How the heck fast am I going?

[Laminarman]

I bought a new Land Pride fertilizer spreader. Now to figure out how fast 2.5 or 3 MPH is. How do I do that and calculate out the spread? The manual leaves a LOT to be desired. Thanks in advance.

 

[rdbrumfield]

measure out a distance with your car, say half a mile. start your watch when you leave with your tractor in the gear you want to work in. time yourself and calculate how many feet you would go in an hour and divide by 5,280, that will give you mph.

 

[Scrounger]

Or just wing it and set it and spread like mad. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Getting the drop rate correct can be a beast. That's the reason I dropped the idea of a 3 pt spreader and plan to use a large Scotts spreader. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Have somebody pace you with a car. A digital speedometer would be best. Or...just pull tat spreader behind yer car! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[beenthere]

You could go at an 'average walking' speed, which is 2.5 - 3 mph.

At 2.5 mph, that is 100' in 27.3 sec,
or at 3 mph, that is 100' in 22.7 sec.

A stop watch and a tape measure, can give you the numbers you need to pace your tractor.

For me, I would just travel at about a good walking pace.

 

[GerardC]

I use my hand held GPS.

 

[Laminarman]

Use the gear I'm gonna use....hmm...I have hydro. Looks like I can make it complicated or easy. I think I'll go at a "walking pace" and experiment. Thanks!

 

[Freds]

My Agri-Fab spreader that I just got says it is calculated to spread at 3 MPH and that is travelling 100' in 23 seconds.

 

[bdog]

Here is some info from calibrating speed on spray rigs. Pretty simple and more accurate that using a speedo on a car or walking I think.

The best way to measure travel speed is to pull a sprayer with tank half filled with water on the same type of terrain that the sprayer will be operated on.

Set up test course at least 100 feet long, measure the course with a tape measure. Do not pace the distance. The longer the course the smaller the margin of error. Run the course in both directions.

Use an accurate stopwatch to check the time required to travel the course in each direction. Average the two runs and use the following formula to calculate the speed in MPH.



Formula: MPH = (ft. traveled/sec. traveled) X (60/80)



Your figures:

Tractor gear___________ Engine revs.___________

MPH = (ft. traveled/sec. traveled) X (60/80) = ________

 

[normde2001]

50 or so years ago I read/heard that 3 mph is the average "schoolboy" walking pace.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Use the gear I'm gonna use....hmm...I have hydro )</font>

Oh boy.. looks like more fuel for the fire for the gear vs hydro wars.... We gear people can set a gear, set the rpm, and then look on our shifter chart in the manual, or on the fender of the tractor and get what speed we are going, assuming standard tires.. etc. Guess it ain't that simple with a hydro... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Heck, my old fords back from the 50's even have a speeomiter built in to their proofmeters.. the outter rings corespond to gears.. so just look at the ring and know what gear you are in.. and you have your MPH... Funny to see 'more' features, on a less advanced tractor /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Soundguy

 

[JJPWAus]

Is that to school or home from school?? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[_RaT_]

Find someone with a Kubota L30 model and have them drive right along side you. Since they come with a digital speedometer in mph or kph, they can yell over to you what your speed is. Hydrostatic drive or manual they all have it and it works very well. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

PS if it is connected to the PTO, you can flip through the various screens and find out exactly what your PTO RPM is as well as how many minutes or hours you have been doing it with the trip meter.

 

[Soundguy]

Neat feature.. but I wouldn't want it on a tractor that I was keeping. i can just see trying to get parts for that 50 years down the road!

Soundguy

 

[_RaT_]

My guess is most of us will be dead in 50 years or so. I hope at that point I stop worrying about anything. If it was a real concern, I'd buy a spare or two now, they aren't even that much and they are very handy. Since that is about the only thing "electronic" on the whole tractor, you will be good for well over 150 more years. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SkyPup]

The digital speedometer on the Kubota L30's is super nice (mph/km), but so is the digital PTO RPM real time reading too! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[flatheadlake]

As Gerard said, a handheld GPS will get you pretty accurate speed, you can find them for about $100.00.

 

[_RaT_]

I like the tripOmeter.

 

[SkyPup]

50 years from now, body parts will be more important than tractor parts.

 

[KennedyDiesel]

I'd suggest the GPS for verification, but a brisk walk is about right. Many tractors have charts for max speed in a specific range. I'd guess the fastest speed in your lowest range would be about right. That or middle range with less RPM and again match to a GPS. to find the RPM that matches speed with full pedal. Speed will vary somewhat with load, but should be close enough...