fieldwork using the low side of theTA

leeedwin9

Member
When I was a high school kid, dad taught me to disk with his Farmall 806 and wheel disk using 4th gear, low range with the TA in low (lever back). He said it felt like the right gear for the work. These days I have a Farmall 756 and a 14' bushhog cutter. 4th gear, low range with the TA back seems right for that job too. Am I causing any harm to my TA (premature wear) bush hogging on the low side of the TA, when mowing several acres?
 
(quoted from post at 00:16:31 10/21/14) When I was a high school kid, dad taught me to disk with his Farmall 806 and wheel disk using 4th gear, low range with the TA in low (lever back). He said it felt like the right gear for the work. These days I have a Farmall 756 and a 14' bushhog cutter. 4th gear, low range with the TA back seems right for that job too. Am I causing any harm to my TA (premature wear) bush hogging ashion. on the low side of the TA, when mowing several acres?

Won't hurt it.

The old mechanical TAs should not be used in this fashion.
 
You are doing it the exact right way.

The hydraulic TA on the 06-56-66-86-3X88 tractors is meant to be used as an extra gear. Treat it like a two-speed powershift.

The exception is any 6XX model through those series. Those have mechanical TAs in them and should be left in direct the majority of the time.

If you use the hydraulic TA as an extra gear it will last twice as long. People who fear the TA and refuse to shift it wear out the high side. Unlike a mechanical TA, you *CAN* wear out the high side on a hydraulic TA.
 
(quoted from post at 00:16:31 10/21/14) When I was a high school kid, dad taught me to disk with his Farmall 806 and wheel disk using 4th gear, low range with the TA in low (lever back). He said it felt like the right gear for the work. These days I have a Farmall 756 and a 14' bushhog cutter. 4th gear, low range with the TA back seems right for that job too. Am I causing any harm to my TA (premature wear) bush hogging on the low side of the TA, when mowing several acres?

I am under the impression that the TA is to remain on the high side, until it is needed to get through a tough spot while plowing. I firmly believe it would be much better for the tractor if you dropped down to 3rd gear, and leave the TA in high.

I do NOT believe for one minute that the TA was ever meant to be used as a 2 speed.
 
I disagree with mu fellow YTers on this issue.
When the mechanical TA is in reduction (handle back) the ramp and rollers are being used, the gears in the planetaries are working (as they are in any automatic trans), and the TA clutch is disengaged (free). This uses up the life of the TA throwout bearing, but not much else, and they seem to work for 50 years (not too many TA throwout bearing failures show up on here). The Ramp and rollers are not harmed by being locked. They are harmed by continuous overrunning as they develop flat spots from dragging over the years.
Over the thousands of hours of mechanical TA use between our family with 3 and neighbors with several, no TA work has been needed, except one neighbor who ""never Used"" the TA until it was absolutely needed to prevent a stall.
His began slipping on TA reduction at about 35 years.
The only caution is free wheeling down hills.
and that is always a thing to remember in reduction.
Jim
 
your 756 has a hydraulic TA. In high (direct drive), the DD clutch pack is locked. as long as everything is in proper condition, there should be no wear on it.

in TA, the DD clutch is released; again no wear on it.

When in TA, the sprag is transmitting power, and the TA lockup clutch (primarily to prevent over run) is locked. again, no wear there, unless something is wrong and it slips.

When in DD, the sprag is being over run, and although lubricated with trans fluid, it does wear very slowly.

So my advice is, use the TA as another gear, like has been mentioned. when doing stationary PTO work, I like to leave it in TA to prevent excessive wear on the sprag.

if the TA has been replaced with a mechanical diode, there is no sprag, so there is no issue.
 
Rusty and Jim, you are both thinking "old school" with the MECHANICAL TA found on Super MTA, 300, 400, 350, 450, 340, 460, 560, 660, 504, 606, 544, 656, 666, and 686 tractors, for example.

Any other tractor with a TA has a HYDRAULIC TA, which is completely different from a mechanical TA. There are too many to list, but all other 06, 56, 66, 86, 3X88 and 6X88 series tractors have this type of TA.

Believe what you will, but the fact of the matter is, the hydraulic TA is most certainly meant to be used as an extra gear. mazemeister's explanation of the way the mechanism works is an excellent one, and indicates that it is actually LESS wear in TA speed with a hydraulic TA.
 
You know the old saying, six of one, half a dozen the other. The sprag in hydraulic ta's or rollers in mechanical ta's wear some while in direct drive as they are being rolled over all the time. Both the sprag and rollers wear in TA as they are carrying the torque of the load at that point. That is how the grooves get imprinted in the ramps on roller type from rollers being forced into ramp, and how the edges of the sprags eventually give up the ghost . Some just wear out, other break up, turn over etc. Seen it both ways over the years.
 
(quoted from post at 10:02:19 10/21/14) Rusty and Jim, you are both thinking "old school" with the MECHANICAL TA found on Super MTA, 300, 400, 350, 450, 340, 460, 560, 660, 504, 606, 544, 656, 666, and 686 tractors, for example.

Any other tractor with a TA has a HYDRAULIC TA, which is completely different from a mechanical TA. There are too many to list, but all other 06, 56, 66, 86, 3X88 and 6X88 series tractors have this type of TA.

Believe what you will, but the fact of the matter is, the hydraulic TA is most certainly meant to be used as an extra gear. mazemeister's explanation of the way the mechanism works is an excellent one, and indicates that it is actually LESS wear in TA speed with a hydraulic TA.

My only REAL experience with a TA was the 856 that I owned. And yes, it was the hydraulic TA. I specifically asked the shop foreman at the local IH dealer just exactly how it was to be used. The answer he gave me was to leave the lever in the forward position until the TA was needed to get through a tough spot. I followed those instructions, and never had problems with the TA.
 
I agree, I was specifically into the discussion on the general issue of TA as a use it gear, not a thing to avoid. With either system the truth is use it! Jim
 
If you ever get to install a ta it will come with a note that it should be used evenly between both sides to prevent premature failure and even wear.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top