Education - Draft Control vs Position Control

[Luke0927]

Hello folks, appreciate some education. We've had a Ford 3600 in the family my whole life, also been on many older N, farmalls and Masseys.

To be honest I've never really thought about it, run some basic implements for home farming, food plots etc...

But what is really the proper way or when to use the draft control (Inner lever) on my Ford 3600 diesel. I know setting that lever gives me more "dialed" control on my position lever but interested in what/when really determines where you set your draft control.

I got the tractor from my grandpa, appreciate it.

 

[sotxbill]

Position control should be self explanatory. Draft control.... is mainly used for plowing... put the lever in draft control and then when in the field, move the lever just a bit down and the plow will fall down and drag the ground... Continue to lower the lever, and the plow will be allow to go deeper... keep doing this till the wheels just begin the spin, the move the lever up just a bit.... Now you have found the optimum load or draft that the tractor can pull and not spin.. The tractor used the pressure being fed back to the tractor via the top link.. and lowering the lever means it can take more pressure.. Then when the top link pushes in more, it will simply adjust the plow up a bit, and when it pushed less, it will lower the plow a bit. SO.. when you hit hard soil, the plow comes up, just before it spins,, when you get through it to looser soils, the plow goes down a bit... This ensures that you plowing as deep as you can for the conditions.... Draft can also work with bladeing in some cases but not always.. ( are you cutting or shaping) Draft does not work well in mud or loose sugar sand as the conditions change too fast and the tractor will get stuck before the daft can react.. but for regular plowing its a godsend. The 3600 has a variable, full time draft control, based on the position of the inside lever, where earlier models just had a "on" or "off" lever. So you would adjust both levers for plow dept and draft pressure.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Hello folks, appreciate some education. We've had a Ford 3600 in the family my whole life, also been on many older N, farmalls and Masseys.

To be honest I've never really thought about it, run some basic implements for home farming, food plots etc...

But what is really the proper way or when to use the draft control (Inner lever) on my Ford 3600 diesel. I know setting that lever gives me more "dialed" control on my position lever but interested in what/when really determines where you set your draft control.

I got the tractor from my grandpa, appreciate it.

Position control is used when you want to keep the 3pt at a set (constant) height. Once you raise the lift arms to the desired height a feedback linkage will sense any change in that height and command the lift up or down as needed to correct the height. Good when using something like a grader blade or mower.

Draft control is sort of the opposite and is used to maintain traction when pulling a ground engaging impkement like a plow. You set the desired depth for the plow and draft control monitors the pull generated by the implement. If the plow hits hard ground draft control will raise the plow to reduce pull and maintain traction. When you come out of the hard soil draft control will sense the reduced pull and lower the plow to restore the desired deoth.

Dan

 

[Luke0927]

I appreciate the information guys! Not doing a lot of plowing now adays some new ground we want to convert I might rip with a spring tooth plow. No original stickers on the tractor but I had some ideas on it you guys confirmed for me.

 

[Jimmy Herring]

Hello,
I have a MF 245 and I'm still learning several things.
After doing some reading my understanding is the Position lever controls the height of say a box blade or bush hog while the Draft lever controls the cutting depth or the pull on your tractor. Plow or middle buster.
But what I'm having a hard time understanding is what the two knobs are for and how to set them in relation to the two levers.
I am posting a picture and I'm wondering if I don't have the knobs on the wrong side of the levers.
The levers read Down toward the front of the tractor and up toward the back of the tractor.
Also there is writing which says, Transport on the up side of the Position lever.
I use the bush hog often and I thought I had it set correctly but now wondering and I'm wanting to do some plowing. I also have a middle buster I would like to use.
On the bush hog I have it set about 4 inches off the ground.
When I stop (shut off) the tractor I can leave it but within a few minutes the bush hog settles flat on the ground.
So do I have everything set correctly or is my tractor losing prime to hold it in place? I don't leave it up when not in use.
Edit, I currently have the position lever about halfway and the draft lever all the way up.
Thanks for helping me understand.

 

[Sean in PA]

This is the Ford tractor Forum. You might try re-posting on the MF forum.

 

[Jim.ME]

Hello,
I have a MF 245 and I'm still learning several things.
After doing some reading my understanding is the Position lever controls the height of say a box blade or bush hog while the Draft lever controls the cutting depth or the pull on your tractor. Plow or middle buster.
But what I'm having a hard time understanding is what the two knobs are for and how to set them in relation to the two levers.
I am posting a picture and I'm wondering if I don't have the knobs on the wrong side of the levers.
The levers read Down toward the front of the tractor and up toward the back of the tractor.
Also there is writing which says, Transport on the up side of the Position lever.
I use the bush hog often and I thought I had it set correctly but now wondering and I'm wanting to do some plowing. I also have a middle buster I would like to use.
On the bush hog I have it set about 4 inches off the ground.
When I stop (shut off) the tractor I can leave it but within a few minutes the bush hog settles flat on the ground.
So do I have everything set correctly or is my tractor losing prime to hold it in place? I don't leave it up when not in use.
Edit, I currently have the position lever about halfway and the draft lever all the way up.
Thanks for helping me understand.

As posted by Sean, you should post about your 245 on the Massey Ferguson forum. You have posted there before so this is likely just a slip.

A short answer to part of your question. It is common for 3 point hydraulics to lower to the ground when setting, The time it takes will vary between machines. This is a good reason to follow the safety advice of lowering attachments to the ground when parking a machine.

Even with position control the easiest and best way to hold something like a rotary cutter at a set height is a set of limiter chains. Adjust the chains to hold the implement at the working level you want, then you are not relying on moving the lever to exactly the right spot, or it slips and the height changes while you are using it.

Do you have the actual OEM MF 245 Operator's and service manuals for your tractor?

 

[Jimmy Herring]

This is the Ford tractor Forum. You might try re-posting on the MF forum.

You are correct. I never thought about that.
I will repost

 

[Jimmy Herring]

As posted by Sean, you should post about your 245 on the Massey Ferguson forum. You have posted there before so this is likely just a slip.

A short answer to part of your question. It is common for 3 point hydraulics to lower to the ground when setting, The time it takes will vary between machines. This is a good reason to follow the safety advice of lowering attachments to the ground when parking a machine.

Even with position control the easiest and best way to hold something like a rotary cutter at a set height is a set of limiter chains. Adjust the chains to hold the implement at the working level you want, then you are not relying on moving the lever to exactly the right spot, or it slips and the height changes while you are using it.

Do you have the actual OEM MF 245 Operator's and service manuals for your tractor?

I do have the book that is about 20 pages.
I remember on one post there was a larger manual attached. I will look it up also.
Thanks