Breaking causes Tractor to stop

[TheOldHokie]

As the other guys said - - yes!

One thing to note with a tractor is that the brakes are very rudimentary. They're not like any car or truck you've driven. You never, ever, ever want to trust your brakes to stop you at any speed.

Often, they're "split" wheel brakes that one pedal does one side, and the two brake pedals next to each other can be locked together to brake both wheels at once.

Wheel brakes are often referred to as Steering Brakes, since in certain circumstances you can drive and steer the tractor by using the left or right brake as needed. They can also help when traction isn't good on one side versus the other. Use the spinning wheel brake to encourage the other to drive....

Even if locked together, they can be a little touchy, grabby, or non-existent.

Heck, you might be moving to Lessons #3-5 before we know it....

B7200DT has pretty effective brakes as long as the oil seals are not leaking and they are properly adjusted. It also has a very effective differential lock....

Dan

 

[liam.hanninen]

As the other guys said - - yes!

One thing to note with a tractor is that the brakes are very rudimentary. They're not like any car or truck you've driven. You never, ever, ever want to trust your brakes to stop you at any speed.

Thanks! This first part concerns me though. We have a pretty steep but paved driveway which I'll hope to go up and down. Will this be an issue? I don't want to go flying down the hill :/

 

[pokey1416]

Use 4WD to help w/braking.

 

[Biker1mike]

Thanks! This first part concerns me though. We have a pretty steep but paved driveway which I'll hope to go up and down. Will this be an issue? I don't want to go flying down the hill :/

Pick your gear before you start down the hill. You do not want to push in the clutch going down. You will start to free wheel and when you let off the clutch pedal you may cause the wheels to momentarily skid. Use the throttle and brake until you are slow enough and then push in the clutch.
First couple of attempts on the downhill you may want to be in low range second or third gears. When you get comfortable you can switch to high range.
Make sure you read all the post about " low and slow " .

 

[RCW]

Thanks! This first part concerns me though. We have a pretty steep but paved driveway which I'll hope to go up and down. Will this be an issue? I don't want to go flying down the hill :/

Liam -

We’re getting into lessons 7 or 8, but in many cases you leave your tractor in a “good” gear to traverse the terrain at hand. Never want to depress clutch or brakes if/when things get dicey.

Always go conservative and slow is the best theory.

You don’t want to be in a position to have to change gears mid-slope, thereby relying on brakes, especially if there’s a load behind the tractor.

I started driving farm tractors at 6 years old, but admit it’s been years since I did that routinely.

At 7 or so, I could back this and a manure spreader down a barn floor.

 

[liam.hanninen]

Liam -

We’re getting into lessons 7 or 8, but in many cases you leave your tractor in a “good” gear to traverse the terrain at hand. Never want to depress clutch or brakes if/when things get dicey.

Always go conservative and slow is the best theory.

You don’t want to be in a position to have to change gears mid-slope, thereby relying on brakes, especially if there’s a load behind the tractor.

I started driving farm tractors at 6 years old, but admit it’s been years since I did that routinely.

At 7 or so, I could back this and a manure spreader down a barn floor.
View attachment 92581

Oh I understand it (maybe) - so the (low) gear controls how slow AND fast I would go, is that right? So if I go down hill at a speed of 3 mph the tractor should stay 3mph even though gravity wants it to go faster? (Also I just read about the original Minneapolis tractor. That one looks sharp!)

 

[liam.hanninen]

Pick your gear before you start down the hill. You do not want to push in the clutch going down. You will start to free wheel and when you let off the clutch pedal you may cause the wheels to momentarily skid. Use the throttle and brake until you are slow enough and then push in the clutch.
First couple of attempts on the downhill you may want to be in low range second or third gears. When you get comfortable you can switch to high range.
Make sure you read all the post about " low and slow " .

Thanks! And how do I find those posts? Is there a good way to search this forum? Or do you have a link

 

[Biker1mike]

Thanks! And how do I find those posts? Is there a good way to search this forum? Or do you have a link

Use the search in the upper right and search on center of gravity. Grab your choice of beverage and start reading. You will get the idea real fast.
In response to your post about down hill speed. Yes the tractor will do its best to hold your speed. You need to pay attention to the throttle. Example. I have a very steep hill and drag a mower. Down hill I have to pull back the throttle to keep the rpms correct for the pto. Going up I have to add throttle as the motor starts to drag.
It will become second nature very quickly.
Even old timers get the crap scared out of them every now and then !

 

[fried1765]

I'll assume that you have always driven an automatic transmission car. If this is the case, then I suggest that you find a friend that has a "stick shift" car and have him teach you how to drive it. Once you master driving a standard transmission (stick shift) car, using your tractor will become second nature to you. Driving a standard transmission car requires you to coordinate the clutch pedal, brake pedal, accelerator, and shift lever. You won't learn this by reading a forum or book. You have to actually experience it.

My children (girl 58, boy 56, boy 51) all own at least one stick shift vehicle.
Their friends.....not so much!

 

[Russell King]

And never try to shift gears while you’re moving on the tractor.

 

[Flintknapper]

Oh I understand it (maybe) - so the (low) gear controls how slow AND fast I would go, is that right? So if I go down hill at a speed of 3 mph the tractor should stay 3mph even though gravity wants it to go faster?

Yes, you have both high and low 'range' for all of the gears you have. Low range (as the name implies) will result in slower tractor speeds. High range....will be faster.

When going downhill....IF you select an appropriate 'range' and gear...you should never have to touch your brakes or clutch until you are ready to come to a complete stop.

You are effectively using what is called 'engine braking' to control the speed of the tractor (when going down a hill). A combination of the gearing and engine compression will regulate the speed as you descend. You can further attenuate it using the throttle to either speed up slow down ( a small amount).

If it can be avoided.....you never want to depress the clutch when on a hill (going either up or down)....especially if you have a load on the tractor. Select the proper gear beforehand.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The more I read this thread, the more I believe you need to sell that model and get an HST model.
HST model is a hydrostatic transmission, acts similar to an automatic transmission in a car.
Simply put, push the pedal and you go, let off pedal and you stop!
Much simpler than a geared transmission.

 

[lynnmor]

The more I read this thread, the more I believe you need to sell that model and get an HST model.
HST model is a hydrostatic transmission, acts similar to an automatic transmission in a car.
Simply put, push the pedal and you go, let off pedal and you stop!
Much simpler than a geared transmission.

I wonder if the tractor was purchased from a dealer or was it a private sale. In either case, the seller did you no favors.

 

[bucktail]

Not sure how yours is layed out, but on my L1500, the brakes are next to the fuel shut off. May want to make sure the linkages aren't hitting one another.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Curious, so had a look at inside the tranny... seems it has the usual straight cut gears so...

do NOT try to shift gears while driving ! Unlike a car, the tractor does not have 'synchos' or even bevel cut gears.
You pick the gear you want for the job,and it stays there until you stop.
If you try to shift gears while in motion, you WILL 'grind the gears' which can be very,very bad and costly.

 

[mikester]

Just got a B7200 with a bucket. I'm new to tractors so I could certainly be doing something wrong. Just got it rolling yesterday. But when I brake the tractor shuts off. That's the issue but just for context I just adjusted the clutch freeplay because I couldn't even get it into gear without hearing grinding. Now I don't hear the grinding and can move the tractor back and forth but when I break it just shuts off. Thanks for any thoughts or advice.

When I "break" a tractor that usually is a sign it won't go any more.

 

[Biker1mike]

Curious, so had a look at inside the tranny... seems it has the usual straight cut gears so...

do NOT try to shift gears while driving ! Unlike a car, the tractor does not have 'synchos' or even bevel cut gears.
You pick the gear you want for the job,and it stays there until you stop.
If you try to shift gears while in motion, you WILL 'grind the gears' which can be very,very bad and costly.

Previous owner of my tractor hosed up second gear in the tranny. To keep it in gear you need to keep a little pressure on the shifter. I assume they were going from reverse to second without coming to a complete stop ( lazy snow plowing ).

 

[liam.hanninen]

I wonder if the tractor was purchased from a dealer or was it a private sale. In either case, the seller did you no favors.

Private seller. Said he had it for only 30 hours until he realized he needed a bigger tractor. 6k for it, the bucket, and 150 mile delivery. Good/bad deal?

 

[ve9aa]

GREAT deal. You just need to learn to "drive stick" (and a dozen other things)
...I hope you are the type that likes to learn.

 

[liam.hanninen]

GREAT deal. You just need to learn to "drive stick" (and a dozen other things)
...I hope you are the type that likes to learn.

That's great to hear! Yes I am excited to learn to operate, rebuild, repair and update this as much as possible. I'm starting from square one but have a some family, friends, YouTube, the user manual and this forum now too - so not too worried about getting answers. I just have to ask the right questions