LS Room for improvement.

Gary Fowler · Nov 14, 2011

Regarding sleeveless design, which I have no info on whether it is sleeveless or not but it could be designed so that if it does wear down, you could bore it and get larger rings for it. I dont think we (Dad and I) ever wore out an engine on the farm tractors. We had a rod bearing go out on an AC 190xt that caused one cylinder to need repair but as for wearing them out to the extent of excess oil usage, never did that and we had thousands of hours on them. I dont ever expect to put that kind of hours on mine. We ran our tractors 16 hrs a day in the spring and fall breaking ground for 2-3 month spring and fall and then cultivating 12+ hours per day during summer to the turn of a 1500-2000 hours per year. Saw lots of tractors (60-70'S) with more than 10,000 hours on them and still going strong. Most of them never changed hydraulic oil and back then didnt have a filter either. Oil was changed about 250-300 hours if we had time, but might go 500 sometimes. Of course all the diesels back then used 1-3 quarts of oil per day in hard load conditions so the oil was new every 4 days and the filters were triple the size of the one on my tractor now, maybe the new ones are better filters for the size but I doubt it.

lontex · Nov 14, 2011

Thats good news about the speed, as I have to truck 4 miles down the back roads to get Fuel. that TT75 NH I had was a 19 mph Tractor it seemed to take for ever to get to where I was going. also good news on the sleeve less engines I have never had on myself they have all way's been wet. Did the Sleeve less Engines ever heat up? with the wet sleeve engines you had that water jacket sloshing around those sleeves. helped to keep the sleeves cool. I nearly bought a NH TD 5050 that thing was worse it topped out at 17.5 mph according to the paper work any way. I spoke to the dealer to-day to see if the 7010 had left the dist. point yet and he said no as they were putting a load together. I guess to keep the shipping rates down. I told him that I was not In any hurry because I have no chores to do this time of the year. he said 'thank you' with a big smile on his face. LOL.

Gary Fowler · Nov 15, 2011

I may have mislead you. All our tractors had wet sleeves but we never had a problem with having to replace the sleeves due to wear and we put thousands of hours per year on them. I dont think I would worry about it. I'm sure that if a problem occurred, you could bore it out at least one time and put in oversized pistons and rings if needed but the engine should last well beyond 10,000 hours with the good lubricants that we have today.

lontex · Nov 15, 2011

10.000 hrs will outlast me. I kinda wished I could get an after cooler on the 7010 I am getting. I don't put too many hrs on the clock, around 70 per year, when I sold that NH TT75 It was 3 years old and had only 214 hrs on It. when you road tested the Tractor did you try to leave Rubber, or do a wheely. LOL.

Gary Fowler · Nov 16, 2011

On the road test, I only ran it far enough to get the RPM to max and then shut it down, turned around and ran it back home. My county road is so narrow that 2 cars can barely pass safely and has blind curves and hills but that doesnt slow vehicles down too much on it so I am afraid to get out too much on the road. I dont think I would want to go much faster with a tractor than the LS travels. I used to road our 9000 Ford tractor with dual wheels and 14 foot wide breaking disc about 12 miles between fields and about half of that was gravel road. It would do 25 MPH and that was plenty fast with all that weight swinging back and forth on the drawbar. I would have to pull into the ditch sometimes to let cars pass but back then it wasnt a lot of traffic like today where every adult and child in the family that is driving age has a vehicle and they are always on the road. If everyone drove mileage like me, there wouldnt be a fuel shortage. Even though I have 2 vehicles, wifes is 9 years old, mine is 5 and between the two we have barely 100K miles. Most of my kids put 30K per year on their cars which amazes me that they ever get anything done at home.

lontex · Nov 16, 2011

Whats the 'Automatic lift Arms'? I see on the rear Fenders there is cut outs to put those switches to raise the arm's, but no switches are fitted. so I just wondered what that ment. I see what you mean about the cars, we bought a Hyundai in 2002 102.000 miles on it and the wife would get rid of me before she would let that car go. I have a Ford 250 Diesel which is of limits to the wife 98.000 miles she don't get to drive my pickup, because she can't drive. LOL

Gary Fowler · Nov 16, 2011

The specs still say that it has that feature so there is a small T shaped toggle with a green button below it kinda in the center of the right fender. What it does is allow you to raise and lower the lift arms without touching the lift lever. SO, you set the height that you want a piece of equipment to run, say your bush hog. Then when you want to lift it, just pull back on the toggle and the lift raises automatically. To lower just hit the green button and it will lower to the preset position. Beats raising and lowering the thing with the lift lever and hoping that you got it back where it was.

lontex · Nov 16, 2011

Thats a nice feature, I don't know what sort of service I will be getting from this Dealer, he didn't know what the Automatic lift arm was. LOL

lontex · Nov 16, 2011

Just found a photo of the cab, I see that green toggle and button. nice.

ozley · Nov 16, 2011

lontex said:
Just found a photo of the cab, I see that green toggle and button. nice.

I don't have my book with me but I believe if you have the PTO on auto and using the green toggle turns off the PTO when you lift and on when you let the back down using the button.

Gary Fowler · Nov 16, 2011

I havent tried mine to see exactly how it works, but the manual says it turns it off when the lift is raised. Doesnt say that you have to use the automatic lift. Next time I hook up the the bush hog, I will check it if I can remember 4 months from now. Right now I am trying to remember to block my clutch down with the little clip lever when I go back to my shop. About 10 trips walking right by the tractor today and forgot everytime. Only remember it when I get back on TBN

ozley · Nov 16, 2011

I doesn't say automatic lift (just got home) it's if you have the PTO switched to automatic the PTO will turn off when you use the green lever then on when you push the button to lower the lift.

Gary Fowler · Nov 17, 2011

I dont think I will ever use the automatic turn off feature as I leave mine turning when I lift it if it is just to turn or something. When I transport, I just turn it off. Heck you only have to push a button to turn on and off, how much easier can it be. Push the PTO button or push the automatic lift, same action just different button. I prefer to have my engine idled down prior to engaging and using automatic might not do that and could damage something if tractor is running 2000 rpm.

ozley · Nov 17, 2011

Heck I wasn't tell you how run your tractor just how the auto lift operated. Sorry I stepped in it.

Gary Fowler · Nov 18, 2011

Hey Oz, not a problem, I appreciate the info. I was not chastizing anyone, just explaining my take on the issue. My brother in laws NH 2030 has the electric engagement clutch on his pto and if he is not at idle when he engages it, the shear pin is a gonner everytime. Although one of my bushhogs has a slip clutch, I still dont think it would be a good idea to have the pto engage and disengage every time you raise the lift unless you idled it down each time. It certainly doesnt hurt the u-joint to run briefly with the lift up although in some instances it could be a safety issue I suppose.

lontex · Nov 18, 2011

I guess I will have to read the Book of do's and dont's. I dought if my dealer know's what to do, although he is a nice guy, I think it will be a learning lesson for both of us. I am like you I stop every thing before I make a move to do some thing else. all these shift on the fly, and changing gear with out the Clutch I couldn't do that I have to use the Clutch, driving Truck's for some 50 years, and double clutching every time to make a change. I would be scared to death I would tear up the Transmission. not using the clutch.

lontex · Nov 18, 2011

point to mention. a Driver after the initial pull away you can change gears up and down without using the clutch. I have done myself, but did not like to do it. its a matter of getting the right RPM's on the Engine.

Gary Fowler · Nov 18, 2011

Well the 7010 can shift up and down thru 1-4 but you do have to clutch it. You have to be TOTALLY stopped to change ranges though with it grinding the gears.
I have a1984 model Yanmar with powershift transmission that is really neat. Hydraulic clutch activates with the shift lever to go from reverse to neutral then 1,2 &3 forward without clutching manually. I still use the clutch to stop then reverse although you can shift it without it. Did that once when I thought I was in 2 and actually in low, pulled the lever down and it went into reverse. I almost went over the steering wheel when it went from about 5 MPH forward to reverse. It didnt seem to hurt anything other than the grass it dug up but it had to put a bind on those gears.
I was using my brother in laws hydrostatic New Holland and almost ran it into the pond. I was using the FEL to clean out the pond and I had not driven it before more than a few minutes. I eased up to the top of the dike, and took my foot off the F pedal, lowered the fel and then it began to creep forward. I thought I had hit the wrong pedal to go back so I hit the other one and it really went forward then so I stomped the other one. Man it was a see-saw for a moment. When I mentioned it to my B-I-L, he said yeah it creeps forward sometimes when it is supposed to be in neutral. Just another reason to have a clutch.

lontex · Dec 1, 2011

Gary. I got my 7010 delivered this morning. and its rearly nice. on the 7030 I was going to buy, the side windows of the cab did not open,(fixed) these side windows on the 7010 open. I guess because its a later Model. the 7030 had been sitting on the dealers lot, I guess for a while (older Model). the air conditioner works great for now any way, the summer is a different story. I think these Tractors are well put together, the front and rear axels are real solid. I am real pleased.