Tractor Control Quirks

Rumplestiltskin · Feb 5, 2011

Does anyone have any favorite stories regarding tractor controls that didn't work quite the way the designers intended? Here are three of mine:

1 - My uncle's Allis-Chalmers WD45 had a three-point hitch plow. Whenever the plow was raised (driving down the lane, for example), he had to be careful not to hit a bump lest the adjusting crank on the plow bounce up and jab him in a kidney.

2 - On the same tractor, I found that my right foot in a workboot always seemed to be just too narrow to operate both brake pedals at once, but just too wide to pull back out after slipping between the pedals and getting caught there.

3 - On my IH 350 Utlilty, the brake lock release rod is in just the right place to stick up inside my pants leg and prevent any left/ right/ forward/ back movement of my right foot.

I figure there must be a ton of similar stories out there. Would anyone care to share any?

Mark W. in MI

Rumplestiltskin · Feb 6, 2011

I forgot this one:

On my 350 Utility with an IH loader, the bucket control seems to make sense -- I rotate the lever forward, and the bucket does the same thing (i.e., it moves to the "dump" position). But the arms do just the opposite of what I would expect. I have to rotate the lever forward to rotate the arms rearward (to the raised position). I think I read somewhere in the archives that they were made that way, so evidently it's not just plumbed backwards.

Those engineers in the 50's did a ton of things right, but now and then they came up with a real head-scratcher.

Mark W. in MI

Anonymous-0 · Feb 6, 2011

My 1949 CASE VAC brake pedal lock lever is just with in reach. But remember, when you are on an incline, with a load, and you try to reach down to grasp the lock with your foot on pedals- it's not ergonomic at all. Good thing I have long arms and no beer belly. The Farmalls, "H" & Cub are easy to reach.
I dislike the "H" hydraulic lever. When trying to softly adjust implement going down, it's gravity.
However on the little Cub, you have pressure up and down with a lever that's easier to control.

Uncle Ed · Feb 6, 2011

I wonder if both valves were plumbed backward--even if they all were done that way. I operated a Cat loader where I could pull back on one lever to raise the bucket while I was pulling back on the other lever (with the same hand) to dump the bucket. Rather convenient in use. Not sure why the 350 is set up the way you described.

scotc · Feb 6, 2011

We always had things set up so that pulling lifted. Pull back, raise the bucket. Pull back or sideways, roll it in. I had to switch the swing lines on the diskbine, the left side moved the way the lever was moved, and it screwed me up every time. If the levers had been on the left, it might have worked for me the way it was. I don't care whose equipment it is, if I will be running it for long at all, I will switch the hoses in the remotes to my liking.

If you find it easier, just switch the lines. If it has a float position, I would set it up so that it is on the "down" side.

Another one is the electric tarp on the hopper trailer. The switch is mounted on the side above your head. I look up, and hit the left side, to roll it left. And sometimes get to the end of the driveway before I realize that it's backwards, too.

mkirsch · Feb 7, 2011

(quoted from post at 20:02:36 02/06/11) I wonder if both valves were plumbed backward--even if they all were done that way. I operated a Cat loader where I could pull back on one lever to raise the bucket while I was pulling back on the other lever (with the same hand) to dump the bucket. Rather convenient in use. Not sure why the 350 is set up the way you described.

Uncle Ed, my 1000 loader came plumbed that way. Both levers back = raise & dump. It's always bothered me, but I haven't changed it because I just don't feel like dealing with the oil mess.

Now it makes sense why it would be that way.

Tractor Control Quirks

Rumplestiltskin

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Rumplestiltskin

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Anonymous-0

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Uncle Ed

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scotc

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mkirsch

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