Position Control - Versus Draft Control

Charlie_in_TX · Mar 4, 2004

Art, what about the 9N and 2N? They had draft control but no position control. Position control wasn't introduced untill the 8N or after draft control was out for at least 9 years.

Draft control = constant load on the tractor.
Position control = constant height of implement.

jinman · Mar 4, 2004

( Art, what about the 9N and 2N? They had draft control but no position control. )

That's true Charlie, but I don't know of a single "modern" tractor with draft control only. It's also important to note that draft control only works on "tillable" soil. If it's hard-packed, you aren't going to get the plow down into the dirt. Draft control will actively lift a plow, but it's up to the plow to get itself into the ground unless you have a larger tractor with down-pressure on the 3PH.

art · Mar 4, 2004

But who builds a tractor today with down pressure? Could be right on the old Fords, that might answer part of my frustration with trying to work them.

jinman · Mar 5, 2004

( that might answer part of my frustration with trying to work them. )

When I was a little kid (and dinasaurs roamed the earth) my father used to talk about a fellow he knew who was used to position control and borrowed someone's tractor with draft control. Evidently the guy was hooking up an implement and trying to get the 3PH to lift slightly like position control. He thought something was wrong and climbed up on the implement where he could reach the 3PH control, and kept slowly raising the control handle. All of a sudden he got the lift to operate when the control was high enough. Up came the implement all the way to the top while trapping and crushing his lower right foot and leg between the fender and the implement. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

That's a cruel lesson in how the draft control works on those old Fords. I have a selector handle on my old Ford Jubilee for position or draft control, but I just leave it in position control all the time.

SteveM · Mar 5, 2004

You guys are right on - the 9n and 2n only have draft control, which means when working with an implement it is all the way up, or all the way down. Makes attachment fun /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Of course when plowing soil, the feedback piston constanly moves the lift up and down with the drag of the soil, but the rest of the time it is a pain. There are aftermarket devices to override the draft control btw.

Bottom line - most compacts have position control, some like the BX and B7500 do not have true position control, since the lever is spring loaded and simply returns to the center setting at all times. This makes it harder to raise an implement like a brush hog, and return it to the exact setting as before. Also a bit trickier box blading. I have personally owned all types, and have adapted accordingly. Any hydraulics is better than nothing /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif