parking brake

jam2004 · May 11, 2005

I was redistributing about 30 yards of horse manure today with my 2230 and a Rubbermaid dump cart. The dumping area was on an incline for ease of dropping the loads. I found the BX to completely ignore the parking break at times. A few times, as the the set up started to coast downhill, I slammed on the brake and nothing helped. Is there an adjustment for this or is it to be expected?

Jimbrown · May 11, 2005

The brake takes lots of pressure much more than any car or truck. I always do slopes in 4x4 and low range.

Henro · May 12, 2005

A few times, as the the set up started to coast downhill, I slammed on the brake and nothing helped. 

I'm a bit confused...was the tractor in gear?

My BX brake if pushed hard holds amazingly well. Are you sure you were not sliding with the wheels locked?

Keep in mind that the front wheels do not connect to the brakes unless you are in 4WD. If you were sliding but saw the front wheels turning, and were not in 4WD, you might think you were not getting stopping power from the brakes...when you had the rear wheels locked up and the fronts were freewheeling...

Your BX brakes should lock the wheels. No question in my mind about that. If they don't, you need them fixed. You might want to test them in 4wd on a relatively steep slope and see what happens.

Also be aware if you have a loader and are going down hill, if your bucket is heavy it can cause the rear wheels to become light, and if you don't have the tractor in 4WD, you may find yourself in for an exciting ride, unless you drop the loader to the ground pretty quick... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Junkman · May 12, 2005

If the dump trailer was pointed up or down hill, then the brakes will have more difficulty holding the tractor. I suggest that you reconsider how you position the tractor when doing this type of work. I would position the tractor so it was sideways on the hill, even if the trailer were pointed downhill. The brakes on a BX are a internal band that is in hydraulic fluid, and it is meant to be used as a parking brake. Don't ever be mislead into believing that it will stop the tractor in a free fall situation. Many on this forum have learned that lesson the difficult way. When encountering steep descents, alway use low gear and the hydro will act as a brake in this situation. Never get off the tractor with the MMM spinning, or any other powered attachment running. In these instances, always disengage the PTO first. Always lower the front bucket fully and set the parking brake before exiting the machine, even if for only a moment. I suggest that you spend an evening reading the machines owners manual for more safety details. Too often, too many new owners fail to fully read and understand the owners manual. This is one book that is on your "must read" list, but will never make the N.Y. Times top ten sellers list.

theboman · May 12, 2005

Push in the clutch and slam on the brakes, that should stop you, and if it don't you're breaks need adjusted.

Been driving with the parking brake on? It's happened to most of us here at least once, twice or a dozen times.

As far as the parking break holding on a slope, have the tractor in 4 wheel drive, this brakes all four wheels.

jam2004 · May 12, 2005

( Push in the clutch and slam on the brakes, that should stop you, and if it don't you're breaks need adjusted.

Been driving with the parking brake on? It's happened to most of us here at least once, twice or a dozen times.

As far as the parking break holding on a slope, have the tractor in 4 wheel drive, this brakes all four wheels.

Thanks everyone. The tractor was in 2-wheel drive and in neutral without the FEL attached. I will try the 4-wheel option next time.

theboman · May 13, 2005

Why would it be in neutral on a slope? That's Georgia Overdrive..... Take advantage of the tractors engine breaking, the wheels will only turn so fast when in gear, but remember it is possible to go to slow and start sliding if it's really slick.

jam2004 · May 13, 2005

( Why would it be in neutral on a slope? That's Georgia Overdrive..... Take advantage of the tractors engine breaking, the wheels will only turn so fast when in gear, but remember it is possible to go to slow and start sliding if it's really slick. )

I had to get off the tractor to dump the contents of the cart with a rake. I thought it had to be in neutral without me in the seat to prevent it from shutting off.

DanR67 · May 13, 2005

( I had to get off the tractor to dump the contents of the cart with a rake. I thought it had to be in neutral without me in the seat to prevent it from shutting off. )

jam2004 -

if you're BX2230 is like my B7610 - then the engine only stops when you have the PTO engaged (ex mower) and you leave the drivers' seat.

I almost always have my CUT in HI or LO range when I hop off - the fact that I'm NOT pushing on one of the for / rev HST pedals means that she doesn't go anywhere. (The p-brake really ensures this)

Think of a going down a hill and down-shifting a car to control your speed. Well the HST will do the same as you release the pedal - you slow down - not because of a seperate braking action elsewhere - but because you are providing a smaller *outlet path* for the oil - and this restriction slows the tractor down as you release a pedal - or holds if at full stop because the HST is *hydraulically locked* (no inlet / outlet paths & oil is not compressible)

Does that make more sense?

Hope that helps,

Dan

newcountry · May 14, 2005

( if you're BX2230 is like my B7610 - then the engine only stops when you have the PTO engaged (ex mower) and you leave the drivers' seat. )

My understanding and experience with the BX2230 is regardless if it's in gear or neutral, if you leave the seat it will shut off. Now that I think of it though, I don't specifically remember putting it in neutral and getting up... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Give me an excuse to start her up tomorrow, even though it's too muddy to do anything here /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

jam2004 · May 15, 2005

( ( if you're BX2230 is like my B7610 - then the engine only stops when you have the PTO engaged (ex mower) and you leave the drivers' seat. )

My understanding and experience with the BX2230 is regardless if it's in gear or neutral, if you leave the seat it will shut off. Now that I think of it though, I don't specifically remember putting it in neutral and getting up... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I'm fairly certain that my BX shuts off if I leave the seat in gear regardless of the PTO setting.

newcountry · May 22, 2005

I did find out, as many probably knew but were too kind to call me a dumbkopf, that the BX will turn off only if in gear and not in neutral. If PTO is activated it doesn't matter the tractor will turn off.

Lockport · May 22, 2005

You can run the PTO when not on the tracor by lifting up the seat and in neutral. Instructions are in the manual. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

LBrown59 · May 31, 2005

( Push in the clutch

)
no clutch on a 2230

LBrown59 · May 31, 2005

( [color:"blue" class="small
1*The tractor was in 2-wheel drive and in neutral
2*I will try the 4-wheel option next time.
)
1*Never put it in netural when the tractor is on a slope.
2*It don't matter if it's in 2 or 4 wheel drive.

If the tractor is in neutral be it 2 or 4 wheel drive it can roll down the hill when in neutral even with the brake applied.
If the brake's not set I guarantee you it will coast away on an incline in neutral in either 2 or wheel drive.

Never get in front of or behind the tractor on the down hill side when it's parked on a slope because if it starts rolling down the incline it can roll right over top of you.

Also don't get between the tractor and a solid object. If the tractor moves you could get crushed between it and the object.

When working on a slope always get on or off the tractor from the high side.
Several years ago this time of year my neighbors 18 year son was crushed to death when their JD rolled over on him it was right at graduation time just like it is now.
He was going up cross ways of a slope with a load of fence post in the FEL when they shifted in the bucket.
He had stopped and was getting off the tractor on the low side when the tractor flipped over on him.
Had he gotten off on the high side he would have been above the rolled over tractor not under it.
In fact had he gotten off on the high side the tractor might not have rolled as it could have been that his weight shift to the lower side caused the roll over.

LBrown59 · May 31, 2005

My bx23 engine wil run with the tractor in or out of gear with out me being in the seat.

LBrown59 · May 31, 2005

Why would it be in neutral on a slope? That's Georgia Overdrive..... Take advantage of the tractors engine breaking, the wheels will only turn so fast when in gear, but remember it is possible to go to slow and start sliding if it's really slick. 
 I thought it had to be in neutral without me in the seat to prevent it from shutting off. 
I had to get off the tractor to dump the contents of the cart with a rake.
============
 No, it don't have to be in neutral to run without you being in the seat; but even it did I would still advise you to never put the tractor in neutral on a hill.
Putting it in neutral on a grade is a good way for the tractor to get away from you. On a hill always leave it in gear and set the parking brake tight. To be on the safe side you could even chock the wheels.
If the engine did stop you can always restart it when you go to move the tractor.
Again don't put it in neutral first when you go to restart the motor or it will roll away again just like it did before for you.
Make sure the parking brake is firmly set then shift to neutral hit the key immediately upon shifting to neutral and shift back into gear as soon as the motor starts. Don't ply around with trying to set engine rpm or fool around with any other levers before shifting back into gear.
The object is to shorten the length of time in neutral as much as possible to get the transmission back into gear as soon as possible so the brakes will hold the tractor in place.
Do not release the parking brake before shifting back into gear. 

 When you have the shifter in neutral and the parking brake released there aren't any brakes on the tractor - just like there aren't any brakes on a car when the gear selector isn't in park and the emergency brake is not set.

rpalmer · May 31, 2005

My BX23 is 3 weeks old. My tractor will NOT stop on a slope, in gear or not. It was not a steep slope, it was in my drive way. I pushed the foot brake as hard as I could and it still drifted backwards in 4x4, low range. I'll have to call it in for service. I've had a few bugs already.

JWE · Jun 1, 2005

rpalmer

The parking brake on my BX2200 was the same way. It would not hold the tractor if it was parked on a significant slope. I lived with the problem until I reached the 50 hr. maintenance and found the left band was engaging before the right band. I adjusted it according to the manual and now it holds reasonably well but it still is nothing to write home about! Most of my property is on a hillside so I use the parking brake quite often. In most cases I have my FEL on the tractor so I drop the weight box and the FEL when I park.

John

btolle · Jun 1, 2005

( When working on a slope always get on or off the tractor from the high side.
Several years ago this time of year my neighbors 18 year son was crushed to death when their JD rolled over on him it was right at graduation time just like it is now.
He was going up cross ways of a slope with a load of fence post in the FEL when they shifted in the bucket.
He had stopped and was getting off the tractor on the low side when the tractor flipped over on him.
Had he gotten off on the high side he would have been above the rolled over tractor not under it.
In fact had he gotten off on the high side the tractor might not have rolled as it could have been that his weight shift to the lower side caused the roll over.

)

LBrown59,

Thank you for that information. I am on the 4th tractor I have owned and I had never consciously thought about whether I was getting off on the high side or low side. You post serves as a warning to me to pay attention to on slopes when I get off or on the tractor.

Your information may save my (or someone else's) life someday.

Thank you,

Bill Tolle