Bad drivers

[Dan-IA]

Hey all. I'm a new-ish farmer, been at it for 3 or 4 years now.

Lately I've been hauling the grain to town. 1086 and 500 bushel wagon. Now, I never did quite manage to figure out downshifting and I really hate grinding gears. So when it comes to slowing down I usually just push down the clutch, throw the range lever to neutral and let the clutch out so the idiot light goes off. Then I coast up to the stop sign, and try not to use the brakes any more than I have to. I've got good brakes, would like to keep 'em that way.

Am I gonna cause any obvious damage by coasting instead of downshifting?
Far as I know, the most important thing is to not ride that clutch!

 

[jokers]

You should learn to rev the engine before the downshift and you may also need to double clutch.

The way that you are coasting in neutral is illegal in New York where I live as well as many other states, you are not considered to have control of the vehicle when it is not in gear but moving, if you did this during a road test it is an immediate failure from what I`ve been told by a few guys who did it, lol.

 

[rustyj]

Well, you are in for a real surprise some day--when the brakes fail as you are approaching a stop sign, or traffic signal, with that load in yer wagon! You'll think there is something pushing you faster and faster, especially when there is traffic on the cross street!
Better practice down-shifting on a day when you aren't driving a loaded wagon!
Its really not all that tough to do---A bit of practice will help immensely!
Here's what to do--on level ground, at slow speed, try taking the machine out of gear--, using the clutch. Then leave out the clutch, apply a bit of gas with the gas pedal or throttle, then push in the clutch, and down shift to the next lower gear. Then let out the clutch, and it will slow down. This has to be done fairly quickly, so practice it until you can do it any time!
I learned it when i was 17 years old, so you should be able to do it! Might save you from being plastered on the front of an 18-wheeler!

 

[Anonymous-0]

Reminds me of a story our old shop teacher told us from his WWII days. Some joker with a deuce and a half loaded with men thought he would be funny and slipped his truck out of gear to pass everyone on the way down a hill. He went faster than his brakes could hold and too fast to put the truck back into gear. A lot of good men died at the bottom of the hill for no reason at all.

 

[Lee in Iowa]

I've hauled a lot with a 1486. If its flat or not too steep coming to a stop I just leave it on 4th and idle down quite a ways before the stop. If its very steep I shift down to 3rd or 2nd at top of the hill before the stop. Even shifting slowed down at the top of the hill it helps to double clutch as the other guys said. I didn't learn to double clutch until I drove a semi and it helped when someone explained to me how reving up the motor in neutral with the clutch out got both sets of gears going the same speed so they could mesh more easily. Lee

 

[Anonymous-0]

Why dont you just shut the throttle down and gently coast to the stop sign. I have to go thru a stop lite then a 4-way stop sign. The wagons have brakes but i still shut throttle down so i dont have to rely on just brakes as they can fail no need to down shift.

 

[JT]

On a 1086, you can drop the engine rpm and put the TA in the low side to slow down, I would not push in the clutch and let er coast, you are asking for troubles. If you bring throttle down to an idle, pull TA back, then you can use the breaks to stop the tractor. A lot safer and the only way I ever stopped the 1086 my dad used to have. I never pushed the clutch in until I was ready to stop the tractor. Let the engine do the stopping. especially with over 28,000 pounds pushing you