Increasing lift capacity of JD6400 hydraulics

[chester]

Perhaps I’m asking too much, but we have a 1993 JD 6400 that’s done 11,000 hrs and would like to increase its lifting capacity so it will lift a 5 furrow Lemken Vari Opal plough. It just lifts it enough to turn it over at the moment but struggles when the oil gets hot. I have put the lift rods in the rear hole on the arms which may have helped a little.Will try putting the top link in a higher hole on the tractor. My next option is to reduce it down to a four furrow which obviously I would rather not do as it seems to happily pull the five furrows even when opened up to 50cm. Perhaps I’m just expecting too much of this tractor?
I do have a Fendt 516 which will handle it comfortably but this goes on the combination drill which the 6400 definitely won’t lift.

 

[C.J]

Get some 90mm lift rams from Nick Young

 

[Bury the Trash]

as above fit bigger bore /dia. rams ,
at those hours new pump / relief valves might help i suppose harder to do and far more cost though.

how heavy is the plouygh? is the jewel a lighter model than that one ?

 

[nick...]

You could put another hole in the arm a bit further to the rear than current one to get more lift.my old 4050 when new had blocks welded to arms to get more lift capacity
Nick...

 

[chester]

I see a couple people have reacted with a “wow”, thirty years ago it was the norm to only use 20hp per furrow. Why is it thirty years on we seem to have to use double this figure per furrow? ie isn’t it the norm today to use a 200hp tractor on a five furrow plough. It is may be why we suffer such erosion issues with our soils now, because of this abundance in power we can plough and over work the soil unnecessarily deeply.

 

[Badshot]

Perhaps I’m asking too much, but we have a 1993 JD 6400 that’s done 11,000 hrs and would like to increase its lifting capacity so it will lift a 5 furrow Lemken Vari Opal plough. It just lifts it enough to turn it over at the moment but struggles when the oil gets hot. I have put the lift rods in the rear hole on the arms which may have helped a little.Will try putting the top link in a higher hole on the tractor. My next option is to reduce it down to a four furrow which obviously I would rather not do as it seems to happily pull the five furrows even when opened up to 50cm. Perhaps I’m just expecting too much of this tractor?
I do have a Fendt 516 which will handle it comfortably but this goes on the combination drill which the 6400 definitely won’t lift.

You'll be surprised at how much difference moving the top link to a higher hole will make.
Definitely do that first.

 

[zero]

I see a couple people have reacted with a “wow”, thirty years ago it was the norm to only use 20hp per furrow. Why is it thirty years on we seem to have to use double this figure per furrow? ie isn’t it the norm today to use a 200hp tractor on a five furrow plough. It is may be why we suffer such erosion issues with our soils now, because of this abundance in power we can plough and over work the soil unnecessarily deeply.

One of my neighbours has a NewHolland 7840 and a 5 furrow Dowdswell. Soon seems to get his fields blacked over. I think folks have more hp on a furrow now cos new, modern ploughs are heavier so they need a heavier tractor.

 

[Lakesdigger]

One of my neighbours has a NewHolland 7840 and a 5 furrow Dowdswell. Soon seems to get his fields blacked over. I think folks have more hp on a furrow now cos new, modern ploughs are heavier so they need a heavier tractor.

Probably had to make them heavier because folk started putting more power in front of them so they needed to be stronger, vicious circle. Works ok for most but leaves some behind unfortunately like those who can't find a light enough plough for their tractor anymore.

 

[bravheart]

Lighter weight plough. What number do you have now?
Lemken had a range of variopal Ploughs for different tractor weights. Guessing a 110 would be the match for that tractor. Measure the width of the main beam.

On tractor data there's over two tonne difference between your two tractors however the JD has a much better lift rating than the Ford mentioned by @zero and it appears to handle 5 furrows perhaps the pump is needing checked out.

 

[C.J]

Get some 90mm lift rams from Nick Young

Yours might only have 75mm cylinders , later ones had 80mm.

 

[Flat 10]

I see a couple people have reacted with a “wow”, thirty years ago it was the norm to only use 20hp per furrow. Why is it thirty years on we seem to have to use double this figure per furrow? ie isn’t it the norm today to use a 200hp tractor on a five furrow plough. It is may be why we suffer such erosion issues with our soils now, because of this abundance in power we can plough and over work the soil unnecessarily deeply.

I ran a 5 furrow 35cm furrow on a 6810 Deere and can’t imagine it on a smallish tractor tbh. I can’t picture your plough but I thought the opals were all a lot heavier than the lemkens that preceded them. the 6400

 

[Bury the Trash]

ive ploughed with a 64 on a 5 furrow plough before. was ok but that was a well worked one and yes it did makes the lift buzz and top its self up a bit at times. not that im keen on john deeres and anyway much prefer a 6 cylinder tractor for ploughing.

only thing with altering the toplink angle to what has been advised, is ,that it will give less clearance to the tail of the plough when turning over.

not just heavier plough but a longer ones leverage makes a lot of difference as well dont forget.

the developement (understably so( for more clearance for less chance of trash buld up can add extra weight (longer legs) and of course lenght .( more body to body clearance)

and coincidentally ive ploughed with a 6810 and a six furrow .

 

[David1968]

I have put the lift rods in the rear hole on the arms which may have helped a little.

Putting the lift rods further back will increase the height, but reduce the lift capacity surely.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Putting the lift rods further back will increase the height, but reduce the lift capacity surely.

attaching the lift rods to the arms closer to the plough /away from the tractor rearwards will help lift capacity. it effects the leverage in a good way for the problem.

 

[David1968]

attaching the lift rods to the arms closer to the plough /away from the tractor rearwards will help lift capacity. it effects the leverage in a good way for the problem.

Yes, I know.
Maybe I read it wrong. I thought he meant rear hole as in rear of the arms/nearer the tractor.

 

[Bill Turtle]

I have two 6400’s. A 94 and a 96. Both have front linkages and have been used with a 5 furrow Kverneland LB85/240 and a 3 metre Amazon’s RPAD combination drill. I have bigger tractors available now, but kept these two because they have been cheap and reliable tractors. The power output of mine was way over the stated figure, New Holland dynoed them and a MF2640 when they were quite new. The 6400,s were 101 and 102kilowatts at the PTO, the 2640 in the high 60’s. No wonder they pull so well. I remember a 6920 being a bit of a disappointment when I bought one!

 

[chester]

I have two 6400’s. A 94 and a 96. Both have front linkages and have been used with a 5 furrow Kverneland LB85/240 and a 3 metre Amazon’s RPAD combination drill. I have bigger tractors available now, but kept these two because they have been cheap and reliable tractors. The power output of mine was way over the stated figure, New Holland dynoed them and a MF2640 when they were quite new. The 6400,s were 101 and 102kilowatts at the PTO, the 2640 in the high 60’s. No wonder they pull so well. I remember a 6920 being a bit of a disappointment when I bought one!

So that’s 135hp and I think mine is meant to be 100hp makes me think I should get it dynoed and turn it up to that figure if it’s not already. May be risky on a 11000 hour engine? But has got me thinking.

 

[chester]

I have two 6400’s. A 94 and a 96. Both have front linkages and have been used with a 5 furrow Kverneland LB85/240 and a 3 metre Amazon’s RPAD combination drill. I have bigger tractors available now, but kept these two because they have been cheap and reliable tractors. The power output of mine was way over the stated figure, New Holland dynoed them and a MF2640 when they were quite new. The 6400,s were 101 and 102kilowatts at the PTO, the 2640 in the high 60’s. No wonder they pull so well. I remember a 6920 being a bit of a disappointment when I bought one!

 

[chester]

How come NH dynoed them?

 

[bravheart]

Might not make any difference but you can turn the brackets round on the lower link cross shaft of an opal plough. Might help with the lifting and clearing the ground for turning.
If the wheel is at the back then moving it forward to the 4th furrow would help.