what were the engineers thinking, why no road gear

[BB_TX]

I am guessing it is a priority of needs. The tractors you mention, though small, were true field tractors. They were used by small scale farmers. I suspect there are very few CUTs actually used for farming operations moving very far from field to field. Most are used for maintaining small acreages and seldom, if ever, see a roadway. On gear tractors, 8 equally spaced gears is probably more useful than having the 8th gear as a true road gear. Plus it would probably complicate the transmission. On a hydro, if it was designed where the high end was a road speed, then it would have a more touchy low end control.

 

[boustany]

Its probably partly a safety issue. High center of gravity and short turning radius means easy rollovers, especially at relatively high speeds. Plus, there is a lot of weight in a tractor, and the faster it can go, the better braking you'll need.

I bet in the olden days, they had fewer lawyers around (that's why they called them the good old days) so such issues got lower profile.

Kind of like the trigger pull on my new 10/22. Its hard to stay on target and pull enough to release the trigger. Somebody told me that that's because of a court decision where some idiot shot himself or somebody else, and the fault was found to be in the light trigger pull (versus the fact that you aren't supposed to point a gun at something unless you want to kil it).

Thanks for the lawyers ... /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Anybody know how to adjust the trigger on a 10/22?

 

[Soundguy]

As someone pointed out.. 8n and naa are 4th gear around 14-15 mph, and my NH 1920 in 4th range 3rd gear must be doing at least 18.. perhaps a tad more.. to tell the truth.. the 14 on the 8n is not as comfterable with the pucker factor as the 18 on the NH 1920.... must be the rops and working brakes on the 1920... go figure /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Soundguy

 

[OkeeDon]

The Category I New Holland Boomers (TC18, 21D, 24D) have a 2-range hydro that is (approximately) 0-5 MPH and 0-10 MPH. The Category II Boomers (TC29D, TC33D) have a 3-range hydro that adds a 0-15 MPH (approximate) range. I suppose they could have a 4-range with the highest range going from 0-20 MPH, but I wouldn't trust someone not to use the high speed range except on pavement. Sure enough, someone would probably try to turn in the highest range, and probably wouldn't make it. All I know is, on my little TC18, there aren't very many places where I would like to go any faster than the 9.9 MPH it provides - I've tried it out, floored in high range, on a more-or-less smooth lawn, and the pucker factor is definitely there on a little tractor - even a small bump will have you holding on for dear life.

 

[Sprocket1]

Re: what were the engineers thinking, why no road

Hey Markct. Did you ever run a sickle mower with the Sherman in high range? The sickle must change directions close to Mach 2. Worst chewin' I ever got was when I helped a neighbor cut really rank red clover hay. Only way I could cut was in 2nd gear high range on the sherman. I was about 13 at the time. Really proud of myself. Pop wasn't nearly as proud of me though. We had a sherman in a Ford 2000. I think I could of gotten a speeding ticket in town with it.

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

Took my brother-in-law's JD 4320 (around 130 HP) for a ride down to the hayfield. Felt a little faster than my Cub Cadet's 14.4 mph!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[frank_f15]

i guess the engineers were thinking that tractors would be used mostly for tractor stuff, so not worried about road speed. not sure there are to many tractors that will scoot down the road at high speed. and probably as it should be! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[markct]

hmm thats interesting soundguy, maybe i outa start looking for something like a ford 1920, the slowness of the MF might drive me nuts, i suppose they were designed as a scaled up garden tractor, whereas some like the 1920 are more like scaled down farm tractors

 

[slowrev]

Re: what were the engineers thinking, why no road

Some outfit up in Michigan built a tractor that would go about 50 MPH or so several years back. THAT is a road gear! Did not sell too many though. Maybe all of the purchasers weeded themselves out of the gene pool /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I think the brand might have been Friday or something like that.

 

[jmc]

Re: what were the engineers thinking, why no road

Top speed on my Ford 1920 (~1988, before NH) is 14 MPH with stock tires and regular transmission. Synchromesh shuttle transmission goes 15.2 MPH.