Tips and tricks for new B series owners.

[top gnome]

Hi I have had my tractor for about 6 weeks and thought it maybe a good idea to start a thread on tips for operating a B series tractor that may be helpful to new owners like myself. I am also new to the forum so if this is not a suitable topic please let me know. Please add the lessons you have learned.

Some Tips from the first 15 hours.

Look over your left shoulder when backing up as looking over your right shoulder when backing up as your leg can easily hit the loader lever and dump the loader load

Use the position control not the float when using a back blade for snow. when you use the float it will take the weight off of the rear wheels and crab walk the tractor. The position control set at 5 in this case leaves the weight on the rear tires and still scrapes clean to the gravel.


If you are leaving your ROPs down setting it at the 45 degree angle instead of 90 degrees will keep you from whacking your head when you check the trans fluid. (thank you Ralphva)

 

[dirtydeed]

If you are leaving your ROPs down setting it at the 45 degree angle instead of 90 degrees will keep you from whacking your head when you check the trans fluid. (thank you Ralphva)

Congrats on your new machine...I'll add another comment about not lowering your ROPS all the way down. Doing so has resulted in many bent top links. It seems that some folks forget that the ROPS is folded completely and hear a crunch when they lift their 3 point control.

 

[old and tired]

Not sure about B tractors but lots of L models are low on Front Axle oil, basically, check ALL fluid levels as soon as you get it from the dealer.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Use the position control not the float when using a back blade for snow. when you use the float it will take the weight off of the rear wheels and crab walk the tractor. The position control set at 5 in this case leaves the weight on the rear tires and still scrapes clean to the gravel.

Are we talking about the three point?
If so, it always floats period, there is no down force on a 3 point.

Sounds like what's happening to you is that you have the angle of the blade set too aggressively and the cutting edge is digging in too much.
Any rear blade setup will do some amount of digging in without shoes on it to keep it from digging in too much.

 

[top gnome]

Are we talking about the three point?
If so, it always floats period, there is no down force on a 3 point.

Sounds like what's happening to you is that you have the angle of the blade set too aggressively and the cutting edge is digging in too much.
Any rear blade setup will do some amount of digging in without shoes on it to keep it from digging in too much.

I maybe wrong but I think keeping the blade just above the ground with the position control instead of the float is keeping the weight of the backblade on the wheels. When in float the weight of the blade is on the ground. I tried both this morning and using the position control and keeping the blade just above the ground seemed to give better traction. but maybe it was just me.

 

[IanB]

For cold weather starting, hold the key in the indent position to the right to run glow plugs for however long you want (glow plug dash light will stay lit in this position), THEN turn the key all the way right to engage the starter. I got my tractor in the spring and it started pretty well with no glow plugs, but as the temps started to drop starts got really rough, and I eventually figured out I'd been doing it wrong all summer.

Another cold weather tip, winter covers for the hood make a big difference in warm up, and maintaining engine temps in extreme cold conditions.

Float function: push hydraulic lever all the way forward into detent position, results in no hydraulic pressure downward, just the weight of the implement attached, works great for front mount snowblower, or back blading with FEL bucket.

I appreciate the tip about locking the ROPS bar at 45 degrees rather than letting it rest on the top link, I need to lower mine to get the tractor into the garage bays, I'll be doing this going forward.

 

[top gnome]

Congrats on your new machine...I'll add another comment about not lowering your ROPS all the way down. Doing so has resulted in many bent top links. It seems that some folks forget that the ROPS is folded completely and hear a crunch when they lift their 3 point control.

thank you for the information

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

maybe it was just me.

Yea it's just you, but hey if it works for you then that's all that matters!

 

[IanB]

I maybe wrong but I think keeping the blade just above the ground with the position control instead of the float is keeping the weight of the backblade on the wheels. When in float the weight of the blade is on the ground. I tried both this morning and using the position control and keeping the blade just above the ground seemed to give better traction. but maybe it was just me.

Ya, keeping the weight of the rear blade off the ground (by limiting down travel so it's hovering rather than dragging) will keep that weight on the rear tires for traction. If you find the rear blade is digging in too much, you can spin it around so you're dragging it backwards, doesn't bite in and leaves a nice, smooth finish, even with full weight of the blade on the ground.

 

[Daferris]

For cold weather consider adding a block heater and a Wi-Fi controlled plug. Then you can warm up the engine before you head out to plow. Not so much to make the engine start. But rather to stop excessive wear as the engine oil does not flow quickly to all the bearings and the valve train when it's really cold.

 

[RalphVa]

ROPS at 45 degrees even fits nicely underneath the door to the basement of the carriage house, too.

Also, the 45 degree position keeps the wood chipper's discharge chute out of the way of the ROPS. Was always a problem on the JD.

3ph is always on float no matter where it is. Don't recall whether I actually have used the back blade on the B yet. Have put it alway and wrestled the wood chipper's PTO on yesterday. Well, actually I had the box blade in between.

 

[Henro]

Look over your left shoulder when backing up as looking over your right shoulder when backing up as your leg can easily hit the loader lever and dump the loader load

I ALWAYS look over my right shoulder when looking back. The only leg that might lift is the left one, and my loader control is on the right side. Perhaps because my dominant side is the right side.

Do you have a left handed loader installed? Makes sense that they should offer one. Left handed people are not in the majority, but should not be discriminated against.

I take it you might have meant DO NOT look over the left shoulder when backing up? Yes, I do try to read and understand the details of a post...

 

[lynnmor]

If your new B series tractor has a pedal that is just too hard to push for reverse, search on these forums for information about removing or replacing springs to ease the push. I think that practically standing on the pedal is a safety concern since your mind should be on where you are going, not concerning yourself about a bulky control.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

If you do installed a block heater,install a battery warming blanket too ! Cold batteries don't have a lot of power in them and trying to draw 100s of amps out of them is very,very hard on them.

 

[RalphVa]

Continue to use 10w30 or 5w30 or 0w30 oil. That 15w40 goo will not allow it to crank very fast on cold starts and will take a while to stop the oil pressure light, thus causing your valve gear to smoke.

 

[jyoutz]

Use

Are we talking about the three point?
If so, it always floats period, there is no down force on a 3 point.

Sounds like what's happening to you is that you have the angle of the blade set too aggressively and the cutting edge is digging in too much.
Any rear blade setup will do some amount of digging in without shoes on it to keep it from digging in too much.

Use float and turn the blade backwards when plowing snow.

 

[top gnome]

I ALWAYS look over my right shoulder when looking back. The only leg that might lift is the left one, and my loader control is on the right side. Perhaps because my dominant side is the right side.

Do you have a left handed loader installed? Makes sense that they should offer one. Left handed people are not in the majority, but should not be discriminated against.

I take it you might have meant DO NOT look over the left shoulder when backing up? Yes, I do try to read and understand the details of a post...

Hi maybe it is just me and my fat leg but when I look over my right should my right leg hits the loader arm and can dump the loader. My loader arm is on the right so when I look over my right should i must twist that way and bump the loader arm. I am getting used to it and have not dumped the bucket in the last 10 hours but the first 5 hours I did it quite a bit.

I used the grapple today for the first time. WOW !!!! we had a terrible wind storm last night and today and we lost a dozen big spruce trees with two across the driveway and I think that grapple cut the time in 1/2 clearing the limbs and tops. I only got the drive way trees done but what a time saver. I do have a question when hooking up the hydraulics on the grapple is there a right and wrong way? On mine both males are on the loader arm and both females are on the grapple. I think it only determines which button opens the claw so which button is suppose to open the claw? on mine right now the bottom button opens the claw.

the quick attach is awesome changing from bucket to grapple the first time was a few minutes.

 

[Henro]

Hi maybe it is just me and my fat leg but when I look over my right should my right leg hits the loader arm and can dump the loader.

That is interesting. Guess that just illustrates that we are not all created equal!

Glad you are getting great use out of your tractor.

I will have to check out my body, and look over my left shoulder and see what my right leg is doing! Maybe lifting...

 

[rc51stierhoff]

I had

Hi maybe it is just me and my fat leg but when I look over my right should my right leg hits the loader arm and can dump the loader. My loader arm is on the right so when I look over my right should i must twist that way and bump the loader arm. I am getting used to it and have not dumped the bucket in the last 10 hours but the first 5 hours I did it quite a bit.

I used the grapple today for the first time. WOW !!!! we had a terrible wind storm last night and today and we lost a dozen big spruce trees with two across the driveway and I think that grapple cut the time in 1/2 clearing the limbs and tops. I only got the drive way trees done but what a time saver. I do have a question when hooking up the hydraulics on the grapple is there a right and wrong way? On mine both males are on the loader arm and both females are on the grapple. I think it only determines which button opens the claw so which button is suppose to open the claw? on mine right now the bottom button opens the claw.

the quick attach is awesome changing from bucket to grapple the first time was a few minutes.

both of mine set up same way on the third function. There is colored caps/tape on each to keep them straight same as the other hydraulic couplers. If you trade tractors or a add a second you may have to specify that if you want to share implements.

 

[top gnome]

thank you I e mailed the

I had

both of mine set up same way on the third function. There is colored caps/tape on each to keep them straight same as the other hydraulic couplers. If you trade tractors or a add a second you may have to specify that if you want to share implements.

thanks I emailed the service manager at the dealer. But the grapple works great spent a part of the afternoon clearing downed trees I got at least twice the work done in the same amount of time as I would have using a loader and chain to move the logs and branches. Any Grapple tips would be welcome. scooping up the branches and the logs works great trying to scoop up stacked firewood was hilarious as most of it fell out.