3-Point Hitch Does Draft Control have any use for blade work (or is it mainly for plowing)?

[davefr]

Hi,
My JD1070 has a feature called draft control. My limited understanding is that it provides feedback to the 3 pt lift to keep pressure from the hitch constant. (the manual shows plowing as the example).

I wonder if this feature has any use for blade work like scraping a road level. I have a steep gravel driveway that gets washboardy and it seems like as the tractor encounters a bump the blade digs in a little deeper and I'm not getting it leveled out that well. Would draft control help in this situation? If so how?

Thanks

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Yes, helps a lot if your rear blade is heavy though. What rear blade do you have?

 

[beenthere]

Mainly for ground engaging tools such as the plow, that you want to maintain a depth of cut. A blade works a bit differently from a plow and draft control is not as effective, if at all, in maintaining a level attitude.

The feedback (back in the day of the Ford 8N) was through the top arm. Not sure if the 1070 has a spring-loaded top arm for its draft control or a more modern design.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Mainly for ground engaging tools such as the plow, that you want to maintain a depth of cut. A blade works a bit differently from a plow and draft control is not as effective, if at all, in maintaining a level attitude.

The feedback (back in the day of the Ford 8N) was through the top arm. Not sure if the 1070 has a spring-loaded top arm for its draft control or a more modern design.

I have to disagree with you. Here is a link http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/325689-scaper-mfg.html to a guy that learned from my explanation of draft control, saved him time and money.

 

[beenthere]

You are welcome to disagree.

Hope that member davefr can use your explanation to help him with his JD 1070.

 

[MossRoad]

Hi,
My JD1070 has a feature called draft control. My limited understanding is that it provides feedback to the 3 pt lift to keep pressure from the hitch constant. (the manual shows plowing as the example).

I wonder if this feature has any use for blade work like scraping a road level. I have a steep gravel driveway that gets washboardy and it seems like as the tractor encounters a bump the blade digs in a little deeper and I'm not getting it leveled out that well. Would draft control help in this situation? If so how?

Thanks

Trying to keep a road level.... draft control will contribute to ridges across the road. Here's why...

Draft control is meant to limit wheel spin when plowing. If you're plowing along in soft sand at 12" deep and hit hard clay, the wheels start to spin, the plow pulls hard, it pushes on the top link, which activates the draft control, which raises the plow, which lessens the drag on the tractor, which allows the wheels to stop spinning and move forward, which releases pressure on the plow, which releases pressure on the top link, which de-activates the draft control, which lowers the plow back to the 12" depth.

Now substitute a back blade. The back blade digs in, the draft control raises the blade, the tractor moves forward, the draft control lowers the blade, the blade digs in again, etc.... you get ridges up and down and up and down and up and down.

 

[jenkinsph]

I would set the load and depth control to the middle position. That is what I found worked best for box blades and rear blades in the past.

 

[oosik]

David - your explanation seems to follow the brief description of draft control in my Op manual. And I do mean brief - one paragraph - its like they are afraid to discuss the subject. Since I've found that my rear blade never digs into my driveway anyway - I set the draft control to float position. I only use the rear blade for snow removal. I don't use draft control when I use the moldboard plow either - too many rocks. I'm constantly on the position control lever when using the moldboard plow.

 

[davefr]

Now substitute a back blade. The back blade digs in, the draft control raises the blade, the tractor moves forward, the draft control lowers the blade, the blade digs in again, etc.... you get ridges up and down and up and down and up and down.

That's what I want it to do but just the opposite. My road has small hills and valleys of rock on the steep part. I'd like the blade to hit a hill, sense the pressure, lift the blade slightly so the blade deposits rock in the valley. Then the blade should lower right before the next little hill of rock as the back pressure goes down and thus create an even surface.

Whether it'll actually works this way or just the opposite is TBD. I'd like to get the oscillation of the draft the exact opposite of the road so it creates a smooth surface.
I guess I'll just experiment some more. (I guess speed is also a variable to get all this to work).

Position control doesn't really help. (ie tractor's front wheels hit a bump, blade digs in a little deeper, front tires hit a valley, blade comes up slightly). This doesn't even out a washboard road. If anything it keeps it the same or makes it worse.

Does the 3pt lift on a 1070 has a float position? I guess I'll have to take another look at the manual. Does it float when the lift is in the full down position? Due to the weight of the rear blade (Frontier 72") I'm not sure float would help much.

I realize the right implement might be a box scraper but hope I can get by without one.

Thanks

 

[Tx Jim]

I have to disagree with you. Here is a link http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/325689-scaper-mfg.html to a guy that learned from my explanation of draft control, saved him time and money.

I disagree with you that draft control should be used for a rear blade if operators intentions are to leave a smooth surface. Draft control will give a wash board effect to graded soil or gravel.

 

[Tx Jim]

I don't use draft control when I use the moldboard plow either - too many rocks. I'm constantly on the position control lever when using the moldboard plow.

The reason you're having to constantly move the 3 pt control lever when moldboarding is because you're not using draft control as that's what draft control was designed to do IE automatically raise/lower 3 pt depending on the load.

 

[oosik]

Well - I've found that the rear blade will just bounce along behind my tractor in the summer and aggravate any problems that exist. My driveway is not a soft, spongy, even - gravel surface. In the summer it sets up just like concrete - including pot holes, large rock and all form of other anomalies. I tried to do summer maintenance with the rear blade for 27 years and finally gave up and got a land plane grading scraper (LPGS). What a completely different experience with this new implement. No more bouncing around - it just lays flat and smooths everything out.

If you plan on doing summer driveway maintenance with the rear blade - figure a method of adding weight to the blade and forget about draft control. Weight will definitely be your friend when using a rear blade.

 

[Walkin Horse]

Position control doesn't really help. (ie tractor's front wheels hit a bump, blade digs in a little deeper, front tires hit a valley, blade comes up slightly). This doesn't even out a washboard road. If anything it keeps it the same or makes it

Thanks

This is where gauge wheels or a land plane comes in. When I redid my drive I really fought it. The tractor I had then the 3 ph was either up or all way down. I had more whoopdedos than a motocross track. So I built a land plane drag. It lays flat on the ground for 6'. The 3 ph lets it float so no matter what the tractor does it stays on the ground. The longer the better. As the LP glides it bridges it's self across the high spots and fills the lows spots. 2 or 3 trips is all you mite need. Then you can go back with a blade or a rake set o an angle and put your crown on it towards the center.

 

[PILOON]

Look at a road grader, wheels are far apart so that they are straddling bumps and the blade then scalps the bump.
The wheels need a flat reference surface for the blade to level things out.

About the only way you can grade with a tractor and back blade is to grade backing up as your 4 wheels have a flat reference surface to work from, however now is the time to use depth control or otherwise adjust the blade to operate just even with the desired level surface.

A pain in the neck I know but it does work on long flat surfaces.
Hill crests pose a problem however as you will actually increase the crest with this method and creative slow grading with lots of adjustments are called for.
Hill bottoms will end up getting dug a little deeper so again creative depth controls.

 

[oosik]

You are correct TX Jim- draft control will raise/lower the moldboard plow based upon varying soil conditions and its feedback thru the three point hitch system. If this draft control is properly set - it will raise/lower the plow and the tractor may not loose traction. When using draft control - the position control is set to the max depth you want the plow to go to. The spring loaded trip mechanism on my moldboard plow is designed to "handle" rocks - i.e. its designed to trip when the plow hits a rock and not cause damage to the plow or tractor.

My major problem is that in a lot of instances - I'm attempting to plow where there are just too many really large rocks.

 

[Tx Jim]

You are correct TX Jim-
My major problem is that in a lot of instances - I'm attempting to plow where there are just too many really large rocks.

If draft control is operating properly it will control the 3 pt much better than a human even in adverse conditions such as rocks.

 

[kevin37b]

A 3ph back blade is pretty much worthless in my books . Box blade better , land plane priceless .

 

[sixdogs]

I have a heavy duty 8 ft rock rake that I use behind a Kubota L4300 or MX5100 with draft control and it does a spectacular job. It doesn't do as well with a bigger tractor. Sometimes I have to go cross-direction to get ripples out but they always have come out. I feather the lever lighter with successive passes and can make a field absolutely flat. Golf course flat.

First I work the field and then pack it flat or let it get rained on. I think the combination of a lighter tractor with the draft control is what makes everything work. Sometimes final raking in draft control after a rain give an even smoother job.

A heavy blade would be similar but I think would be more difficult to get a smooth job as the ground gets smoother because the accumulated dirt would have no where to go. With the rake it can vibrate out between the teeth.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

If draft control is operating properly it will control the 3 pt much better than a human even in adverse conditions such as rocks.

Based on this statement, why do you think that it does not work with a rear blade and grading? As long as the system is adjusted-setup properly, then why do you think that it doesn't work for grading? There is still a load put on the implement, you just set it up to be much more sensitive than when plowing.

Draft control does work with a rear blade, been there done that and still do it. I did it with my first 8' 680lb rear blade and I do it now with my 9' 1140lb rear blade.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

My guess is that many of you guys who say that Draft control does not work for grading either have never used it to do any or are not sure on how to set it up properly. All I know for a fact is that it sure does work for me. :thumbsup:

It was mentioned that it will create wash board, well it does in a sense, the blade is consonantly raising and lowering about 1 /16"- 1/8" and extremely fast when doing a very light cut, or a cleanup cut. With any heavy cutting such as in the picture, maybe 1/4", at most, actually not really noticeable at all without actually looking for it.

Do you guys think that the 3pt raises inches when plowing, pretty sure it does not unless there are actual obstructions. It does not take all that much to lower the draft load and allow the tractor to continue moving forward.


Just my :2cents:, take it all for what it's worth.