Pulling

[Dr. Mongo]

Question for the day. Has tractor pulling gotten away from being a fun hobby. Do tires sizes become a battle in clubs or is it run what you got and hope you have enough the motto.

 

[its green 77]

tractor pulling is fun. rules keep it fun. but pull in classes u belong.

 

[VicS]

I think I am having fun, except when it is 100 deg and you are weighting up, then you wonder. I have 3 sets of tires but I think this year I am just going to pull where I can run the 18.4's .I just need a lot more HP! LOL Vic

 

[johndeereman]

around here size isnt a problem all clubs have same rules as far as that goes the question here is cut or uncut most allow cut but a few dont in the STOCK classes i think they should allow if you dont want to cut your tires then thats your problem the same as i dont want to stroke my tractor so thats my problem

 

[bobidan]

couldnt have said it better myself!

 

[J88puller]

Pulling is fun. It would just be nice if every place had the same rules!! Would make things alot easier!

 

[MSJ from MN]

I am having fun pulling. I realize I don"t usually have a very good chance of winning with my completely stock Oliver but it"s fun anyway.

It would be fun to go to a pull with stock tractors but oh well.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Tractor pulling is a ball fun when competition is honest. I dont want cut my tires because we use our stock tractors around the farm . In stock classes i wish tractors couldnt enter in a class below thier working weight from factory. I love watch the mods pull in their appropiate class. When you see an old tractor without a creeper pullin 18.4-38s and spins he probaly not stock. I grew up on a super M and it want pull 18.4s

 

[Mike Bock]

i used to go to pulls with a stock super88 diesel and win all the time ,super farmstock 3 mph.

 

[Eric W]

Maybe you should try golf.

 

[bobs old iron]

I AM IN A FEW CLUBS. 1ST CLUB HAS RULES FOR WEIGHT OR DISTANCE, ETC, TOO MANY TRACTORS, TAKES HOURS TO PULL. 2ND CLUB CHARGES FOR EACH HOOK, COST A FORTUNE TO PULL, [ON TOP OF FUEL TO GET THERE]. 3RD CLUB, SAFTEY FIRST, THEN HAVE FUN WITH YOUR TRACTOR, IF YOU PULL 5 FT OR 25 FT, NO JUDGING, TROPHEYS, HOOK COST, JUST DONATE TO CLUB FOR SLED REPAIRS. PLUS POT LUCK AT END OF DAY AND TELLING THE BEST LIES. LOL

 

[Dr. Mongo]

Thanks for all who replied. I do play golf and very well may I add. Maybe I didn"t make the question clear enough. It seems everywhere you go there are different rules to try to follow. For example if you have something like a 16.9 and a club pulls a 15.5 max class you are then placed in a hot rod class. Even if you belong in class that class power wise. And the second part of the question is if you look around the in last 10 years the numbers at a pull have fallen off. The older guys who are not able to throw the weights are putting them in the shed. And it seem like the guy that has the fresh hobby farmer tractor that can"t even sniff the full pull mark gets frustrated and gives up and puts it back on the hay rake. This topic seems to go two different ways in my eyes. One it is a money issue or two is that people lose interest.

 

[stroker 88]

it's the new generation attitude. you have to feel good about yourself, everyone has to be a winner, and if someone is that much better he will give you some of his distance. also known as the external_link approach. no rewards for doing your time.

 

[Superih]

(quoted from post at 15:40:46 02/15/11) Question for the day. Has tractor pulling gotten away from being a fun hobby. Do tires sizes become a battle in clubs or is it run what you got and hope you have enough the motto.

Tractor pulling is the most fun you can have with your pants on.

Good people, cold beer, and horsepower.

 

[johninmn]

Couldnt have said it better myself stroker88. Maybe if we start giving everyone a trophy at the end of the day and get a share the cubic inches program going we will get some numbers back up haha.

 

[Anonymous-0]

There are some valid points all through this post. and I don't think there is any one answer. However, a lot of your younger guys are leaning more towards Diesels, if it is a farm stock type tractor ex. 1066-4020-whatever, or we are seeing a lot of interest in diesel pickups. and really, These types of vehicles are what these kids can relate too. They travel at a pretty good pace down the track, They are big, They are somewhat similar to what they see when they go to a big event, and to a lot of younger farm kids anymore, these are the tractors that are now setting on the auger or mower, and thats what is available to them. The popularity of diesel pickups is more than clear by the amount of them you see on the street, and the number of diesel power magazine publications you can pick up at any stand. Its just a different group, and a different interest. As for the older fellas getting out, We have seen that around here in central illinois also. There are a lot of tractors setting in the sheds. Its to bad some of those guys don't have kids or grandkids to take up an interst in it, and put em back on the track.

 

[WTW]

Doc,
The two points about money and interest are true. That being said interest is lost do to younger generations not able to relate to older tractors, not allowing newer tractors to compete with older tractors, competion becomes too intimidating, and unaffordable. I too am slowly seeing clubs die a slow death, mostly antique clubs. With that said, the single one thing that clubs can do to save themselves is get over the tractor age issue and diversify themselves by creating new types of classes that allow newer tractors. Segregate them with speed limits not age. There is a place for the newer tractors and they are not any more competitive if the limits are controlled by common weight, tire size, hitch, and speed rules. To help control this method only allow tractors to pull in one speed limit/division. My son takes an older tractor to allot of pulls where there is no age limit, usually just speed but not that either at times and does fairly well. We can get beat, I can except that but, we also have beaten allot of newer tractors and many times larger models. The key to success other than knowing how to pull, is keep your in a class where it can be competitive. Don’t worry how old or big the competion is. The biggest stick in the mud on this issue is usually the older die hard antique pullers that are afraid of competition and don't want it. It won’t be long before antique clubs will wake up to this and except it or we all will be staying home! MHO DW

 

[41106]

He never said before or during the pull.....maybe afterward??? Don't jump to conclusions. Just my 2 cents.

 

[mshultz]

Well said. For about 10 years our antique club added a year to our age limit every year so that the tractors had to be at least 35 years old (if I rememeber right). Then last year we decided to remove the age limit altogether and just allow the tractor pull to be a "fundraiser" for the antique club. In our area, that really only gained us another 5 or 6 tractors on a regular basis, and we didn't loose anyone. Our weight limits also go up to 14,000 pounds so we have room for the 806, 4020, etc. to pull.

Our classes are changing a bit this year to reflect some changes that have been happening in some other local clubs - which I think is a good thing. All of the clubs will have their own little rule quirks, but overall will be similar making it easy to go from pull to pull and not have totally different competition or a need to change tires every weekend. If you keep it all based on MPH, hitch height, tire size, and tire cut you've leveled the playing field regardless of age - you just need to select the right class for your machine. They're the easiest things to police without getting under the hoods.

 

[Mopower]

Our rules read:

12. No alcoholic beverages are to be consumed by participants before or during the event.

 

[Mopower]

The fun all depends on which club's events you attend. The frustration comes when an organization tries to cram all tractors into a couple catergories. Our club has four divisions:

Barnyard - No cuts, stock size, 2.5mph
Mod - Top cuts, 15.5max, 3mph
Mod+ - Full cuts, 18.4max, 4mph
Supermod - ", ", 5mph

We have other rules to separate tractors, but this gives everyone a good class to compete in as well as another class to give your best shot. There's more hooks, but they are only $10/hook. Unlike other clubs, our has gained hooks every year as we made these changes. We used to use two classes similar to mod+ but hooks were dwindling. By inviting more stock and hot tractors to the mix and keeping them in their own classes, hooks numbers have grown, people come from across the state (sometimes outside MI), and we made some great friends. Nothing is perfect, but it works well overall.

 

[Allis Fields]

Pulls are fun when the rules are fair. I has seen pulls where the promoter and his brother where cheating. 500 to 1000 rpm over the stock limit. When they go to a place where the rulls are enforced they don"t do so good.

 

[DAVE Thompson jr]

What chain length are you using. When the rules were changed for the NCIATPA club that I used to pull with they went with a longer chain so the weak tractors with low hp engines could compete. But that club doesnt like competition anyways.

 

[whig]

The club I belong to it is a little tough because we pull the 2 cyls. against the 6 cyl. diesel with the T.A.It would be nice if they had a 2 cyl class or with the TA if you start in low stay in low or start in high stay in high. The old Johnnypopper with 27 horses gets a little tired at the end of the track.Anyone got any other ideas?

 

[MMZAck]

Clubs in our area are all pushing for common rules based on USAP rules. I went to a few pulls last summer with these rules and it was the best I've seen so far.

3mph - 15.5 max tire width, top cut allowed
6mph - 18.4 max tire width, full cut allowed
8mph & 12mph classes also (although much fewer hooks there)

This year they are going to adopt a new 4mph class that allows 18.4 max and full cuts. Should be exciting and move a few tractors up who aren't quite 6mph contenders.

Even with 3mph and 6mph classes, the competition separated pretty well and things were kept fun. Addressing tire size & cut and enforcing speed limits keeps things pretty fair.

Also, I'm not so concerned if I win a plastic trophy or not since I've been at it so long. My goals at every pull include learning something new, tuning my setup, pulling the best I can, perfecting my crowd wave during each hook (I learned from a rodeo queen), appreciating the work others put into their tractors, and visiting with friends. If I should cross paths with a beer after the pull, that's definitely a bonus.

Zack

 

[its green 77]

all of us talk about pulling , rules & clubs but the fact is farming is dying old tractor are junk . kids want to hold on to dads old days pulling. Thats gone. I pull 1950 oliver 77 because i like it. All of the makes can win.I started pulling because of my daughter was interested.

 

[BushogPapa]

Yea, a friend and I took his good JD "R" to pulls a couple years ago..had a Great time..
Until Morrow County, Ohio..

Waited our weight class to pull (12:30AM) only to find they had thrown us into the 8,500 Smoker class with T/A's..
The old gal did herself Proud..and was only about 35 feet off the winning pull, but that was NOT right..
He gave up on the "sport" and sold his JD's..sad..he was Proud of his "R"..
Used to be, you went there and had a Ball, watching kids pull straight-from-the-farm stock tractors and it took all day and they had a Great time, too..!!
Not so much so anymore..

Ron.

 

[BushogPapa]

Who ever made you believe that..??

I don't have any problem with a cold Beer handed to me in the middle of the afternoon on a HOT day, as I am working ground...
In Fact, I darned-well Expect it..!!!

Ron..

 

[VicS]

Usap rules are 4 mph mod and full cut 18.4 then the faster classes.

 

[VicS]

Good points, I agree. I like USAP rules, but to get and keep the youngsters They should allow up to 1980 models. They don't allow shifting of TA or trans anyway. You can't stop change, but you can ignore it at least for a little while.