Using the TA

Frantz

Member
So just curious. Is there any reason not to use the TA on a majority of start ups? I understand it's freewheel if downhill, but otherwise, it seems less stress to start with TA as a low gear. I just want to make sure such a practice won't cause me issues down the road, or is this sort of how it was designed to be used?
 
I understand that, it's how it's written in the manual. However, I'm wondering if that's any different use than starting up, which also is "tough" in a steep gear. Or is it less wear on the machine to just clutch it?
 
as suggested the torque amplifier was designed so a person did no have to stop the tractor and shift to a lower gear for a tough spot. it was done on the go with the t.a. so why are you starting out with a load from a stand still? that will cause you clutch issues down the road or field.
 
well for example when plowing , everytime you stop to shift down you will have clutch wear. to be not so hard on the clutch a person should raise the plow also when shifting. but its like who does that. when i encounter i tough spot i just raise the plow a bit and use the hydraulics and depth as my t.a. dont know what tractor you are referring to but i select either 2nd or 3rd gear to match the implement. dont want the engine lugged down all day. but a little lugging dont hurt a thing.
 
When I had a 330 utility, I always started on the road in 5th TA. Seems to me a perfect use for TA. Easier on clutch. Then once going, shift up and out of TA. Could pull some good size loads using the TA to start out and also going up some hills but of course going out of TA at the top.
 
Of course you can and should use it to start a load like a wagon full of corn in 5th gear. That is another one of the things it was designed to do. Doing that will greatly decrease the wear on the clutch. Starting out with an implement like plow, field cultivator etc you should have implement out of the ground so no need to use TA. Then when you hit the tough spot, you pull her back.
 
It's a 460 gas model. Any load, like, including the tractor itself. An example, I want to move around the yard in 3rd. The tractor starts moving with far less fuss if I apply the TA to start movement and than I drop the handle down a moment later. Is there a reason I shouldn't do this?
 
Pete 23 is correct use it any time it helps start or continue a load. It is not restricted to just helping through tough spots.
High gear from a standing start is always done in TA reduction!! Only restriction is coasting down hills, and you know that.
Ours have been trouble free and used probably 40% of the time the tractor is in use. Jim
 
There seems to be to trains of thought expressed when these types of questions comes up concerning what is acceptable use of the IH ?Torque Amplifier?. In my thinking use it just like any other gear in any other tractor, but being mindful of the free wheeling in the low side. So with that said yes using it like you are is perfectly acceptable. Now there are others who prefer to ?baby? their TA instead of use it, that is totally up to them. I am now going to copy in a recent reply I made to another recent thread on the same subject on a TA of a 300 Farmall. This reply in part somewhat explains why I tend to lean toward -use it.. move on and don?t worry about it- all things man made wear out.
?I'm attaching a link to the tractordata website for the 300 transmission. Scroll down a bit and you will see the speeds for a 300 row crop. No guarantee on accuracy but they look close. So you see that 3TA is slower than 2DD. We had a 656 which has the same basic gear setup. We used 3TA more than 2DD when pulling a 3-16 plow. It just handled it better in that gear that was a bit slower. Sure we had to do some work on the TA when the tractor had 4 or 5000 hours on it, but we felt the extra productivity on the plow made up for the repair costs. If we would have thought the tractor should only be used in direct drive low gear would have been the only option.? (Adding if the tractordata data for a 656 is correct that is 3.3 mph vs 2.5 mph. Which is 6.4 miles difference in 8 hours)
Farmall 300 gear speeds
 
I agree. Use it and stop worrying about it.

Either way it doesn't matter. These tractors were DESIGNED for heavy loads. Stop worrying about babying it, because you are not putting it under anywhere near the stress that the tractor received when it was a main line tractor in daily use on the farm.

If the tractor can start the load moving with normal clutch control (i.e. not taking more than about 2 seconds to let the clutch out smoothly and get your foot off the pedal), then you are not "stressing" the tractor at all.
 

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