Basic tractor questions

[Sebastian77]

I didn't know that. I assumed if it had wheels of its own and you towed it along it would be a "trailer". Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to treat them differently. If it weighs three tons and it's attached to the back of you, it's going to take the same amount of stopping whether it's a baler or an empty grain trailer.

Bit of a difference between a 3t implement and 15t loaded trailer though...

That said, can you even buy a round/square baler without brakes axles now? Or better yet would you want one without, stopping 4t round baler thousands of times a year can't be that good on tractor brakes to be fair. Although our Kuhn wrapper must be getting up to 4t also and isn't braked, which is a shame actually.

 

[milkloss]

Leaving the key on does give you a flat battery but it's worse than that because it's a long light draw and too much of it will knacker the battery by deeply discharging it.

 

[ricky_rascal]

As a separate and even more basic question (I’m a true dog & stick farmer..) what harm does leaving the ignition light lit do, once you’ve pulled the stop button, if any?

Thanks

I didn’t know my dad had access here

I have a Ford 4600 and father sometimes forgets to turn the key off. That said I have done it myself. Even with a good battery it soon depletes it.

On the subject of brakes I don’t think my 4600 has even got brake coupling. It does have lights for the road though I didn’t say ’working’! It never goes on the highway anyway or haul a trailer of any size. As has been mentioned you soon realise that just the back wheels on a 4000 sized tractor braking when being shoved from behind by something large without brakes is less than ideal.

 

[startinghandle]

I have 1960 dexta with lights long gone and even older trailer which I have used on the road for many years
With no problem, as it's not possible to fit brake coupling to tractor I am ok for road or am I
One more thing the local police don't seem to know the law regarding this matter

 

[Kidds]

Pretty sure that if it had lights fitted when new then it must still have them and they must work. I don't think it matters if models were available that had no lights.

Besides that, it is bloody stupid to go on the road without them these days.

 

[essexpete]

I bought a new pickup hitch for it, from an engineering company in Ireland, which in very pleased with. You’re right about Herts being quite a busy county!!

I ask because I was thinking that you could use the tipping pipe connection to apply a hydraulic brake. Thinking again does the 4000 have a pull out knob for selecting external service? If so does that leave the 3 point isolated? If you have a spool valve fitted that could of course be used. Our first hydraulic brake trailers we used on spool valve coupling.

 

[startinghandle]

Pretty sure that if it had lights fitted when new then it must still have them and they must work. I don't think it matters if models were available that had no lights.

Besides that, it is bloody stupid to go on the road without them these days.

I go on road daytime only , I had thought of putting 2 flashing amber lights on but for all I know that could be illegal

 

[ricky_rascal]

I have 1960 dexta with lights long gone and even older trailer which I have used on the road for many years
With no problem, as it's not possible to fit brake coupling to tractor I am ok for road or am I
One more thing the local police don't seem to know the law regarding this matter

Years ago I got pulled by the police whilst I was driving an MF135 with little 3ton trailer loaded with potatoes. There was no brake coupling even if the trailer had hydraulic brakes. The policeman said it was possible to turn round, reach brake handle and pull it in an emergency. The brake lever was mounted up on a bracket just in reach out of back of cab. The chances of doing that in an emergency were low but you could pull on that particular trailer brake lever till hell froze over as it was seized up! I was sent in my way. Others leading potatoes from pickers that day were also stopped and no one seemed to get booked which going on some outfits was nothing short of amazing.

Now older and far more sensible (mostly) and regardless of law you have to think what if something goes wrong? Having at least working lights with indicators is a sensible precaution. I know the Dexta can’t be retro fitted with hydraulic trailer brakes. In which case bearing in mind size of tractor the maximum of 500kg unbraked should be considered to keep right side of law and keep you out of trouble - possibly? You have to cover yourself these days as accidents can be very expensive if 3rd party’s are involved. I have no idea what the law is though and after an accident is a bad time to find out.

Edit; Unbraked trailer weight is 750kg and not 500kg as I wrote.

 

[Cowabunga]

I had brakes working from the spool valve on the 590 for several years. Worked OK but was all or nothing. I wouldn’t have liked to pull the slurry tanker without it.
My first tractor with proper trailer brake fittings was the Tiger6. This was in 1982 and had a bit of bother getting the female trailer ends for it, the same ones common today. It was so new then that Riverlea had never had any in stock apparently.

 

[Classichay]

So technically a 5t muck trailer is illegal behind a 4wd tractor?

 

[Cowabunga]

So technically a 5t muck trailer is illegal behind a 4wd tractor?

By what logic would you come to that conclusion?

 

[Classichay]

By what logic would you come to that conclusion?

If anything over 750kg requires additional braking force? I didn’t think that was the case, sorry thought I’d said unbraked tipper.

 

[Cowabunga]

On a public road it requires or did require when new that brakes could be applied on the trailer by the driver. That is why trailers even from the 1960’s were fitted with useless rod operated brakes with handles that could theoretically be reached by the tractor driver, or a quadrant on the drawbar which was meant to have a rope attached and tied by the dtiver so he cpi;d pull it. None of these things worked worth a damn from new but they must have ticked some boxes on someone’s form.

 

[ricky_rascal]

So technically a 5t muck trailer is illegal behind a 4wd tractor?

Technically probably yes - they’re very technical them VOSA boys (and girls) when they pull you over!

 

[Cab-over Pete]

We have an old MF 3 tonne trailer which we use for nipping about, fetching half a tonne of sheep food, a tonne of beet to the field etc.

It’s in good shape with good tyres and magnetic lights fitted.

We use it behind the JD 2850. Even if the hand operated brakes were effective you can’t reach the handle from the seat anyway.

So is that legal? Probably not by the sound of things.

 

[Cowabunga]

On these old trailers the only way to find out for sure if you are legal is to get issued a ticket and to test it in Court I fear.
If you, the driver or owner has significant doubts, act on those doubts and do something about it. Most people just drive them in ignorant bliss it seems to me, just as they have done for many decades.