How to get more grip?

[Pascal]

Hi guys,

Yesterday I had the chance to (finally) get my 6 cylinder SuperMajor to really work for the first time, since the rebuild of the enige almost two
years ago. Jan was there to take some pictures.
On one field there were ploughing matches; on the other field I was working with a borrowed cultivator on the light clay ground.
If you wanted to know how to recognize me: I was the guy with the very big smile on his face!!
It's just really great to hear an 6 cylinder Ford engine working hard!





I drove in 1st high gear about 1.800 rpm. The cultivator had little trianglar plates on the bottom of the teeth: litterally translated from Dutch there are called "goose feet".
I don't know the correct English word?
Although my rear tyres are pretty new, my problem was that I had quite some wheel spin. The engine had plenty of power.
I tried the diff lock: it improved a only bit.
Later that day someone told me to shorten the top link. That in combination with the dryer ground improved the grip of my rear wheels, but wasn't like I would like it to be.
Has anyone an idea how I can get more grip? Dual wheels? Wheel weights?
How was this done in the "old days"?

There was another tractor with cultivator as well: a 240 HP Fendt 824.
Of course this is the better tractor for the job...except for one thing: the engine.
From the 6 cylinder of my tractor, I get chicken skin.
The 6 cylinder engine of the Fendt sounded like a vacuum cleaner. A really powerfull one though.

[Brian]

We call them "duck feet" so yours must be bigger! Is'nt it great to get them working?

Regarding the wheel slip, were you using Draft Control? Did the front wheels come off the ground?

If you were not using Draft then you can expect lots of spin, you would not be transferring weight from the cultivator or the draft forces onto the rear wheels.

If the front end was lifting and the wheels spinning then you need weight on the front.

What were your tyre pressures? Should be around 0.8 atu for the working on the land.

If you do not want to use Draft control then, with your power you will need 75% water ballast in the rear tyres and wheel weights. Wider tyres/dual wheels will make matters worse without the weighting to go with them.

( Or perhaps a County Super Six )

[Jan 59]

Hi Pascal,

Put message of your cultivating job in tools and implements , your working photo,s in webalbum with link.

Jan

[henk]

Some wheel weights and swan foots or a bigger cultivator.
Then let the music play.

[Pascal]

Hi Brian,

I was indeed thinking aboout an 1124...

Euh, Draft Control....completely forgot about it...
It's still on Position Control....

Duck feet? Maybe you have bigger ducks in the UK, since they were pretty big.
The front wheels didn't come off the ground.

I would love to have some wheel weights, but they are either not for sale in The Netherlands, either really expensive:
for 4 weights 600 euro..
May be I should come to the UK and pick up a complet set of wheel weights
Idon't know if my Volkswagen Golf is able to carry them They're about 300 kg, right?

Tahnk you for you advices, Brian! Really appreciate it!

[Brian]

Don't forget the England/Holland/Europe delivery service, "ftpdeliveries Limited"

[Dandy Dave]

When I was a young fellow every one would tell me to, "Get a grip." To this day, I have never quite got it. Seems my wheels are always spinning and I'm going nowhere fast. .... Dandy Dave!

[Pascal]

Thank you Brian!
I will definately keepn that in mind. I check the eBay sometimes, but they are usually for sale far away from your place.

[super6]

Hi Pascal, good to see her at work at last, my 6 cylinder makes me smile every time i use it.

When i cultivate ploughed ground i use 4th or 5th gear not sure if that helps traction but never seem to have to much problem, unless ground is really sticky,and then its normally when cultivator has bunged up with sticky clay.
Brett.

[Pascal]

Hi guys,

Like last year I got the chance to do some cultivating with my tractor last weekend.
TSG will recognize the area, I guess?
After picking up the cultivator at a friend of mine I drove to the field where I could let my tractor work a bit.
It was about a 60 km drive from my house to the field, but the weather was fine, so no problem.

It was a bit wet, so I had some wheel spin, but that was fine. Even the D4 had some trouble with the wet ground, as the tracks run full of clay
a couple of times...
As some of you guys might like some track tractors, I posted a picture of them as well.







I hope you like the pictures.

[henk]

Pascal,

To avoid wheel spin next time, let some air out the tires. The harder they are the sooner they will spin.
Also use a low rpm.

[The Swanndri Guy]

Pascal, I guess your just down the road from one of my favorite buildings Looks pretty wet there this year. Also watching (off the other satilite dish on my roof!) on BVN on some programmes like Boer Zoekt Vrouw that the weather has been quite wet there.

[Kiwi Kev]

Has anyone an idea how I can get more grip? Dual wheels? Wheel weights?

Pascal
I was reading an article awhile ago about the US tractor, the 'Big Bud' and he said "to get traction, you need horsepower, and weight"
I have dual wheels for my Major, and I love them. The look of them, and the feeling while driving with them.

They do have drawbacks though, and that is size. Too big to get through gateways, or drive down the road, or get close to the fence etc. I mainly use mine when working on the hills, for added stability and safety.
You have the power (also a great song) so weight is whats needed. I see that you now have some wheel weights on your tractor.

Before I put brand new tyres and pressed steel rims on my Major, I used to have this style of wheels on.

Bloody heavy centres and almost bauld tyres. I could drive that tractor (no implement on) up an increasing incline hill to the point where the front wheels would come off the ground. Very dangerous I know, but goes to show the connection between weight and traction. I can't get anywhere near as far up the hill with the new tyres and pressed steel centre rims.
Kiwi Kev

[Pascal]

Hi guys,
Sorry fot the late reply..

@Henk,
Good advice, thank you. I thought about it, but I wasn´t sure what the pressure could be without damaging the tyres.
But since even one of the tracked tractors was troubled by the wet ground, I didn´t felt to ashamed with my 2WD.


@TSG,
Yes, you´re favorite building was indeed down the road... Luckily I couldn´t smell the beer.
I was indeed quite wet over here in some periods of the year and this was one of them.


@Kev,
Thank you sharing those pictures and your advice. What size of tyres do you have on your Major? They look quite big...and that´s great!
I would love to have double wheels, but unfortunately I don´t have the space to store them.
I live in a family house and rent a sort of a garage to store my tractor. The garage is already pretty full with the original 4 cylinder engine
and the bucket for in the lift of my tractor.
Do you have any idea how much your wheel weights weigh? Mine are 310 kg in total on the rear wheels and about 40 kg on the front wheels.