What is Draft Control?

Рет қаралды 260,809

8 жыл бұрын

I remember when I was a kid, probably 11-12 years old when I asked dad, "What is the lever on the tractor that says 'draft control' for?" My father was a very knowledgeable man about farm equipment, but he gave me a long and rambling explanation that left me more confused than before. I remember he said something about using a plow, and a vague description of a situation when the plow needed to stay level and the tractor knew how to keep it there and then he went on to something else. I pretty well knew he was a little vague on the exact workings of draft control but didn't want me to know that.
Having been on a lot of tractors over the years with a draft control system, and never once using it, I'm not much ahead of dad. Where I live, the glacial till wasn't very kind to us. If you're lucky, in the Ozarks, you have a few inches of topsoil with about a million rocks buried directly below. If you sink a plow in many areas here, it'll go down until it hits the rocks and it'll turn them up on top of the ground. You don't ever have to worry about it sinking into the deep topsoil.
That's what draft control is designed to prevent…a situation where you have a tillage tool in the ground, you hit a soft spot, and it sinks to the bottom of the three point's travel and buries the implement, making a really deep trench. Unless you're farming river bottoms in our area, and usually not even then, you'd never need draft control.
Most compact tractors have a position control lever only. It moves the implement up and down. With that set-up, you would drop it all the way down and let the implement go to whatever depth it finds. You might have a deeper trench in some areas than others because of soil conditions. The deluxe tractors, and larger models, that have the draft control, allow you to maintain the depth of the implement at a constant level, regardless of the ground you're tilling.
So that's what draft control is. If you're like me you'll never, ever use it. And if that's the case, you won't need to add it as an option if you're buying a new tractor.
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Пікірлер: 64

@sparky6086 Жыл бұрын

Draft control raises up the implement, when it encounters resistance, so that it can get past rocks, thick roots, etc. Position control is what keeps the implement at a constant depth. They can work in tandem, but they are two different things. I have a 1940 9N Ford, & it only has draft control. Position control was added, when Ford started making the 8N.

@kenwilliams9518 4 жыл бұрын

Mike I had a tractor with draft control and it was wonderful. When mowing with my flail mower attached to my 3 point hitch if the rear wheels of the tractor dropped into a low spot on uneven ground the draft control would raise the mower to keep it from digging into the dirt and then lower the mower back on to the grade as the rear of the tractor came back up.

@waynekrangle8447 2 жыл бұрын

Finally someone explained draft control in detail. Thanks Mike

@kenwilliams9518 4 жыл бұрын

draft control is more than you described even in the Ozarks ground is uneven for instance if you are plowing when the rear wheels of the tractor drop in a riu the plow will be lifted by the draft control to stop it from burying into the ground and stalling your forward progress .

@MrKen-longrangegrdhogeliminato 6 жыл бұрын

We had draft control on the 504 Farmall tractor, it was for three point hitch three bottom plow we had, it worked pretty good in Union County Pennsylvania..

@Koolpop-gpa 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent basic description. I have cultivated row crops with IH/Farmall 404, 656 tractors and did a terrific job, in eastern NC soils. Never needed any guage wheels/etc.

@jasonknight4906 8 жыл бұрын

Well explained 👍

@pbgd3 3 жыл бұрын

I had a few explanations but one finally made sense. Before there were tractors farmers plowed using animals (or humans) to pull the plow through the dirt. The farmer manhandled the plow using the handles and followed along and it was the farmer or was the draft control raising the plow up when it got hung up and forcing the plow down if it wasn't biting in. The draw bar or a chain is your lower arms by themselves they pull the plow. As the farmer you resist and control the draft. Top link and draft control do the same. Only a hydraulic circuit does the work instead of your body. Plow hangs up implement slows down this pivots around the lower pins and pushes the top link forwards. Compressing a spring loaded hydraulic valve that raises until the spring is under normal pressure and then it stops. Plow pulls free linkage extends spring pressure drops hydraulics lower till the spring pressure is again normal. Draft control lever sets how much pressure you want on the spring. This forms a feed back loop the same as a guy manhandling a plow would have done but far simpler. Where we used it most was plowing in rolly terrain. Going up a hill would bury a plow right as the tractor had the least grip. Run draft and it would raise up loading the rear wheels and keeping the plow on top. Over the top the plow would be pulled up shallow and draft would let it down. Then hang up on a bolder and it would yank the plow right up.

@derekevans8266 6 жыл бұрын

Draft control should be used whenever you are working with an implement below the surface of the ground. Draft control is constantly sensing the depth you want to work. If you have a plough on the back and go uphill your plough will tend to go deeper if you down hill it will tend to come out of the ground. If the soil is more solid the plough will tend to bury itself due to the suction effect of the plough draft control overcomes these issues. When you lower a plough to the ground the plough will suck itself underground and if its not controlled it would just bury itself the draft control lets the plough go down to a given depth then gently lifts the plough but not enough to lift it up it just takes the weigh so the plough is ( floating ) under the soil, this lifting effect pulls the rear of the tractor down so you get better traction. This is the Furguson system. By just using just position control you are just dragging the implement along losing traction. Position control is for working above ground to keep a constant height above ground.

@sammylpt9076 3 жыл бұрын

So say for example I'm using a cultivator drag which as you know has the tines beneath the ground, I'm confused where I have the position lever when using the draft. Today, using a MF 275 tractor I had the position lever at the top and had a tiny amount of draft (lever about an inch at most from no draft). I only wanted about 3-4 inches of depth. Was this correct? I mean it did the job but at times the tractor wasn't boss of the situation and it was pulling me left or right.

@Ben-fk9ey 2 жыл бұрын

@@sammylpt9076 From what I've used on an Massey Ferguson 35 I have the main draft lever and linkage lever set to the same depth. Then I have the small little draft lever just a bit above them. I believe the way it works is the big lever engages the draft (there's notches saying draft engaged) and the little lever adjusts the amount of lift you'll accept from the draft. So if I'm getting bogged down a lot I'll move the little lever higher, which will let the draft raise the plough more so I don't get stuck, and then automatically lower it back down.

@michaelwillcutt2619 2 жыл бұрын

The higher up draft lever is more sensitive it becomes the slower speed the more accurate it is . Remember going fast tractor out runs draft. Try this to learn more about how to use . Use a landscape box set a medium 1200 rpm low range. You see why . Make a few passes with box cutting dirt then make sure you can walk faster than tractor moving . Start another pass an get off an stand on back of box or have someone else drive while riding on box you will fill both tractor movements an counter action of box self leveling . Track tires go into low spots box slightly raises itself filling in low area . High spots tractor box lowers an cut’s high spots off . You will literally see how smarter it is than your own fiscal sensitivities. Always remember its not designed for running wide open that’s way to fast for working .

@TF856 2 жыл бұрын

I don't agree about the position control. You can still set it to cut at a certain depth and should stay at that level even if you're going through hard or soft ground until you start spinning your wheels. At that point when the tractor sinks down the implement also goes down about the same amount in relation to the tractor. But it will not go up and down independently as it would with the draft control. With position control it will still float above any certain position that you set it at. I spent years driving Massey Ferguson, Farmall, New Holland and ford agricultural tractors, and John Deere, Case, Cat, Terex, and Massey Ferguson industrial skip loaders. (I do not like skiploaders!) I do love draft control. I just almost never needed it.

@derekevans8266 2 жыл бұрын

@@TF856 I worked as a field service engineer at a large MF dealership and went on several courses at the MF school at Coventry. If you are working below ground you should be using draft above ground position. you can use position below ground but the implement will not follow the ground if you go up hill or down hill.

@rickywoods3101 4 жыл бұрын

I also use it when using box blade with rippers when I'm in roots and rocks. If the roots to big it will just pull up and skip it. Or it will pull the rock up and continue going. Makes it alot nicer

@chrisfenimore8662 2 жыл бұрын

You need draft control to install erosion fabric or cultivate and even with a bottom plow. I also live in Missouri and use the tractors draft control. Any application where you want your implement to run at a set depth for instance an erosion fabric plow you want set no more than 4 inches in. Cultivating you don't want to be deeper than the shovels usually 4 to 8 inches in even a bottom plow would need to be at a set depth in some applications. You can use the lift side with a set screw and knob and set your depth but once you get use to using the draft and lift together you'll find setting your depth a breeze.

@braddeyoung8701 2 жыл бұрын

I use draft control mowing with my 6 ft bushhog. Most of my land is hilly and uneven. The draft control makes the job much easy automatically adjusting to the contours of the land.

@reneramirez8016 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Strait to the point.

@TimKallmer 3 жыл бұрын

If you don't use draft, do you normally want the lever pulled all the way back, like you have it?

@mynameisnobody4409 8 жыл бұрын

If I may, I've used draft control daily, we have vineyards, lots of sand. With the position control we set it in the middle, which is described as inter-mix, then use the draft control as a "pressure adjustment", which puts pressure upward while the implement always wants to go downward. If you need alot or less changes on soil conditions. Practice makes it easy. Soon you will be able to drive by the seat of your pants, and make minute 1/8" adjustments to the draft control. It's easy but takes trial and error. I use it with a disc, box blades, noble blades n harrows.

@larryboor5395 6 жыл бұрын

1991ford explorer electric 4 wheel drive

@eliszoko6368 4 жыл бұрын

I think that's more to the point.

@kennethhead6134 3 жыл бұрын

Draft also works in hard ground ,when you hit harder then normal soil it raises the plow rhus adding more traction to the rear tires

@m16ty 3 жыл бұрын

If you are plowing a fairly level field, you can maintain constant depth with the position control, that isn't the main function of draft control. Draft control is more for transferring the weight of the implement (most often a plow) to the rear tires, keeping you from spinning out when you hit a hard spot. A tractor with draft control will pull a larger plow than the same size tractor without draft control.

@emilreyes7066 2 жыл бұрын

Thats the correct explanation! Draft control is different from position control.

@sparky6086 Жыл бұрын

Spot on. Draft control raises up the implement, when it encounters resistance, so that it can get past rocks, thick roots, etc. Position control is what keeps the implement at a constant depth. They can work in tandem, but they are two different things. I have a 1940 9N Ford, & it only has draft control. Position control was added, when Ford started making the 8N.

@TravE85 5 жыл бұрын

Mike I had a guy tell me that draft control is handy with a brush hog, he’s telling me that it will help keep brush hog from scalping ground on uneven terrain, their are not any other videos on utube that I can find pertaining to this subject, I’m going to do my own test next time I brush hog, obviously if that’s the case their should be more information out their for operators because I myself find that I keep my hand on three point lever making myself a manual draft lol, if this works it’s going to be pretty big deal

@TractorMike 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, a lot of people think that but draft control has virtually no effect on above-ground implements. You'd have to have the brush hog blades pretty deep in the ground to get a benefit.

@curtiscf1986 5 жыл бұрын

Mike....even in your area, you need some draft/position control. If your front tires drop down into a hole or “dip” while you are plowing, it will still keep the depth consistent.

@TF856 2 жыл бұрын

It's not for consistent depth. It's for consistent drag/draft on the engine. Consistent death might just be a byproduct or coincidence. But would not be consistent if you have varying ground conditions. If you hit a piece of hard ground it's going to pull the engine down and that will raise the implement. This happened to me a few times by accident when I was rototilling and using the draft control instead of the position control. Every time I came to a piece of hard ground the rototiller was lifted up, which was not the effect I wanted.

@carlpegram7415 6 жыл бұрын

anyone know why the hydraulic control lever wont stay in position on a farmall cub tractor.

@chadgray6467 4 жыл бұрын

Where is this on my 1977 ford 1600? I can't find it? The only sensor I can find on it is a oil pressure sensor?

@MLJenkins 6 жыл бұрын

Mike, I came back around to this video after my tie rod connected to the draft control broke. The arm to the right in your video at 1:41 which has the bold securing it to the piece with the two large cylinders and then goes forward to the tractor is what broke. You call the part in the center the sensing part, but is that movement actually transmitted through the tie rod on the right back to the lift arm control valve? I'm confused as to what this tie rod does. The end result of my breakage is that my lift arms will currently not lower, even with the draft control in the float position. I ordered a new part, but I'm still fuzzy about how the repair will go and if that is the actual cause of my lift arms not lowering (with the cutter attached, oh fun).

@TractorMike 6 жыл бұрын

Matt, I'm going to get over my head here pretty quick because, like I say in the video, I've had no experience with actually using draft control because I've never done much tillage work, but here's what I think is going on. The lever you are referring to sets the sensitivity of the draft control. If you're not in a tillage application, at least on my tractor, you'd want the draft control lever all the way back, or up, so its not doing anything. The linkage must have broken with the draft control lever positioned somewhere else so the tractor thinks you're doing tillage and it's trying to regulate the depth of your implement, thus keeping the arms up. That's all going on in the hydraulics internally in the tractor. Hopefully, when you get the linkage fixed it will connect with the internal components and you can change where the draft lever is and allow the position control to override the draft control and your links will go back down. Discussing all of that would make a good video, I'd have to drag someone in who understands exactly what's going on inside the tractor to help explain it. I'll put that on the list. I hope the repair goes well!

@MLJenkins 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mike. I managed to get the tie rod off yesterday. I had to first remove the cutter because my primarily concern was if the 3-point lowered, despite where I had the position lever and setting the control speed all the way to slow, it would pinch some part of my body and send me to the hospital. I used a farm/bumper jack to get the cutter off the arms. Once off, I went to work on the tie rod. The tie rod rotates around the cam further forward on the housing. The end of the tie rod was welded/rusted solid around the cam pin where it should have been rotating. Because it couldn't move, once the draft control moved for some reason on the back, when it went to push the tie rod back it just broke it in half. I would have never thought in a hundred years to oil that connection, but that's something I will be doing from this point forward. I ordered a new tie rod and hopefully it will be here next week. I still think the cam on the housing is what controls the position in relation to where the draft control lever is set. However, messing around with it by hand I couldn't get the 3-point to react. So I'm still not 100% sure of how the entire system works. Nonetheless, my lift arms lowered so that was a big relief. I'll wait for the tie rod before I get into any more cutting because I don't feel like fixing something in the field.

@shawnoandrew 4 жыл бұрын

Does draft control need to be on to grade?

@greggandrade9587 6 жыл бұрын

draft is handy York rake, provides right down pressure.

@subwarpspeed 8 жыл бұрын

I don't agree with the description of this. Draft control does not maintain a constant depth - on the contrary it regulates the depth of the implement depending on the conditions and setting. A threepoint hitch (3ph) with a plough, in contrast to trailed ploughs, generates a downward force of the tractors rear wheels. More downward force = better grip and pulling capability. Problem is that if the soil get too hard a system with a fixed position would make it to hard to pull and the rear wheels will start to slip. The clever thing with the system is that it den raises the 3ph a bit so it won't be so hard to pull. Problem with only draft control is that with soft soil it would just let the plough even deeper down. Here comes the position control combo. The position control lets the operator set a limit on how far down the implement may be lowered by the draft control. This system was invented by Harry Ferguson, prototyped on his "black tractor", then first sold on the Ferguson Brown tractor (David Brown tractors), later with Ford and after the disagreement he started making his own tractors. The patent expired and all manufacturers of agricultural implemented it and refined it. Today the draft is often sensed on the lower link arms (draw arms) instead of the push a plough exerts on the top link.

@subwarpspeed 8 жыл бұрын

Okay the talk I did about the depth and different soils presumes a perfectly flat field. If the soil is equal but the field is uneven it would help to make a consistent ploughing depth. Going over a top would make the plough "go into the air" (if we picture the extremes) if the position was fixed. Draft control would lower the plough to let it dig in a bit.

@preetiverma7023 6 жыл бұрын

Please anyone give exact definition of draft control

@teresaparris8659 6 жыл бұрын

Has anyone used the draft feature while digging post holes with a 3 point hitch auger. The auger would not take the ground all the way when just using position control. Please advise

@eliszoko6368 4 жыл бұрын

Well explained.

@acdii 2 жыл бұрын

It raises it, but does it lower it with force? I have just the opposite problem where the blade will ride UP and over when trying to level something. I can see it being handy when the rear wheels dip, but rises would put the blade too high up. If it can hold the blade down, then I can find it being useful in my situation.

@TractorMike 2 жыл бұрын

On 99% of all tractors there's no down pressure on the three point. It's made to follow the contours of the ground.

@ebnhahn1993 3 жыл бұрын

I have a 1982 International 260A with a box blade hooked up. I have two levers to raise/lower box blade!. I usually fumble my way adjusting both levers to make blade stay up!!. Could it be that I have a draft control!!? and do not understand how it works!!??.

@jjano2320 2 жыл бұрын

I played around with those levers for years and I still don't know what they do.

@terrygoodwin9623 2 жыл бұрын

I mounted a front end loader on my kioti dk45 and my three point hitch won't lift. What did I do wrong.

@72chargerse72 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you I didnt know that.

@Willy12927 Жыл бұрын

Would draft control work whenever using a back blade to level gravel ?

@TractorMike Жыл бұрын

As long as you're not dragging it with it resting on the sides it should. Here's a guy who did a video on that: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/irV2lpN3lde4e6s.html.

@laymanspc 5 жыл бұрын

Anyone that wants to smooth out an area such as a gravel driveway will benefit from draft control.

@rickywoods3101 4 жыл бұрын

Really . How so ? I use draft but are no use for it on gravel

@eliszoko6368 4 жыл бұрын

Any pressure from the blade digging in will lift the blade when set right.

@akshayg7557 7 жыл бұрын

we in india use draft control lever only for ploughing purpose

@joecrachemontange4613 2 жыл бұрын

Works great with a ripper.

@KountryCuz1 3 жыл бұрын

Have to use Draft In Georgia or your plow will go UP and Down !

@michaelwillcutt2619 2 жыл бұрын

I don’t care what ground you’re on draft control will allow you to perfectly grade weather top or depth if your landscaping an want perfection in smooth yard learn how to use draft settings . You want have high or low spots when finished grading. Many uses for draft settings

@russbowman6801 2 жыл бұрын

Mike, folks, you gott'a see this vintage film when 3 point hitch and draft control was invented. It still applies today thanks to Mr. Ferguson! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f6eRndWF0d26cY0.html

@shnorman1 3 жыл бұрын

Why not have someone who has actually used it tell us about it.

@AutodidactEngineer 4 жыл бұрын

My right ear is deaf

@butchs.4239 4 жыл бұрын

Switch hands. ;)

@jeffblackmon288 2 жыл бұрын

Lean your hat the other way.

@2ndamendment770 Жыл бұрын

you probably live in or around Sikeston Mo. > I was raised in Cape Girardeau County

@TractorMike Жыл бұрын

I've travelled that area when I was the AGCO rep for southern Missouri (I called on Heuer Sons in Cape) but I'm actually across the state from there in Ozark, Missouri. Where the rocks are.