McREBEL
Gold Member
Thanks for the update. Have fun.
Tractor Sizing How important is rear diff lock on CUT?
- Thread starter onelostdogg
- Start date
- Views: 30230
AxleHub
Elite Member
I know when I bought late this spring . . if the units I was considering didn't did not have differential lock as a feature . . then I was no longer considering them.
jenkinsph
Super Star Member
I have only used the differential lock a few times in the past 10 years. If you use your tractor in wet areas it is important to have. In the southwest where it is dry for most of the year, not so much.
wcampbell47
Platinum Member
From the description of your property I would say so. Thing is you can get a 4wd tractor in a situation where you only have 1 rear and 1 front wheel pulling. The other two are just spinning. Being able to engage both rear wheels while in 4wd can get you out of a sticky situation.
jonnmero
Bronze Member
Not only that, but also when you are pulling something heavy (borderline load for tractor), you will have a lot more control with diff lock in addition to 4WD.
Gary Fowler
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2008
- Messages
- 11,998
- Location
- Bismarck Arkansas
- Tractor
- 2009 Kubota RTV 900, 2009 Kubota B26 TLB & 2010 model LS P7010
I had to use the Diff. lock on my LS once when crossing a deep ditch on an angle. One front and one rear ended up off the ground and I had no traction at all. The diff lock got me off high center and I was able to continue on across the ditch without resorting to using the FEL to push myself backward.
AxleHub
Elite Member
I believe too often people understate the ootential use of diff lock . . Often possibly because they don't think of it in normal use or don't understand it.
Just yesterday I was cutting grass with my fel on in a small yard that had a 8 inch rise. I was turning at an angle on that small rise (a shade filled area) and suddenly I was spinning a tire. I was in 2wd because this is not a hilly or sloped yard at all.
I could have shifted into 4wd . . Moved . . And then back to 2 wd . . but why go thru the trouble and effort. Tap the diff lock . . Move 2 feet and take the foot off.
I like many others tell and think about diff lock in situations of extreme traction need. But many more times the duff lock can be used for minor traction issues . . . especially in situations where you are teansitioning often from gard surface to soft surface and 4wd is not good to have on.
Just yesterday I was cutting grass with my fel on in a small yard that had a 8 inch rise. I was turning at an angle on that small rise (a shade filled area) and suddenly I was spinning a tire. I was in 2wd because this is not a hilly or sloped yard at all.
I could have shifted into 4wd . . Moved . . And then back to 2 wd . . but why go thru the trouble and effort. Tap the diff lock . . Move 2 feet and take the foot off.
I like many others tell and think about diff lock in situations of extreme traction need. But many more times the duff lock can be used for minor traction issues . . . especially in situations where you are teansitioning often from gard surface to soft surface and 4wd is not good to have on.
jcbGM
Silver Member
I'm in hilly Western PA. Use a Deere 4400 with a 5' cutter to mow around our hay fields and cut the weeds in the horse pasture. I have R4 tires and have several areas that require mowing up and down very steep slope(s). Slopes are steep enough that the R4s will spin in some areas and I need the diff lock to climb the hill. I probably wouldn't need it with R1s.
vtsnowedin
Elite Member
Perhaps we should look at it this way.
"Every well designed tractor has a diff lock feature to increase the tractor's ability and from that it's marketability. " So any tractor designed without it was designed by fools that don't know or care about how tractors are used in the fields. If they screwed up on this commonly understood point what else in the tractors design did they not understand or cut corners on??:duh:
"Every well designed tractor has a diff lock feature to increase the tractor's ability and from that it's marketability. " So any tractor designed without it was designed by fools that don't know or care about how tractors are used in the fields. If they screwed up on this commonly understood point what else in the tractors design did they not understand or cut corners on??:duh:
vtsnowedin
Elite Member
Perhaps we should look at it this way.
"Every well designed tractor has a diff lock feature to increase the tractor's ability and from that it's marketability. " So any tractor designed without it was designed by fools that don't know or care about how tractors are used in the fields. If they screwed up on this commonly understood point what else in the tractors design did they not understand or cut corners on??:duh:
"Every well designed tractor has a diff lock feature to increase the tractor's ability and from that it's marketability. " So any tractor designed without it was designed by fools that don't know or care about how tractors are used in the fields. If they screwed up on this commonly understood point what else in the tractors design did they not understand or cut corners on??:duh:
OP
onelostdogg
Silver Member
Exactly my situation on several occasions now. Living on a slope I have finally learned what I was taught in school. Water follows gravity. Don't have time or interest in controlling the entire 8 acres of drainage.
AxleHub
Elite Member
I'm sad to say that sometimes a good manufacturer follows poorly informed customers.
Take Yanmar . . A great manufacturer. They had built the sc2400 which was very competitive in features and engine to kubota back in 06 and 07 etc.. as of this spring when I was looking new sc2400 were still available and I considered them.
Then Yanmar wants to update and recreate another winner. Logical. So they survey piles of propsects and some current clients to design the tractor of the new breed.
Prospects and some clients input is a diff isn't needed. So the 221 has no diff. Prospects and clients say multiple speeds aren't required . . So the 221 is a single speed. Prospects and clients say 2 pedals instead of treadle and leave the brake where it is . . So the 221 gas separate pedals . . Good . . . But brake is now worse because treadle was lower than pedals.
Yanmar should have listened less and designed the way THEY know how. 221 is nice but not what it should have been.
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k0ua
Epic Contributor
Yep, and with my split brakes on the left, where they belong on a HST machine, (in my humble opinion) they are super easy to use without any gymnastics, and highly effective. I wind up using them more than Diff lock is a ditch crossing scenario. but use what works for you would be my advice.
LD1
Epic Contributor
Agreed. Use what works best for each person. But saying a diff lock is the only way to get moving if a wheel is in the air is just false
AxleHub
Elite Member
Could some one explain what split brakes are and how they work? It sounds as if you are fighting the engine or having some type of clutch engaged in order to get a differential lock type effort.
jonnmero
Bronze Member
Split brakes is a system made to ensure that your tractor tips over when applied during a turn at (for a tractor) high speed:cool2:
Farm tractors typically have two foot pedals for the rear brakes, one for each side. They were originally used to allow farmers to make a "turn on a dime" turn at the end of a row by stopping just one of the rear wheels around which the tractor would pivot. There was a locking bar that could be engaged so the two pedals could be joined when the operator wanted both brakes working together for stopping. Farmers soon figured out that the split brakes were also handy when their 2wd tractors got stuck with one wheel spinning in mud, etc. By applying the brake to the spinning wheel, the differential would start supplying power to the other wheel, which was possibly on more solid ground. Presto! An early version of a locking differential.
LD1
Epic Contributor
Good explination.
Works almost the same way a GM gov-lock works. Only manually. The way a gov lock works is when one wheel starts spinning, a friction plate inside the rear end starts applying pressure to slow down that spinning tire, which applys more torque to the other wheel.
By definition, an open differential means EQUAL torque is applied to both wheels at all times, but can be unequal speeds. So a wheel in the air or on ice may only take 1 ft-lb of torque to spin. That means the wheel on solid ground is only geting 1ft-lb as well. Which isnt enough to move the tractor.
By applying the brake, it takes MORE torque to spin the wheel in the air or on ice. Therefore the wheel on solid ground is also getting more torque. how much more depends on how hard you press the brake on the opposite tire.
I cross uneven ground all the time and get hung up quire frequently with a wheel in the air. Its almost a natural reaction to hit the brake on that side and move on.
Works almost the same way a GM gov-lock works. Only manually. The way a gov lock works is when one wheel starts spinning, a friction plate inside the rear end starts applying pressure to slow down that spinning tire, which applys more torque to the other wheel.
By definition, an open differential means EQUAL torque is applied to both wheels at all times, but can be unequal speeds. So a wheel in the air or on ice may only take 1 ft-lb of torque to spin. That means the wheel on solid ground is only geting 1ft-lb as well. Which isnt enough to move the tractor.
By applying the brake, it takes MORE torque to spin the wheel in the air or on ice. Therefore the wheel on solid ground is also getting more torque. how much more depends on how hard you press the brake on the opposite tire.
I cross uneven ground all the time and get hung up quire frequently with a wheel in the air. Its almost a natural reaction to hit the brake on that side and move on.
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