Need Help Avoiding Turning too Sharp with E12 Batwing Mower

[beenthere]

When I was a kid (11 or 12) and first driving farm tractors pulling a disk harrow, or disk, or numerous other pull-behind pieces of equipment, then turning too short sometimes meant a disk harrow coming up over the tractor tire and causing quite a scene.. life-ending if I didn't de-clutch and stop fast.
More than once had to undrape the sections of harrow (drag) off the tire and straighten out the bent parts and get back to work.

But it was an education that one learned "not to turn too short".

 

[jdmeth]

Lou - I'll try to check out the drawbar position tomorrow..

How is the drawbar attached to the tractor? On my JD 3020 the drawbar had several holes in the attachment end. You could lift the hold in pin and pull it out another foot. The long part goes under the tractor.

 

[charles todd]

One of the reasons I went with a 10' 3pt mower instead of a 10' pull type or 12' batwing. Also cost... Yes, 3pt was much more cost friendly. 72 HP tractor, mow at 5-8 mph when terrain allows. Do not wear my seatbelt in a cab tractor. I cut 30-40 acres several times a year plus some contract work.

CT

 

[RancherGuy]

I do not recommend adjusting tire width for your mower. Width means stability - a very desirable condition.

I have learned the hard way that 80 degrees is indeed a limit. My used batwings (2 of them in my career) never came with a CV driveline, so I bought one. I think the first was $1000. That was damaged by exceeding 80. Next one was $1400 - 12 years ago. That was damaged earlier this year by exceeding 80. I distinctly remember the situation - I was backing up and focusing on what was happening in front, when suddenly I realized that the mower was at 90-95. You may have heard me yelling at myself.

I really wish there was an alarm, like my voice, that could scream when near or at the limit, but I've yet to see one. Until then, experiment to observe the limit, then self discipline to avoid it.

 

[JWR]

I have the same tractor as you with a 20' batwing FM. Your problem is you have your wheels set too wide. I assume you need them there but that's the tradeoff. Mine are all the way in and I can turn as sharp as I need to and not contact my mower. I also have a CV joint on my PTO shaft as you may well have which allows for sharper turns. Get you a camera setup like I have so that you can watch the clearance as you turn and honestly with the way you are setup you will have to deal with what you have. I generally don't make sharp turns with mine but as has been said wide sweeping turns and catch it on the next pass. Good luck. You have some nice equipment. Don't tear it up.

Good advice workinonit... I was about to say his problem is made worse with the wheels wider ! You (better than me in this case) speak from direct experience with the same equipment which is the guy to pay attention to...

Sure the camera is the high tech final solution BUT why not (?) just attach a fiberglass stick to the mower part that contacts the rear tire (like the ones with a little flag on them sticking up from those guys riding a "lay back on their back" recumbent bike.) One on each side allows you to see where the mower part is & surely you can get used to knowing where to "turn no sharper" with that aid.

And I can't resist throwing in an opinion on seat belts: I have never worn one on a tractor and never will. I have been up on a seat crouched with my feet under me ready to jump if the thing hit a tree during a down hill uncontrolled slide. I have been on slopes I wager are WAY steeper than anything you ever go over. Of course I don't have a cab either as it would never survive the places where I cut. Now that I think of it, maybe inside a cab is the ONLY place I would ever even consider wearing a tractor seat belt.

 

[mo1]

I'm new at all of this. I've got less than 60 hours in my tractor with a Batwing mower. I've noticed that my rear tires on the tractor are sometimes contacting the Batwing. The manual specifies no more than 80 degrees. I'm sure this is happening when I'm going around trees and such. I bought the exterior mirrors for the tractor, and they do save my neck from having to look behind me all the time, but I really can't see whether I'm turning too tight or not. So, then I end up taking too wide of a turn and then loosing the efficiency of cutting.

So, what are your recommendations for how I can see to avoid turning to sharp?

1. Make sure your drawbar is extended properly. There should be four possible drawbar lengths on a 4 cylinder 5E unless they've just changed the drawbar on the newest units, as there are four on the Tier 3 4 cylinder 5E I've run. They are "all the way in," "two inches from all the way in," 14" (used for 540 RPM PTO applications), and 16" (used for 1000 rpm PTO applications.) Your picture looks like yours is probably set at the 14" or 16" location as the clevis would be right at the back of the tractor, and in the picture, it's not. But if it was set too far in, too short of a drawbar can lead to catching the tongue with a tire.

2. Know that you are at risk of catching the tire when you turn and make a habit of glancing down and behind you to make sure you don't catch the tongue whenever you turn. If you can't see this in the mirror then don't use the mirror, look directly at the tongue. Unless Deere has changed this in the newest 4 cylinder 5Es, visibility out the back isn't too bad and at least I can see the tongue decently enough from inside of the cab of one. This is a good habit to get into as catching something fairly light that you are pulling from the drawbar can result in the inside tire catching and throwing whatever you were pulling right up on top of you. When I was learning to drive a tractor, my Dad told me bunches of stories about people where he grew up getting killed by catching something (usually a drag or a disc) with a rear tire when turning. The inside tire caught and lifted the implement right off of the ground and it would fall on the tractor operator.

3. Somebody mentioned reducing your turning radius. You can do this by screwing the steering stop bolts on the rear of each steering knuckle out enough that the front wheels cannot turn at enough of an angle, making it impossible to turn too tight. However, 2) is really the solution here.