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Fordson Tractors Discussion Forum

Whats a Swinging Drawbar For?

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Daniel Small

04-09-2005 16:24:15




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Could anyone tell me what the purpose of the swinging drawbar is and how to operate it. Surely offsetting the drawbar will cause the tractor rear to be pulled sideways under load, and letting it swing freely doesnt make much sense to me. I have operated a 155 hp Track Marshall with swinging drawbar with a very substantial three point linkage lower arms attached, but considering the crawlers mode of steering, this articulation is a very sensible system although the method of operation was necesarily nothing like a tractors. Yet new tractors often have the swinging drawbar as an option in the manual but no instruction on how to use it.

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NEsota

04-12-2005 09:12:10




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 Re: Whats a Swinging Drawbar For? in reply to Daniel Small, 04-09-2005 16:24:15  
If you have the wheels spread to cultivate corn and want to clean out the chicken-house you can get the spreader closer to the door, by swinging the hitch over, so you do not have to carry the manure so far.



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Roger in Iowa

04-11-2005 14:34:49




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 Re: Whats a Swinging Drawbar For? in reply to Daniel Small, 04-09-2005 16:24:15  
We always used a swinging drawbar on a trailer type plow (five bottom) and disc plow and tandem or offset disc.
It makes turning much easier. Saves brakes and tends to keep the tractor in the furrow with either the trailer plow or disc plow (oneway disc plow). Don't use them to offset heavy drawbar loads as it messes up the direction of the tractor.
I use it on my 3020 and Dad's 4020 yet today for turning easier.

Regards,
Roger in Iowa

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Will R

04-10-2005 18:31:57




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 Re: Whats a Swinging Drawbar For? in reply to Daniel Small, 04-09-2005 16:24:15  
The swinging drawbar is a flexibility option. It is used if you have towed implements that you want to use further to one side or the other, especially if they are narrow. I have never heard of one used swinging freely. If your implement is narrow, it will enable you to use the implement closer to a fenceline or under a treeline without having to continually duck branches. The further to one side you move the drawbar, the more weight you will need in the front to keep you straight.

On older tractors, like Fordsons of any type, it is not intended for heavy pulling operations. You can pull much heavier loads with newer tractors with front wheel assist where you can use the front drive to keep your track straight.

This has been my experience with them, I don't claim to know everything about the subject. Most of the time the drawbar is straight in line with the tractor, but once in a while the drawbar to the side has come in very handy.

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Majorman

04-11-2005 01:04:09




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 Re: Whats a Swinging Drawbar For? in reply to Will R, 04-10-2005 18:31:57  
When ploughing on top with a trailed plough you need to set the drawbar to one side. There is no problem with pulling to one side. Its part of the skill of operating these old tractors.

When using heavy duck foot harrows we always used to let the bar swing free.

Trailed mowers, binders, balers etc all need an offset draw bar at times. Some of the older machines did not have the adjustments found on the modern equipment.

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Will R

04-11-2005 07:45:14




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 Re: Whats a Swinging Drawbar For? in reply to Majorman, 04-11-2005 01:04:09  
Sorry, I wasn't even thinking about about the different types of soil in different parts of the world. A problem most farmers have is that they think the world ends at the county line.

In England,I'm sure you could use a Major to offset plow. I've seen English advertisements where a Ford 7610 is pushing 3 plows and pulling 5. In the western US that would make a very effective parking brake, if the tractor could even put the plows into the ground. When I was a kid, we used a Power Major to plow, but we used a 3 point Case 3 disk plow, that was all the Major wanted and it didn't make a very wide cut. We now use a 130 hp tractor to pull a 4 bottom plow, and it works doing it.

I still don't understand why you would let the drawbar swing free. On tight turns, wouldn't a free drawbar let the towed implement come much closer to the rear wheels?

Thanks for making me think outside of our farm, always like to learn something new.

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Leroy

04-11-2005 17:48:33




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 Re: Whats a Swinging Drawbar For? in reply to Will R, 04-11-2005 07:45:14  
You used the swinging drawbar with any pull type implement, Disc, Cultimulcher, spring tooth harrow, I an talking about pull or drag implements without carry wheels, your hitch would be long enough so that it easily cleared the tires and with that type equipment it would be the only way you could turn even using the turning brakes without the front wheels sliding sideways as you try to turn. They were also used with pull type combines or cornpickers in the swang positition to narrow unit down for road travel then put back in center position fixed to operate the machinery and it also gave the correct length for the pto

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Jim Williamson

04-11-2005 19:43:00




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 Re: Whats a Swinging Drawbar For? in reply to Leroy, 04-11-2005 17:48:33  
Dan, The primary purpose of a swinging drawbar is to transfer the origin of the point of draw to between the wheels. That is the most efficient position. You will notice if towing a disc when making a turn the front wheels will want to slide around in the soil to keep the tractor in line with the disc. Hence the swinging drawbar.
Jim W



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