Lift Arm Controls... Draft Adjustment?

[uhoh]

My JD 5200 has a long and a short lever to raise and lower the lift arms, and possibly to control the draft function if it has one. I have played around with both while plowing with the rippers on a box blade, and can't tell much difference in what each one does. Any help is welcome and appreciate.

 

[Tx Jim]

Operators manual describes correct operation of draft control? One lever(A) controls 3 pt hitch height & other lever(B) controls draft sensitivity.

 

[ptsg]

I don't know on that model but some tractors have a mechanical lock for the draft control. Usually something simple like a flip of a tab on the top link bracket.

 

[oosik]

My OP manual describes, in detail, the use of draft control. I tried it ONCE. It was just a PITA. I have too many large rocks to really make draft control worth while.

Like Tx Jim said - check your OP manual.

Draft control can be useful for implements that do not slide/roll across the ground. Such as 3-point mold board plows, sub soilers, middle busters, chisel plows and the like. Your box blade slides across the ground and the depth of the scarifiers is set before you start the work. I've never tried draft control with my box blade or land plane grading scraper. I control their cut by adjusting my hydraulic top link.

 

[sixdogs]

I use draft (resistance) control a lot and almost always with an 8' rock (landscape) rake. After I cultivate, till and pack ground around larger landscape areas, I sometimes use my rock rake and draft control. This allows me to get ground really smooth. When the tractor wheels dip down or up, and a dump or dig of dirt would normally happen at the rake, the top link adjusts for the loss or gain of resistance and compensates for it.

Sometimes I take a couple of passes, but each one makes things smoother. For me , draft control these days is more useful with rakes and blades, cultivators and then plows. You first set your position control and then draft control but you have to fiddle a bit to get things the way you want.

I've added draft control to my L4300 and MX5100 and that size tractor seems to work the best for my use. I had a JD5520 and draft worked great with a 17 shank heavy cultivator.

You have to get out and try different conditions to see what you like or don't, and understand things. Set position first, then draft and see what happens. You need to have enough resistance so the top link has sufficient pressure to adjust for. Draft control is like the first time on a bicycle in that there's a learning curve.

 

[BlueBerryFarmer]

My draft controls are ON/OFF w/different settings which lock. VERY useful when using a box blade for example (mine weighs over 1000 lbs and would be all over the place otherwise).