diff lock newbie question

[rquad]

Just bought a B2710, my first tractor. I was playing around with it, getting to know it, and was surprised to find how quickly I could lose traction.

My "ultimate" test was in trying to push a 2" diameter stump out of the ground with the FEL. I was getting tire spin even in 4WD with the diff lock pedal pressed down.

My question, though, is not about improving traction. I'll ask that in another posting. My question is specifically about the diff lock. While I was pushing on that stump, one of my rear wheels was spinning (no traction) while the other was not turning at all. I think the same was happening at the front end but not sure about that. I thought with the diff lock engaged, that both rear wheels would always turn together. Am I wrong about this, or is my diff lock maybe not working properly?

 

[koja]

It takes a minute for the diff lock to engage . Try locking the diff before you get up to where you need it . For traction nothing beats weight . Are your rear tires filled ? Its been my experience that stumps are best dug out , not pushed . They come out a lot harder than one would think .

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Yes if the diff lock is working and engaged properly both rear tires will spin or not spin together.

 

[rquad]

It takes a minute for the diff lock to engage . Try locking the diff before you get up to where you need it . For traction nothing beats weight . Are your rear tires filled ? Its been my experience that stumps are best dug out , not pushed . They come out a lot harder than one would think .

Thanks for the info. I'll lock from farther away and try again.

I really don't think the tires are filled. That's on my to-do list, but still learning my way around the tractor for now.

I sure would like to get a backhoe for digging, but used ones for this model are practically non-existent, and it would cost at least 7 grand to get a new Woods model to my door. Until and if I get some paying jobs for using this thing, the digger will have to wait.

 

[Bluegill]

Get some weight (400-600lbs?) on the 3 pt hitch to counter the weight of the FEL hanging out front.

 

[cerlawson]

First off, are you planning $7K work for a back hoe? If not rent one.

Secondly, never engage the diff lock with any wheel spinning. I bought two used tractors where the diff lock was shot. Probably some dummy pushing it down when wheels were spinning. The engagement is splined and that can be worn off in a hurry.

 

[Bulldog]

I never use the diff lock for pushing. It's the last resort when I'm about stuck and nothing more.

Fluid fill your tires and hang some weight off the rear. It will amaze you how much better it will perform.

 

[Bluegill]

I never use the diff lock for pushing. It's the last resort when I'm about stuck and nothing more.

Fluid fill your tires and hang some weight off the rear. It will amaze you how much better it will perform.

Yep!

 

[dmanlyr]

I never use the diff lock for pushing. It's the last resort when I'm about stuck and nothing more.

Fluid fill your tires and hang some weight off the rear. It will amaze you how much better it will perform.

+2

To the OP - These are tractors.... not bulldozers!

David

 

[ShaunRH]

I use the diff lock all the time when working the FEL. Can't imagine not using it. Doesn't hurt the tractor any, just locks the rears together.

If it bogs down, your task is too hard for the tractor, come at the task differently either by reducing load/cut/push, or changing tactics.

For a 2" stump I'd drill a 7/8" hole down the core and put a 1" lag bolt with a chain through it and pull with the drawbar. This will either pull the stump or break it in half, letting you pull or dig out the halves with far less work than the whole 2" stump.

My personal preference would've been to dig around the tree, push with the FEL about 2' up on the trunk and push the tree over. I don't cut any tree I intend to pull out down low. Use tree's size against it's own roots.

 

[D2Cat]

"For a 2" stump I'd drill a 7/8" hole down the core and put a 1" lag bolt with a chain through it and pull with the drawbar. This will either pull the stump or break it in half, letting you pull or dig out the halves with far less work than the whole 2" stump."


We're talking a two inch "stump"--what ever that is. Take a maul or axe and with about 3 strikes it's cut off and under the ground enough to not be any trouble with tires. A lot less time the getting a drill, a bit, bore a hole and screw in a lag bolt, then get on the tractor and pull!

If you choose to make work out of it, whittle it off with a box knife.

 

[Lil Foot]

I have only used the diff lock rarely, usually to skid big rocks up a rough grade.
4wd, 1st gear, low range.
First pic shows a medium size rock on the skid, the second shows the grade up to the county road, then back down the driveway.

 

[Daren Todd]

"For a 2" stump I'd drill a 7/8" hole down the core and put a 1" lag bolt with a chain through it and pull with the drawbar. This will either pull the stump or break it in half, letting you pull or dig out the halves with far less work than the whole 2" stump."


We're talking a two inch "stump"--what ever that is. Take a maul or axe and with about 3 strikes it's cut off and under the ground enough to not be any trouble with tires. A lot less time the getting a drill, a bit, bore a hole and screw in a lag bolt, then get on the tractor and pull!

If you choose to make work out of it, whittle it off with a box knife.

I prefer a 50 gallon drum with the bottom cut out, and a few holes drilled in the sides on the bottom for air flow. Load it up with sticks and twigs, add a little diesel for good measure and light it up. No more 2" stumps and the yard waste is gone too

 

[85Hokie]

I have only used the diff lock rarely, usually to skid big rocks up a rough grade.
4wd, 1st gear, low range.
First pic shows a medium size rock on the skid, the second shows the grade up to the county road, then back down the driveway.

Lil Foot,

what do you think that rock in the first photo weighs?????

We need something like that here at the high school - seniors get to paint it........... wondering what something that weighs and what kinda trailer will hold it !

 

[ShaunRH]

We're talking a two inch "stump"--what ever that is. Take a maul or axe and with about 3 strikes it's cut off and under the ground enough to not be any trouble with tires. A lot less time the getting a drill, a bit, bore a hole and screw in a lag bolt, then get on the tractor and pull!

If you choose to make work out of it, whittle it off with a box knife.

Sorry, back doesn't handle mauls or even axe work well. The cordless drill does the operation I specified in under 2 minutes with little effort, complete with driving the lag screw. Usually the drill is on or near the tractor anyway.

 

[Lil Foot]

Lil Foot,
what do you think that rock in the first photo weighs?????
We need something like that here at the high school - seniors get to paint it........... wondering what something that weighs and what kinda trailer will hold it !

85Hokie- That rock is roughly 3' x 2.5' x 2', about 15 cu ft, sandstone, so roughly 2250lbs.
I moved one that was 3' x 1.5' x 7', about 31.5 cu ft, sandstone, roughly 4725lbs.
The B7100 had absolutely no trouble moving it on the skid on level dirt, cinders, or hard-packed gravel- some small trouble (traction) on inclines or dragging it over partially imbedded rocks. I never put any on a trailer, so I can't help there.
Pic shows the big rock, just towards the foreground of the orange gloves & gatorade bottle.

 

[85Hokie]

85Hokie- That rock is roughly 3' x 2.5' x 2', about 15 cu ft, sandstone, so roughly 2250lbs.
I moved one that was 3' x 1.5' x 7', about 31.5 cu ft, sandstone, roughly 4725lbs.
The B7100 had absolutely no trouble moving it on the skid on level dirt, cinders, or hard-packed gravel- some small trouble (traction) on inclines or dragging it over partially imbedded rocks. I never put any on a trailer, so I can't help there.
Pic shows the big rock, just towards the foreground of the orange gloves & gatorade bottle.

That 5000 lb would be a dooozy !

thank for the info!!!!

T

 

[CaveCreekRay]

LilFoot,

Do you use your FEL to get them on the skid or do you skid them on?

I did a bunch of work moving huge rocks with my old and tired Ford F1700 twenty years ago. My L3800 is much bigger and more powerful so it ought to do a better job come time to renovate our back yard. Previous owners collected rocks of all kinds, many hauled down from Montana. How they got them into the back yard is beyond me. Now that I have a drive-through gate, I should be able to get 'em in the bucket and haul them away.

Nice wall work.

 

[Lil Foot]

LilFoot,
Do you use your FEL to get them on the skid or do you skid them on?

It depended on the rock & where it was located. Most of the time, I used the FEL to shove the skid as far as I could up under the rock, then used a 6ft J-bar to lever them on the rest of the way. Sometimes I could use the FEL to lift or roll a rock up on one edge, then position the skid under it & then push it over onto the skid. Smaller ones (maybe in the 400lb range) I lifted with the FEL. Positioning them was similar, a combination of FEL, J-bar, & muscle.
If I ever complete this project, I'll post pics from start to finish. Seems like the universe doesn't want me to complete this... something is always interfering.

Nice wall work.

Thanks, it's been a lot of work.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

I did similar work in my last house with my old Ford. My clue the rock was too heavy was the rear tires would lift off the ground!

Its amazing what you can do with some lining bars and a little body English. At least this time, my wife will be in the tractor and I'll be loading and catching, unlike last time. She prefers the new technique!