Load Monitor

Bern

Well-known Member
Location
Mount Vernon, WA
I stumbled across a YouTube video that was advertised as a promotional video for the 7000 tractor. I was surprised to see that it focused primarily on the Load Monitor system. It's a decent video that explains how the system works, if you by chance have a 5000-7710 tractor with it and would like to try it out. LM was standard on all 7000 series tractors until the 10 series came out.
Load Monitor video
 
Hi Bern

Had a 7700 with load monitor on it that was purchased second hand. It had been asked to do more than it should have by a previous owner. We mainly used trailed implements with it. Eventually the load monitor failed and put metal through the back end. Had to have it rebuilt which is rare for a Ford. The load monitor hydraulic couplings where only usable with the special cylinder. For our application it was not a good or useful system. The 5000 that we have is a better tractor that has been looked after as we know its full history. It is unfortunate that people overload things and expect them to work and complain when they break. What was your experience with this system as a Ford tractor mechanic? Sam 6610 on youtube has heaps of Ford promo videos.
 
Hi Bern,
That was one of the most underrated systems Ford fitted, over here. No-one knew how or when to use it. I was shown how it worked and how to work it at Boreham House and always marvelled how sensitive it could be when driving over a matchbox sized piece of timber that they used in the demonstration.

Two times I remember demonstrating it and using it in the field, one was on a Ford 7000 with a four furrow mounted plough working in very light land. In Draft control the weight of the plough even in the ground, was putting tension rather than compression on the top link so the plough would not hold depth. Set up the Load Monitor system and things worked perfectly.

Another time I was demonstrating a Ford 8100 ploughing with a similar plough, in a field with surface mud, the sort of field farmers love to get you in on demonstration, just to see you make a mess, slipping and sliding. Load Monitor again worked perfectly much to the surprise of the farmer watching.

We did not have many semi-mounted ploughs in this area so had little use for the Load Monitor Ram.
 
Interesting video.
I've never run a tractor big enouth to have LM so never even knew what it was. Very interesting though. Did/do other manufacturers have a similar system?
As said, it looks like he has a bunch of Ford videos. Some good Youtubing ahead for me.
Thanks.
 
I'm not aware of any other manufacturers utilizing a similar system. Given the underwhelming reception of Ford owners to the LM feature, I'm not surprised that nobody else tried to copy it. That said, it sure seems to work well, at least in theory.
 
What's an 8100? If it has LM, it can't be an 8000 series tractor. And no, I have no idea what SPLOD means. Must be only something that was used across the pond.
 
To me, LM was simply an annoying device that meant I had to split a 7600 to service the PTO clutch rather than access it through the top cover. I never saw a single owner use it, or for that matter even ask what it was. I also never saw any of the units fail.

I myself used it once, simply out of curiosity, on a 7710 MFWD. It did work as advertised, but it took some thinking to get it set up and working properly. Which is likely why nobody ever took the time to try it.
 
Bern,
Thanks for the video link. Memories, all I have left of the 7000 row crop I had!
As I have stated previously here, I used the Load Monitor with a wheeled disk.
The ground I worked had a lot of small 56 foot wide contour strips. That meant a lot of turns.
With a normal hydraulic cylinder, I would have to adjust the disk up as I entered the turn, turn, then readjust the disk back to the depth I wanted.
Anyone with knowledge of the early row crops knows that the levers were a reach below you. Not bad, but you had to do some gymnastics to do all this and steer.

With Load Monitor, I could slow slightly, tap the inside brake slightly, the disk would come up and not cut in on the turn. once I let up on the brake, the disk would return to the same exact depth I had it set to. Easy, simple and accurate!

I had 2 problems with the system. A small brass piece broke on the yoke that rode on the coupler in the video. I was able to fix it without a split. Latter the steel lines that came out of the top and connected to the couplers wore thru because of the flat deck rubbing on them. I ended up plugging the lines off.

My experience.
Keith
 
Nice story. Although raising on corners is not what it was designed for, it sounds like you were able to take full advantage of the system. You were a rare owner indeed.

I can think of at least one member on this forum right now who's probably thinking to himself....hmmm....maybe I should give it a try. Yes, you Tim!
 
Thanks for posting this. It gives a good explanation of how LM works. Seems like it would have been quite the system when used with a semi-mounted plow. Was that a 7- bottom plow hooked to the 7000 ? I doubt if even a good Load Monitor system would make that possible here, 4-16 would be plenty for a 7000 . I almost bought a 7000 20 or so years ago. Did LM systems have a special LM hyd. cylinder , or just need to use the LM remotes ?
 

Load monitor used a special cylinder
We used load monitor on a 7600 pulling 4-16 semi mount plows before going to no-til planting
Havent hooked to a plow in over 25 years, 7600 and plow have been gone that long as well
Dont own a tractor with load monitor today but dont have a use for it either
 
An 8100 is a Ford Hi-Bred of a 7600 rear end and a 2713 Ford 6 cylinder industrial engine made for the French market and sold over here, Later upgraded to the 8200 and 8210 which were made by County for Ford. Replaced by the 7810. We did not have the TW5 or TW 10 over here.

SPLOD was the pneumonic we were taught to help us remember the correct setting procedure for the internal hydraulic adjustments on the lift.

S = Selector, P = Position Control, L = Load Monitor, O = Orangutan, (please do not ask why, that was a Ford Motor Company idea at the time). D = Draft Control.

It must have worked because I still remember it nearly 50 years later. :0)

cvphoto99683.jpg
 
You have to have the LM cylinder to use the LM remotes. The clevis at the end of the rod is marked LM on one side, STD on the other; you turn the clevis and rod to line up STD with an arrow on the cylinder body to use it like any other cylinder.
 
I have both a 7000 and 7600, and 3 LM cylinders... but I plow with my TW35, so I never use the system. That's an interesting idea on using it to lift the disk on turns, though... I might give that a try.
 
If FordFarmer will bequeath me a LM cylinder, I would certainly be willing to give it a try. That was an interesting video.
 

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