Draft Control

[Adirondacker]

In comparing specs, features & benefits, the Kubota 3130 claims to have optional draft control and that NH and JD do not. I asked my local NH dealer sales rep and he said the TC33D has draft control as well. I know it has a preset depth control but does anyone know if it truly has draft control? In reading Mr. Chishti's book, it might be a nice feature to have for rear implement ground work.

 

[hazmat]

To my knowledge it does not have draft control. It does have position control.

What kind of ground work are you planning to do? Draft control was designed with plowing in mind, ie plow as deep as you can while keeping the tractor moving. For leveling tasks (boxblade, rake, rear blade) position control is what you want.

 

[jinman]

Like the Kubota and JD, New Holland has optional draft control, but Hazmat's assertion that you probably would not need it is true. If your primary work is not plowing, the standard position control is all you will ever need. There are even folks who will argue that draft control doesn't work that well anyhow. If you were to do a survey of folks with CUTs and asked them if they used draft control, I'd bet you would find less than 10% have the proper soil type and operator skills to make it worthwhile. ...just my $0.02 worth.

 

[BillyP]

Yep, draft control is an option. I did mention it to my JD dealer when I bought my 4610. He said it's something I would never use unless I was planning on plowing.

 

[hazmat]

<font color="blue"> New Holland has optional draft control </font>

I stand (actually sit /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif) corrected.

 

[StanInCalif]

I have it, and considered it a nuisance, so I shut it off. In my case, I'm ripping, not plowing, and I want the ripper to stay down there and break the hard stuff up. Draft control is intended to raise the plow slightly, so you don't have to stop and change gears. Without draft control, you still have the option of raising it manually, and if you have a hydro, it's even less important.

 

[bgott]

You ought to try draft control with a box blade, it works slick. I have it and I love it. I watched a guy grading the playground at the school, he was running wide open in about third gear and getting the grade perfect, no washboarding whatsoever. After using draft control I now know how he did it.

 

[Adirondacker]

My needs would be more for ground leveling purposes not for plowing. Sounds like it is an option and I can at least ask what the price for adding it to the package would be. Still a little confused on what the actual benefits might be. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif I plan on doing the landscaping around my house, about 3/4 acre finished starting from hard pan. Need to bring in some fill, top soil, etc. I think I will at least check it out.

 

[cstocks]

Considering how much trouble I have had learning to use my borrowed box blade I would be curious to see how much draft control could help. Part of the problem I have been having I believe is that the box blade is too light so I don't know how much better I could do with a heavier blade. However, if I understand how draft control works ( and I am not 100% sure I do) it seems it would be beneficial to have when using a box blade, regardless of the weight.

 

[bgott]

Draft control is used to maintain an even pull on a ground engaging implement. Different soil conditions, underground obstructions and uneven ground all can affect the draft on a plow or a box blade. Try scraping a section of hard packed dirt and then run into a section of loose pack while using position control. The blade will dive down into the loose dirt, there's less resistance. If you are using draft control the TPH mechanism senses the downward movement of the implement and raises it, thereby saving you from adding a corrugation to the washboard that you will end up building so many times. It will also raise the blade if you hit a rock or a big root and keep you from spinning the tires or killing the tractor. The best part of using draft control is smoothing uneven grade. As the front wheels go up and down over the hills and valleys the draft control senses the uneven pressure on the blade and adjusts it like magic. When I say it that way I'm not trying to be snide, it's neat to watch that blade going up and down all by its little lonesome flattening out the mess you've previously made. If you have a large area to smooth you'll have to go back with the position control and knock down the high spots and then go over it with the draft control to work it down smooth. That's because it doesn't work as well when you have long rolling highs and lows, it doesn't pivot the front axle aroung the rear as much. When you get to that point you're close to done. I had read about using draft control for the box blade and forgot about it until I was grading a half acre lot and was going nuts trying to knock it down with the position control. I dropped the box down, picked it up with the draft control and after playing with it for about two minutes to get the feel I smoothed the mess in about 20 minutes. I'd always thought it was just for plowing.