Learn me about draft control

[av8tr72]

I just bought a Case 105A upgraded from a Kubota that did not have this. In the operators manual it mentioned 2 settings. One is where you push the position lever all the way forward and set the implement depth with the draft control lever. The other is where you set the position of the implement with the position lever and then you move the draft control lever to match the position lever. Basically seems like you get the same results ? It does not say much else.
I will be pulling a 3 point plow and I am wondering what is the difference between the two settings?
I understand that the basic function of draft control is to keep the plow from digging deeper while plowing but I’m not sure how to set the levers for when I am using the plow with draft control.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

No it don't keep the plow from going deeper. Draft keeps the tractor from going deeper.

 

[oosik]

You will learn by trying. Op manuals don't always have the best explanations.

You have the right idea - draft control is used so the tractor "senses" the same load from the ground engagement implement. It will raise the implement when is senses a heavier load. It will lower to the set position when is senses a "normal" load.

My M6040 has draft control. I tried it once - pulling my moldboard plow. It was a real PITA. Too many big rocks.

 

[Tx Jim]

No it don't keep the plow from going deeper. Draft keeps the tractor from going deeper.

Evidently you haven't plowed with a plow on a tractor's 3 pt hitch with a ""correctly operating depth control"" & watched plow raise & lower due to hard or softer soil while traveling in field plowing. Depth control was designed as I understand it to keep a constant load on tractor engine. Yrs ago I plowed many acres with both a 4 & 6 bottom semi-integral moldboard plows
Draft control was designed for ground engaging tools & load control is for non-ground engaging such as rotary mowers

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Evidently you haven't plowed with a plow on a tractor's 3 pt hitch with a ""correctly operating depth control"" & watched plow raise & lower due to hard or softer soil while traveling in field plowing. Depth control was designed as I understand it to keep a constant load on tractor engine. Yrs ago I plowed many acres with both a 4 & 6 bottom semi-integral moldboard plows
Draft control was designed for ground engaging tools & load control is for non-ground engaging such as rotary mowers

So when you hit a hard spot with your plow, or a soft spot. It let's implement up and lessens load on the pulling tractor thus keeping your pulling machine from Spinning down out in the middle of a field. Which keeps tractor from going down in relation to the plow on the three point hitch. Your lift position on your lift handle prevents your plow from going down in relation to your tractor, as the lift setting never lets plow down lower than where you pre set the lift handle. So, the only thing left is tractor going down in relation to the plow. Which draft control picks lift up and lessens pull on tractor, so, in essence, it keeps the tractor from going down in relation to the pre set setting of the lift for the plow. You take any tractor, besides some home made outfit, put a plow on and you can lift that plow with another tractor, chain hoist, or whatever. Though I have seen a few Belarus tractors that the lift would push down and pick the rear of the tractor up, as well as pick up a plow (which I think could be handy, but that's Soviet things). Gravity holds it down. In the old days when draft came along, it was a real problem to get stuck.

 

[Tx Jim]

If you have a sufficient size tractor with correct added weight tractor will with large enough plow can cause engine RPM's to lower BUT REAR WHEELS WILL NOT SPIN SUFFICIENTY for tractor 3 pt hitch draft arms to get much lower to the ground. IIRC 15% or less rear wheel slippage is recommended but it's been yrs since I sold my 6 bottom moldboard & stopped plowing.

Now if you want to discuss inexperienced tractor operators that attempt to use a plow that not adjusted correctly & without sufficient extra weight added to tractor nowthat's a different story.

I grew up on a farm began driving tractor pulling plows when I was 9 yrs old. Then after High school was employed by a JD dealer for 21 yrs selling/delivering/demonstrating farm tractor/equipment. Then in 1987 I began custom farming. I've had many tractor operational hrs pulling a wide variety of plows

 

[av8tr72]

So, what I’m getting is if I want to plow say 4 inches deep I set it where the levers are set to basically the same position to keep the plow at the same depth, keeps it from going up and down.
If I use the other setting and I put the position lever forward it will put the plow in a float position and then setting the draft lever will only keep it from raising above where it’s set?

 

[LouNY]

If you have a sufficient size tractor with correct added weight tractor will with large enough plow can cause engine RPM's to lower BUT REAR WHEELS WILL NOT SPIN SUFFICIENTY for tractor 3 pt hitch draft arms to get much lower to the ground. IIRC 15% or less rear wheel slippage is recommended but it's been yrs since I sold my 6 bottom moldboard & stopped plowing.

In this situation draft control when set properly will lift the plow when the tractor is getting more pull "draft" to maintain the engine load in tough going as the load "draft" decreases it will lower the plow to the previously set level. It will not lower it lower then the initial set level.
What this actually accomplishes is plowing less depth in hard ground and the desired depth in easier going.

Draft control is designed to maintain a more constant load on a tractor by varying the depth of a pulled 3 point mounted implement, normally a plow. It do so by lifting the plow from it's set depth to a shallower depth as the load increases and lower it as the load decreases untill the set depth is achieved. It will not lower the implement lower then the original set depth.

 

[av8tr72]

If you have a sufficient size tractor with correct added weight tractor will with large enough plow can cause engine RPM's to lower BUT REAR WHEELS WILL NOT SPIN SUFFICIENTY for tractor 3 pt hitch draft arms to get much lower to the ground. IIRC 15% or less rear wheel slippage is recommended but it's been yrs since I sold my 6 bottom moldboard & stopped plowing.

Now if you want to discuss inexperienced tractor operators that attempt to use a plow that not adjusted correctly & without sufficient extra weight added to tractor nowthat's a different story.

I grew up on a farm began driving tractor pulling plows when I was 9 yrs old. Then after High school was employed by a JD dealer for 21 yrs selling/delivering/demonstrating farm tractor/equipment. Then in 1987 I began custom farming. I've had many tractor operational hrs pulling a wide variety of plows

Ha. Well my Kubota probably fit that description of not enough weight etc, my fault not the tractors. That’s why I have the larger tractor. It’s a 3 bottom plow convertible to a 4 bottom. The part of north Texas I’m in has the clay type soil so I figure the 3 bottom with a bigger tractor will defiantly help. Lots of videos etc on how to set up the plow just no real videos on setting the draft controls. Lots on what draft control is. I just need to know how to apply the setting of the levers.

 

[MossRoad]

I just bought a Case 105A upgraded from a Kubota that did not have this. In the operators manual it mentioned 2 settings. One is where you push the position lever all the way forward and set the implement depth with the draft control lever. The other is where you set the position of the implement with the position lever and then you move the draft control lever to match the position lever. Basically seems like you get the same results ? It does not say much else.
I will be pulling a 3 point plow and I am wondering what is the difference between the two settings?
I understand that the basic function of draft control is to keep the plow from digging deeper while plowing but I’m not sure how to set the levers for when I am using the plow with draft control.

Here’s how it worked on my IH2500b. That used a rock shaft to detect load. Other machines use different methods. But the goal is the same: if the tractor load starts to increase, draft control raises the plow (or whatever implement) out of the ground to decrease the load. As the load returns to normal, the draft control lowers the plow further into the soil, up to the depth that your position control was set to, and no deeper.

How draft control works, as explained on my old IH2500b...

There's a triangle formed by three sides:

1- the line of the back of your tractor
2- the line of your lift arms to implement
3- the line of your top link

There's a rock shaft somewhere at the point that your top link connects to your tractor.

Now, let's say you're driving along with a plow in the dirt. You're in soft easy soil, and all of a sudden you come into some harder soil. Your plow has a harder time cutting through the soil, putting drag on the tractor, so the rear wheels start spinning instead of pulling forward.

As the rear wheels spin, they start digging a hole, which lowers the rear of the tractor.

When the rear of the tractor lowers, the implement does not, because it floats.

Since the rear goes down and the implement does not, that puts pressure on your top link. The top link is trying to get shorter but it's solid. It has to maintain the three legs of the triangle. The implement pushes the top link against the rock shaft. The rock shaft activates the 3 point hitch to lift the implement out of the ground. It keeps lifting until the plow comes out of the ground enough to allow the rear tractor tires to stop digging a hole and start moving forward enough to allow the pressure on the rock shaft to diminish and it lowers the plow back into the ground, eventually back to the pre-determined depth that your position control was set at, unless it hits hard dirt again.

The plow causes a constant push and relax on the top link, depending on soil conditions.

You can manually set the sensitivity of the draft control to react faster or slower to conditions.

So, to summarize:

Draft control keeps your tractor from burying the rear tires by raising and lowering the implement as soil conditions change.

Position control allows the implement to drop to a preset depth and no more.

 

[Tx Jim]

Here's a video I found that very informative concerning draft control & moldboard plows.

 

[av8tr72]

So how and where do I set the levers?

 

[Gator6x4]

No it don't keep the plow from going deeper. Draft keeps the tractor from going deeper.

??????? Scratch head.

Mossroad explained the tractor going deeper in post# 10.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

??????? Scratch head.

Mossroad explained the tractor going deeper in post# 10.

Show me a draft that lets a plow down below your initial lift handle setting. I can show you several that let the plow up above your initial lift handle setting. So, if it let's the plow up, it reduces drag on tractor, keeping wheels of the tractor from Spinning down. It's reverse thinking, but that's why it is still a novel idea since its invention.

 

[Tx Jim]

JD lower draft link sensing such that my JD 4255 & other JD tractors built from 1961-1992 can allow plow to go a little deeper briefly than initially set in softer, sandier soils.

 

[npalen]

In this situation draft control when set properly will lift the plow when the tractor is getting more pull "draft" to maintain the engine load in tough going as the load "draft" decreases it will lower the plow to the previously set level. It will not lower it lower then the initial set level.
What this actually accomplishes is plowing less depth in hard ground and the desired depth in easier going.

Draft control is designed to maintain a more constant load on a tractor by varying the depth of a pulled 3 point mounted implement, normally a plow. It do so by lifting the plow from it's set depth to a shallower depth as the load increases and lower it as the load decreases untill the set depth is achieved. It will not lower the implement lower then the original set depth.

Lou, I understand the idea of draft control as accomplished via sensing tractive load. I would have loved having draft control back in the '50's (Yes, I was a kid in those days. ) when moldboard plowing with our CAT RD6, D2 and IH WD9 tractors. The problem would have been the plow only cutting half as deep in the hard clay gumbo and then dropping down to full set depth in only the sandy loam. Would have been great in that the tractor wouldn't require shifting down as much except when going up a hill it would probably still have required a downshift.

I doubt that Dad, however, would have approved of the plow constantly changing depth as the idea was to maintain a consistent depth. I feel reasonably sure that draft control was invented by Harry Ferguson in an attempt to overcome the lack of weight and traction of the little Ferguson.

Just some personal thoughts here and not directed to anyone or anything in particular.

 

[npalen]

Here’s how it worked on my IH2500b. That used a rock shaft to detect load. Other machines use different methods. But the goal is the same: if the tractor load starts to increase, draft control raises the plow (or whatever implement) out of the ground to decrease the load. As the load returns to normal, the draft control lowers the plow further into the soil, up to the depth that your position control was set to, and no deeper.

How draft control works, as explained on my old IH2500b...

There's a triangle formed by three sides:

1- the line of the back of your tractor
2- the line of your lift arms to implement
3- the line of your top link

There's a rock shaft somewhere at the point that your top link connects to your tractor.

Now, let's say you're driving along with a plow in the dirt. You're in soft easy soil, and all of a sudden you come into some harder soil. Your plow has a harder time cutting through the soil, putting drag on the tractor, so the rear wheels start spinning instead of pulling forward.

As the rear wheels spin, they start digging a hole, which lowers the rear of the tractor.

When the rear of the tractor lowers, the implement does not, because it floats.

Since the rear goes down and the implement does not, that puts pressure on your top link. The top link is trying to get shorter but it's solid. It has to maintain the three legs of the triangle. The implement pushes the top link against the rock shaft. The rock shaft activates the 3 point hitch to lift the implement out of the ground. It keeps lifting until the plow comes out of the ground enough to allow the rear tractor tires to stop digging a hole and start moving forward enough to allow the pressure on the rock shaft to diminish and it lowers the plow back into the ground, eventually back to the pre-determined depth that your position control was set at, unless it hits hard dirt again.

The plow causes a constant push and relax on the top link, depending on soil conditions.

You can manually set the sensitivity of the draft control to react faster or slower to conditions.

So, to summarize:

Draft control keeps your tractor from burying the rear tires by raising and lowering the implement as soil conditions change.

Position control allows the implement to drop to a preset depth and no more.

"When the rear of the tractor lowers, the implement does not, because it floats."

So what keeps the implement from going deeper? In other words, what causes to to "float"?

 

[LouNY]

Lou, I understand the idea of draft control as accomplished via sensing tractive load. I would have loved having draft control back in the '50's (Yes, I was a kid in those days. ) when moldboard plowing with our CAT RD6, D2 and IH WD9 tractors. The problem would have been the plow only cutting half as deep in the hard clay gumbo and then dropping down to full set depth in only the sandy loam. Would have been great in that the tractor wouldn't require shifting down as much except when going up a hill it would probably still have required a downshift.

I doubt that Dad, however, would have approved of the plow constantly changing depth as the idea was to maintain a consistent depth. I feel reasonably sure that draft control was invented by Harry Ferguson in an attempt to overcome the lack of weight and traction of the little Ferguson.

Just some personal thoughts here and not directed to anyone or anything in particular.

I agree my father wanted a certain depth period no deeper and no shallower, and don't get stuck in that mud hole.

 

[LouNY]

I just bought a Case 105A upgraded from a Kubota that did not have this. In the operators manual it mentioned 2 settings. One is where you push the position lever all the way forward and set the implement depth with the draft control lever. The other is where you set the position of the implement with the position lever and then you move the draft control lever to match the position lever. Basically seems like you get the same results ? It does not say much else.
I will be pulling a 3 point plow and I am wondering what is the difference between the two settings?
I understand that the basic function of draft control is to keep the plow from digging deeper while plowing but I’m not sure how to set the levers for when I am using the plow with draft control.

Rereading this I'm beginning to wonder if both the settings you describe are two different draft settings.
The first sounds almost like it would be a total draft control allowing your implement your implement to adjust up and down to maintain a constant draft, I've never seen one like that, but who knows with these newer tractors.
Your second setup sounds more like what I would expect with an implement that could use draft control and not try to be a submarine..
I've run many tractors that have draft control on them but I have not even tried to use it since the 60's. And now days we don't even have a moldboard plow on the farm, it's either no till or tow behind chisel plows. So no way to even try one of the newer tractors with it.

 

[av8tr72]

Rereading this I'm beginning to wonder if both the settings you describe are two different draft settings.
The first sounds almost like it would be a total draft control allowing your implement your implement to adjust up and down to maintain a constant draft, I've never seen one like that, but who knows with these newer tractors.
Your second setup sounds more like what I would expect with an implement that could use draft control and not try to be a submarine..
I've run many tractors that have draft control on them but I have not even tried to use it since the 60's. And now days we don't even have a moldboard plow on the farm, it's either no till or tow behind chisel plows. So no way to even try one of the newer tractors with it.

So basically the first one will find whatever depth it likes. As far down as it will go and up to where the draft control lever is set. It will just dig at whatever depth to not bog the tractor down (basically)
The second will be set to a depth with the position lever, say I wanted 4 inches deep. It will ride between 4 inches and raise its self to adjust for heavier soil.
Guess that makes sense.