Brakes

Swampcollie

New member

Equipment
Mx5800, la1065 loader, rcf2772 mower, blade, disc
Aug 19, 2016
93
0
0
Sedalia, mot
took delivery of my MX5800 this week. Loving it, but have a question. On my old jd when you mashed one of the turning brakes you could lock up that wheel and spin it around. This one slows it and allows a tighter turn, but doesnt lock that wheel. Normal?775
 

Ike

New member

Equipment
Kubota L 3301, Farmall Cub. JD B. Ferguson TE 20
Jul 18, 2015
324
1
0
Mich
I have a L 3301 and it did the same thing but it also made a chattering noise. The dealer told me use it for a while and now I can lock one wheel almost up tight and no more noise. I think there is a finish on the brake pads that needs to wear off
 

Doctor481

Member

Equipment
MX5200, loader, 6' bush hog, 6' land plane, lots of old farm tools
Aug 21, 2016
35
2
6
Louisiana
I will check this on my 5 week old MX5200 this weekend and repost.
I haven't unlatched the pedals yet, most of my mowing is fairly open.
 

Doctor481

Member

Equipment
MX5200, loader, 6' bush hog, 6' land plane, lots of old farm tools
Aug 21, 2016
35
2
6
Louisiana
Unlatched the brake pedals yesterday for the first time. Each will slow a side and quicken a turn but not to the point of locking the tire and skidding. No noises to speak of.
I have many years of operating 2 old Farmalls, both of them will lock the selected tire.
Not sure if this is something that will wear in and improve. There is a lot more front tire to ground contact on these tractors than the older 2 tractors making it harder to slide the front around. I'm going to play with this some more and see what happens.
My tractor is a gear drive not HST.
 
Last edited:

Tooljunkie

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1501,home built carry all, mini plow blade.
May 13, 2014
4,150
27
48
59
Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba,Canada
Perhaps some use will wear in the brakes and they may improve. Also some weight on rear will transfer some weight off front.

I personally dont care for the abrupt action from braking on one side.
 

torch

Well-known member

Equipment
B7100HSD, B2789, B2550, B4672, 48" cultivator, homemade FEL and Cab
Jun 10, 2016
2,596
839
113
Muskoka, Ont.
This may not apply, as I have a 20 year old B7100, but I played with the unlatched brake pedals when I got it. I found that yes, I could lock up one side or the other and yes, when I did it *almost* (+ 1 tire width) pivoted on that wheel, however, in doing so it tore out the grass under that wheel. So: useful in a field perhaps, but not so great when mowing the lawn.

Also, my owner's manual advises not to try it in 4wd.
 

Swampcollie

New member

Equipment
Mx5800, la1065 loader, rcf2772 mower, blade, disc
Aug 19, 2016
93
0
0
Sedalia, mot
Oh yeah, it will tear a divot in the ground for sure. I dont use it in the yard. You want to be going slow when you do this. Used it a lot on big tractors when discing and would raise the disc and make a 180 degree turn to go back on a line adjacent to the line i just disked.
 

TripleR

Active member

Equipment
BX2200, BX2660, L5740 HSTC, M8540HDC and some other tractors and equipment
Sep 16, 2011
1,911
8
38
SE Missouri
I too grew up using turning brakes farming, but find no use to them on any cut with R4 tires I've owned beyond traction control when moving snow. Both my GLs would lock the rear wheels. We use them frequently on some others.
 

Ike

New member

Equipment
Kubota L 3301, Farmall Cub. JD B. Ferguson TE 20
Jul 18, 2015
324
1
0
Mich
I think you are using your tractor like I do in the soft ground. Most on here seem to use them only n the grass surfaces and they don't need the steering brake so much. I had a heated discussion with the service manager at the dealer ship when I asked about mine. He told me the steering brakes were worthless and not needed for turning. When we got done he said that most tractors they sell other than farm tractor never see the soft ground as they are used in the orchards. As I said earlier I can lock up mine now with no noise as I did it yesterday using my 3 point drag. I remembered this post and I wanted to make sure mine would do that. Now if I would only master the 2 stage clutch when using the PTO LOL
 

Swampcollie

New member

Equipment
Mx5800, la1065 loader, rcf2772 mower, blade, disc
Aug 19, 2016
93
0
0
Sedalia, mot
Im going back up to the property tomorrow. Will continue mashing those brakes and see if they wear in.
And yes my land is fairly soft. Mostly riverbottom.
 

scdeerslayer

Member

Equipment
MX5200DT
May 23, 2016
434
1
18
SC
Also, my owner's manual advises not to try it in 4wd.
I thought about this over the weekend also. If you're in 4wd, it's not going to turn very sharp no matter what you do. I'll try to remember to see what I can do with my MX5200 this weekend if I'm not in 4wd.
 

Ike

New member

Equipment
Kubota L 3301, Farmall Cub. JD B. Ferguson TE 20
Jul 18, 2015
324
1
0
Mich
I thought about this over the weekend also. If you're in 4wd, it's not going to turn very sharp no matter what you do. I'll try to remember to see what I can do with my MX5200 this weekend if I'm not in 4wd.
I got to thinking about this after you posted and you are right. I tried it today and if you are in 4 wd and lock up the brake the front tries to pull forward and turn at the same time. This is something I should have know because I saw it happen on my old tractor. When I went in 2 wd I can lock up one wheel and spin around to go back without any or very little forward movement
 

Swampcollie

New member

Equipment
Mx5800, la1065 loader, rcf2772 mower, blade, disc
Aug 19, 2016
93
0
0
Sedalia, mot
Im not sure if i was in 4wd or not when i tried it. Next time up ill pay attention. Thanks guys
 

torch

Well-known member

Equipment
B7100HSD, B2789, B2550, B4672, 48" cultivator, homemade FEL and Cab
Jun 10, 2016
2,596
839
113
Muskoka, Ont.
I thought about this over the weekend also. If you're in 4wd, it's not going to turn very sharp no matter what you do. I'll try to remember to see what I can do with my MX5200 this weekend if I'm not in 4wd.
Just for the heck of it, I drove around in circles this morning on hard-packed sand that retained tire tracks well and allowed tires to slip.

In 2wd with the left brake locked, the left rear wheel circumscribed a 4' diameter circle in the sand.

In 2wd with the brakes released, the left rear wheel circumscribed a 5'-6" diameter circle in the sand.

In 4wd with the brakes released, the left rear wheel circumscribed a 7' diameter circle in the sand.

As a side note, I now believe I know the cause of crop circles -- they result from farmers testing the tractor's cornering abilities! :D
 

scdeerslayer

Member

Equipment
MX5200DT
May 23, 2016
434
1
18
SC
I locked my left tire last weekend and got about the same result. The older tractors I've used can turn much tighter with a wheel locked. I wonder if that's mainly because having 4wd, even when not engaged, limits the turning radius, or because these new tractors are lighter for their size and power and don't have the traction I'm used to.