered. Moldboard plowing needs to be done at a constant depth based on experience. Letting the plow rise and fall according to draft will result in uneven ground and failure to bury crop residue and weeds that are the reason for plowing in the first place. A plowing depth of 6" was considered absolute minimum otherwise you were "chicken scratching".

Realize there are many types of soils.

I learned how to plow on an 8N with 2 bottom plow using draft control. Literally plowed hundreds of acres with it. Yes there might be areas where it only plowed 3 or 4" deep. That was all the tractor could handle. Wasn't the fault of draft control. Actually just the opposite. Without draft control it would have been a hopeless battle between tractor/operator against stubborn soil.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvtFPwNPgAE

Somewhat interesting video showing how the old geezer can lift a three bottom plow with one hand. He cheats using draft control.

We had an 8N Ford tractor on the farm that came with a 2 bottom 14" plow. We never used it for plowing as it couldn't hold adequate depth without running out of traction. I'm of the opinion that using draft control for moldboard plowing would be fine if the tractor had enough power to maintain depth in spite of varying soil draft conditions.

The draft control MIGHT help protect the implement if an immovable object was encountered. Moldboard plowing needs to be done at a constant depth based on experience. Letting the plow rise and fall according to draft will result in uneven ground and failure to bury crop residue and weeds that are the reason for plowing in the first place. A plowing depth of 6" was considered absolute minimum otherwise you were "chicken scratching".

Not questioning you, but everyone can't always afford that machine capability, so making multiple passes is a requirement.

 

[npalen]

Thinking back to my post, I didn't give the 8N a very good rap. Our 8N was the farm workhorse and was called on to do many jobs for which a larger tractor was not practical. It many times served in the role of what today's ATV or UTV would be used for including rounding up cattle. It's a wonder we didn't get hurt on it as it served as our "hotrod" also. Used to hook a chain to the top link attachment area and see how high we could get the front end off the ground. Was that not asking for trouble or worse?

 

[ovrszd]

Thinking back to my post, I didn't give the 8N a very good rap. Our 8N was the farm workhorse and was called on to do many jobs for which a larger tractor was not practical. It many times served in the role of what today's ATV or UTV would be used for including rounding up cattle. It's a wonder we didn't get hurt on it as it served as our "hotrod" also. Used to hook a chain to the top link attachment area and see how high we could get the front end off the ground. Was that not asking for trouble or worse?

Yep, my Brother and I played those games a lot. Ours had an over/under trans. Man that thing would go down the road!!! I actually got stopped by the town marshal and told to slow it down one day while in town getting a load of feed!!!!

People down play those old Fords. But look what their competition was. Wayyyyyy more productive than the other brands that weren't even offered with a 3pt.

 

[TomSeller]

Somewhat interesting video showing how the old geezer can lift a three bottom plow with one hand. He cheats using draft control.

The kid in the video did cheat using draft control

 

[TomSeller]

The original purpose of Draft Control was to keep plows encountering underground obstructions from pivoting tractors on their rear axles into a vertical orientation.
.

A plow tip hitting an obstruction pushes the front wheels down since it is below the rear axle. Pulling something from above the rear axle tends to do as you describe, potentially flipping the tractor over.

 

[TomSeller]

IMO a box blade sitting on the ground has very little top link "effort" and I don't think would influence the draft control at all. It came on all of my tractors over the years, and have never hooked up to a more than a single bottom plow in a large garden situation. I have "played" with it and ultimately did not use it. I wanted a consistant depth (deep) turning of the soil. I think that their (draft control) origins were from the days of lower HP tractors and multiple 3pt. mounted plows. But that only a guess.
I would be curious to hear from someone that actually uses this function. It seems to me that they might as well put an 8 track tape player on a tractor, just as usefull:laughing:
I like k0ua's explanation.

I agree that using a box blade while grading a hard gravel driveway puts little variation on the pressure on the top link.

However, while moving soil, there can be significant pressure on the top link to the point it will function a little like a land plane, leveling out the soil. When doing this I had to increase the draft quite a bit.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I agree that using a box blade while grading a hard gravel driveway puts little variation on the pressure on the top link.

However, while moving soil, there can be significant pressure on the top link to the point it will function a little like a land plane, leveling out the soil. When doing this I had to increase the draft quite a bit.

Agree, but need to emphasize HARD On hard ground, remove the top link and see what happens, then do the same where the ground is softer and the cutting edge can actually cut in.

To anyone that actually tries this, do it very slow, or you may not like the results.