Turning Like the Pros

[Hortus_Third]

I have an L 3130 GST less than one year old, and am new to tractors. Things are going great with the tractor itself.

Turning is an art I have yet to master, though. I can turn long, as with a car, but I want to at least begin to turn like the pros. I'm uncertain of when to brake on each wheel, the timing, etc.

I know it will take practice. It would help me a great deal if someone can tell me the steps - when to use each brake and what to look out for in terms of safety for me and the tractor. It's on flat terrain and I'm pulling a gang disc.

 

[RobJ]

Haven't really done it much with my L2500 but I use to run Deere 4230's and 4430's, 4020's and such in the cotton fields of MS. None of those had the powershift yet so it was some clutch work. AS I recall is was:

coming into a turn...
when you get to the edge of the row
drop the throttle to idle
throw lever to lift the plow
start to turn the wheel and hit the left brake
line it up
drop the plow
hit the throttle

remember all this was done in about 3-4 seconds and you were on your way. Long rows were nice, as they got shorter it meant more work.

you could also leave the engine at speed but this meant more clutch work, above way meant no clutch.

as far as turning these tractors were big and heavy enough and with a plow on the back the front wheels would skid in the loam. These were also in the 90-100hp range. Our old tricycle deeres had the 2 fronts that would turn full 90 degrees.

Those were some fun times.

 

[Hortus_Third]

Done in 3-4 seconds .. yes, I've seen this with friends and family and it's very impressive when done right. Looks much easier than it is.

The outline you give sounds like it will work well. Field testing it ASAP!

Thanks for the response, Rob.

 

[beenthere]

I'd suggest using the brakes as needed to keep the front wheels from sliding. The brakes help get the differential into doing what is supposed to do and 'sending' power to the outside wheel while dragging the inside wheel. The outside wheel 'speed' goes faster as the inside wheel 'speed' goes slower, thus helping the turn. A swinging drawbar also helps in turns.

I assume you are lifting the disc and not trying to turn with it engaged??

I never thought of it as something that was in 'march' step and had a particular timing to it. I think doing the braking as needed to assist a turn is better. Otherwise, the mind is thinking about just turning and not absorbing all the other things that might be going on, such as turning too short and getting the disc into the rear tire.

Slowing down, or dropping a gear is much better than riding the clutch, as that is undue wear on the clutch linings. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Hortus_Third]

Yes, the disc is raised. I'm doing OK on timing that with each new row. I've been swinging long on the turns because I've left the brakes interlocked. I know I need to unlock them for a tight turn, but I'm just being safe for now.

Raising the disc on turns was my first lesson from watching a friend of the family - a small-stature lifelong farmer in his 80s. I looked on him with new respect after seeing him drive a tractor.

Good point about the clutch. I've been careful not to ride it too much, but I think gears can be changed without ever touching it.

 

[Volfandt]

Back when I disked with my old TE20, I'd start to raise the disk at the end of the row, the tractor would travel perhaps 10-15 feet before it reached the top, it was then that I'd practically have to stand on the brake on the side I wanted to spin. Since I was in 1st gear I wouldn't slow at all, just stand on the brake and spin everything on a dime. I'd then drop the disk to start the next row once I got to the spot. I'd never throttle down nor use the clutch.
Don't know if'n this was right or wrong but it worked for me and I did it for 16 yrs or so without any problems what so ever.

The rearend(s) of tractors are similar to auto's in that they have planetary gears. Planetary gears automatically shift torque to the easiest spinning wheel, which in this case would be the outside wheel.

Thats how I did it....

Volfandt

 

[N80]

Is using the brake to turn the tractor just a plow issue or is it a speed issue or both? My 4400 will turn, without braking one wheel, within the width of my typical single lane dirt roads. I guess you have to run tighter than that with a plow in order to line up the next row without making a little loop?

 

[Volfandt]

TE20 = gear, 4 speed to be exact. Don't believe hydrostatic transmissions were an option back in 1948. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Since I don't have an L or B series HST I really don't know what, if any proceedure is listed in the owners manual on using the brakes to turn.
That said, I'd suspect that it's not only OK to use the brakes to pivot but also a designed feature since both series have independant brake pedals built in. I'd also venture to say that one would have to use the cruise/speed control in conjunction with utilizing independant brakeing to pivot/perform a shirt turn.

Volfandt

 

[Volfandt]

It's not a plow issue as you generally plow in the same direction, laying the top over into the previous furrow.
Once you plow a row you generally raise it travel down to the far end and then run a parallel furrow to the others. You end up working your rows outside in.

A disc is different. You can do the same as you do when plowing or you can run your next row right beside the previous one. With a single gang disc, you overlap half a row inorder to break the dirt up finer. A dual gang doesn't need any overlap.

Volfandt

 

[RobJ]

For us sort of speed but also to get lined up on the next row. If you didn't get lined up properly you would start taking out cotton, not good.

I actually started disking sort of like I bushhog, especially in a square field. I make an oval just as big as the tractors half turn, when I finish that oval I move over one, then clean up the ends with a big circle or 2. I really hate when cutting a circle and have to go back and cut the 4 corners because the turns wouldn't cover corectly.