TC40DA Pulling Disc Poorly

[TCowner]

The TC40DA has just under 35 pto hp. When you factor the hydro loss I suspect the actual drawbar hp is less than 30. A ten foot disk is probably a bit much.

I agree with the other posters. An eight foot is probably all the tractor can handle.

 

[iltractor]

I can pull it with my 40 but am I at risk of damaging anything? Just have to go real slow and like a previous poster said, put the wheels down.

If I buy another pulling tractor for this specifically...What would you buy...considering this is for - 10 acres of ground and I don't want to spend alot of $...

I really thought the hydros were better than the hydros of old...Guess I was wrong when I bought mine.

 

[jinman]

I can pull it with my 40 but am I at risk of damaging anything? Just have to go real slow and like a previous poster said, put the wheels down.

If I buy another pulling tractor for this specifically...What would you buy...considering this is for - 10 acres of ground and I don't want to spend alot of $...

I really thought the hydros were better than the hydros of old...Guess I was wrong when I bought mine.

I don't think you will hurt your tractor for discing small acreage of 5 acres or less if you don't keep the hydro in bypass all the time (i.e., take it slow).

The problem with the TC40DA and TC45DA is that their HST bypass valve is the same one as on the TC35DA with the same setting (unadjustable), so they can't pull any better than that 35 hp tractor. That's just the way NH designed the tractor. When you get to 5000 psi in the transmission, it goes to bypass...period.

 

[iltractor]

When you say bypass....How is that accomplished...High RPMs over an extended time period?

 

[Soundguy]

Bypass.. as in a relief valve kicks at that set pressure.. when that relief valve kicks.. you have reached max pulling power... no way to squeeze any more out.. unlike a gear tractor that you can load down till it is lugging ( not good ). Also.. excessive use while the relief is functioning will cause the oil to heat and will eventually damage the system over time.

Another thing to think about.. discing and plowing are things that are better done at some speed.. if you have to crawl along at .5mph to pull that disc.. I don't think you will accomplish much.

if it were me.. I'd pull some blades and make it an 8' and pull it like it was suposed to..

Soundguy

 

[jinman]

When you say bypass....How is that accomplished...High RPMs over an extended time period?

Soundguy is right-on with his comments. When you depress the pedal on the HST, it sends fluid under pressure to a motor. If that motor can't turn, the pressure goes as high as the pump can produce. In the case of the TC40DA and it's siblings, there is a relief valve that lifts at 5000 psi to keep the seals and the transmission from blowing apart. At that point, the tractor will stop even though the engine is still running at around 2000 rpm. The wheels don't turn, but the motor is still forcing the HST pump to send out fluid to the bypass. That's where the heat happens. Since you have 10 gallons of fluid in the reservoir, it would take a long time to build up enough heat to damage anything, but if you are trying to plow 50 acres and stay in HST bypass or partial bypass most of the time, you will build up excessive heat and also not be operating efficiently.

The HST tractor is great for FEL work and all those jobs that require rapid change of direction and fine speed control over an infinitely variable range. Getting power to the ground for draft jobs is just not it's "strong suit." I would have to agree with Soundguy that removal of some of those discs might be best if you can only afford a single tractor. That's surely what I'd do with my TC45D if I had only that big disc available. I just hope it's possible for you to do that.

 

[have_blue]

I really thought the hydros were better than the hydros of old...Guess I was wrong when I bought mine.

You're better off with a disk you can pull pretty fast. Unless you disk a lot, a 6 footer and your TC40DA should be an excellent match.

What you lose in width, you easily make up for in speed. Disks do a better job when they run them pretty quickly. Try it some time, and you'll see what I mean.

Just for a comparison, I pull a 6 foot 3 point disk (actually 66"). It really challenges my TC35 gear tractor in some soil conditions, but your 40 should pull it with authority.

 

[jimmysisson]

You're better off with a disk you can pull pretty fast. Unless you disk a lot, a 6 footer and your TC40DA should be an excellent match.

What you lose in width, you easily make up for in speed. Disks do a better job when they run them pretty quickly. Try it some time, and you'll see what I mean.

Just for a comparison, I pull a 6 foot 3 point disk (actually 66"). It really challenges my TC35 gear tractor in some soil conditions, but your 40 should pull it with authority.

Same disk here, with a 2120 with 43 engine hp and gears. I pile about 400# on the rack and can pull in almost any gear. Lose a few discs, per Soundguy. Good thinking.
Jim

 

[TwinWillows]

I have a TC40DA. It pulls a 6 1/2 foot disc cutting almost to the hubs at a good speed in W KY clay soils if plowed first. I don't think I'd get it to pull a 10' disc well at all - plowed or not.

 

[Oleozz]

I was pulling the 10 ft disc with the 45 Kioti and I was turning about 2000 rpm, as far as ground speed I have no idea but I wasn't wasting any time. I was in 4wd and the tractor with the FEL on weighs about 6800 lbs. I wouldn't want to pull it all day, I had three plots I was discing for sweet corn, maybe a total of 3.5 acres. I was in 3rd gear, midrange, the same that I plow with.
I wasn't trying to prove a point by using that disc, it was the only one available so that's what I used.