How many operate the left/right brake pedals independantly?

[joshuabardwell]

The cruise works pretty well, on a L3400HST, as it does not pop off (it is not a magnetic cruise) if you just push one pedal at a time.

Interesting. That may also be true of my tractor. Now I have to test it to find out!

 

[k0ua]

Interesting. That may also be true of my tractor. Now I have to test it to find out!

I dunno Joshua, yours might be one of those magnetic hold coils. On my DK35 it is. But the brakes are on the left so you don't need to use the cruise. My cruise sets with an electrical switch on the dash. The cruise on the L3400HST is a lever that you move forward and it is mechanically linked with the treadle pedal. In fact you can move the tractor forward with just the lever if you like and not push on the pedal, though the effort is easier if you push on the pedal.. but the cruise lever can only go to the neutral position not in reverse at all. If you push both brake pedals at the same time the cruise will mechanically push back to the neutral position.

James K0UA

 

[TraderMark]

I would think anyone who has row-cropped has used them independently a lot. Now with a utility tractor I use them most of the time but not all the time

Amen!
I spent many a day during the summers of my teen years plowing soybeans on a 4020 JD with a 4 row cultivator. You HAD to use independent brakes to make the turns at the ends of the rows and get back into the next set of rows without backing up. And when I first started plowing at around 13yo I wasn't strong enough or tall enough to push the clutch pedal that many times a day.

Mark

 

[GregbkH]

Thanks for all the replies. I do a lot of work in the woods so I think I'll give it a try and see how it works.

 

[TripleR]

Amen!
I spent many a day during the summers of my teen years plowing soybeans on a 4020 JD with a 4 row cultivator. You HAD to use independent brakes to make the turns at the ends of the rows and get back into the next set of rows without backing up. And when I first started plowing at around 13yo I wasn't strong enough or tall enough to push the clutch pedal that many times a day.

Mark

Brings back memories, dad planted as long of rows as possible leaving very tight turn necessary to stay out of the fence or ditch. We were so light we had to flip the seat back and stand on the clutch, so we didn't use it any more often than necessary. We would "lay out" rows by counting a certain number to be sure we didn't straddle the wrong rows, then stand on the brake while dropping the cultivator to time the tractor straightening out and the sweeps hitting at the same time; talk about stress for a kid.

 

[boggen]

use split brakes / rear steering brakes often enough that i get annoyed if i find that they end up getting locked together. and then catch myself many times, trying to find left or right brake pedal in the truck.

the go pedal / hst pedal / gas pedal, for me has to be on the opposite side of split brakes. are on. due to amount i do use the split brakes.

speaking of, i need to re-test brakes on the old allis chalmers CA tractor. and see if i need to adjust them. get a moving down a straight path. push clutch in, and hit left pedal or right pedal. and then repeat again in same straight area and test other side. hopefully it will veer me to one side some, without spinning me 90 degrees and rolling over on me. i guess i should be in a lower ground speed when i do, do the brake test.

before i adjusted them last time. if i pressed them both at same time or had them locked. the right side would brake more and put me into a ditch if i was not careful.

brakes that are worn and/or not properly set can be a pain to try and tap left or right pedal to get both rear wheels spinning when your stuck.

 

[the6shooter]

I use them when plowing or using the chisel plow, and ground engaugement equipment.
Sometimes plowing the front gets a little air under the front wheels, splitting the brakes does help steering.
david

 

[Marveltone]

I use mine in the winter when I'm snow blowing and plowing. Snow, ice and hills make for interesting steering at times. Lately, I've started using the sickle mower. I've been learning how to make a proper 90 degree turn using the split brakes so I can get nice, neat corners. Braking and turning are easy. Getting the proper timing to start the next row at the proper spacing is the tricky part!

Joe

 

[MHarryE]

Like several have said back in the old days with our narrow front Farmall Hs and Ms turning brakes were a must. Even our wide front Super A needed a lot of turning brake with the weight of the New Holland side delivery rake on the drawbar. Our Allis-Chalmers B was even worse because there was little weight on the front when the rake was attached so I needed turn brake for any kind of a sharp turn. All those tractors were equipped with pathetic band brakes so you had to literally stand on the brake to get enough braking. Then it was on to self-propelled grain combines where turn brakes are a necessity on the end rows. Now back on the farm I find my CUT L5740 with mfwd turns so short I never find a need for turn brakes. Same thing with our large tractors - equipment is so much larger now than back in the old days that I never use the turn brakes on them. If I get stuck, I find the diff lock is better than turn brakes like I needed to use on the old Farmalls.

 

[DennisFolsom]

I grew up on a small dairy farm, driving old tractors, primarily, a Farmall H, a Farmall A, and a W-6. Like some of the others here, I learned to use steering brakes back then.

My JD 4600 HST has 3 brake pedals. On the left are the two individual brakes. On the right, up a little higher than the HST pedals, is a brake pedal that is linked to both rear wheels. This is also the pedal that you use when you set or release the parking brake. This is a great setup!:thumbsup: I think John Deere has that part figured out very well.

I've nothing really against Kubotas, but I'm glad I don't have to do the "Kubota shuffle" to use my wheel brakes. I also don't have to mess with latching and unlatching a connector between two brake pedals

My current tractor is a dream to drive compared to the old iron that I used as a kid. I go on some wet, rough ground on my property, so I do use wheel brakes at times. I also use them in my snow removal. They really help to bring the tractor around when you need to.

With HST, I almost never need to use brakes for stopping. I almost always set the parking brake when using the backhoe, and I set it when I am parking on any amount of slope.