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Hand Clutch

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Qbert

02-29-2000 14:21:27




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Whats the story behing the hand clutch on JD tractors. Does it work the same as a foot operated pedal type clutch, or how is it different? (in stopping, shifting, etc.) Also, what is the advantage to the hand clutch versus foot pedal clutch? Thanks




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Pappy

03-01-2000 21:09:18




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 Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 02-29-2000 14:21:27  
I like the hand clutch for my personal tractor driving. I can control the rate of acceleration and engagement better with the hand clutch than with a foot clutch. When backing up to a trailer or plow, the hand clutch is very smooth and easy to inch back into position. Also, you can watch the pulley stop to avoid clashing gears. Gears are somewhat expensive.



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Rob

03-01-2000 20:04:39




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 Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 02-29-2000 14:21:27  
If you want to put your brain to the test, try learning on a JD and then going to a hand clutch on an old Case SC (they pull back to engage). Really livens up a plow day!



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Doug

03-01-2000 18:57:02




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 Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 02-29-2000 14:21:27  
Don't pay any attention to Rodbender, he oviously was abused or dropped on his head as a child. I agree with Chad down there.
My comments on the hand clutch are this: They are a thing of the past, and we probably won't see them again on tractors. I love them though. I always tease my Farmall friends by telling them you have to be an "operator" to run an ald JD. The hand clutch was a little awkward if you had a loader or front blade that required the use a another hand in addition to the steering wheel. But I think they suited the tractor better than a foot clutch would have. Could you imagine getting on the platform of a 720 and trying to use a foot clutch? It just doesnt fit right.
I am only 30, but luckily I had the opportunity to use a 630 growing up. We still have it and it will be restored someday. It has a story to go along with it. My greatgrandfather traded a Farmall M for it. He had a bad knee and used a cane most of his life after he was 35. He had always had Farmalls since they quit using horses. My Grandfather convinced him to by a JD because the hand clutch freed up that bad leg, plus they were easier to climb on to with that big wide platform step. I guess he was a much happier man after he got the 630.

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Theman

03-01-2000 11:13:15




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 Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 02-29-2000 14:21:27  
The John Deere hand clutch traces its origins back to the over-center type clutches used on stationary engines. Remember, Deere got into the (real) tractor business by buying a company already making a tractor. It was the Waterloo Boy Gasoline Engine Co. They made stationary engines before they made tractors which featured this hand operated clutch. The clutch was kept by Deere who used it on their first in-house designed tractor. One advantage of this type of clutch is the efficiency obtained from operating directly from the crankshaft. Belt work was very popular when these earlier tractors were built. Another advantage is that this clutch is a multiple-disk arrangement. More friction surface meant more power transmitted through a smaller clutch unit. The disadvantages have already been mentioned with the exception of needing a cast iron kneecap if you weren't paying attention to where your leg was. Don't laugh. It could happen to anybody. BTDT.

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Dave Wickman

03-01-2000 14:06:21




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 Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Theman, 03-01-2000 11:13:15  
After reading your post on hand clutches I just have to share this story with you as it was told to me by the first John Deere dealer I worked for, (Rest His Soul). Back in the early 40's he was a young man selling John Deere machinery for a dealer he worked for at the time and was demonstrating a new moldboard plow (Around Cedar Rapids Iowa) This new plow had the trip release hitch to protect it in the event it would hit a rock, along with this feature it had a chain that hooked the hand clutch lever to the plow and in the event of hitting a rock it not only released the plow from the tractor this chain would disengage the Hand clutch. Now think about it?? Yes this is the way it happened, Farmer driving tractor plowing away Salesman riding along beside him promoting his new product when... the plow hits a rock, comes unhooked from tractor, tractor jumps forward, chain connected to hand clutch lever snaps lever back with all the speed and force one does not want to image cracking this poor farmer on the knee cap so hard that I don't even want to think about it. The dealer salesman said the poor guy managed to hobble down off the tractor and fall into the dead furrow squealing like a hog caught in a fence. Well after all the dust settled he said that was one sale he didn't get and all plows he demonstrated after that incident he didn't show that feature. The first time I heard this story I laughed so hard that it brought me to tears, but after thinking about it I bet it wasn't funny at the time at all!! Hope you enjoyed this TRUE story.

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Tim (UT)

03-02-2000 11:45:05




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 Re: Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Dave Wickman, 03-01-2000 14:06:21  
As the saying goes, "Been there, done that"...

As a teen I used to do custom plowing with a Allis Chalmers WD and a 2-bottom mounted plow. Now, the WD has both a foot clutch and and a hand clutch. The hand clutch stopped only the transmission - not the PTO.

Anway, Allis Chalmers in THEIR wisdom decided to connect their snap-coupler system directly into the clutch so that if you hit an obstruction, it would pop the hand clutch out.

As other non-JD hand clutches go, it was a "pull back to engage" type, but if you hit something hard enough, the clutch would pop foward and bounce back and smack you in the knee!

I didn't bust any bones, but I certainly had more than my share of black and blue marks on my knee-cap!

Tim

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Haybaler

03-02-2000 07:31:07




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 Re: Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Dave Wickman, 03-01-2000 14:06:21  
Oh man I don't want to even think about it, makes me hurt all over!! Especially my right knee!!



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Haybaler

03-01-2000 11:26:30




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 Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Theman, 03-01-2000 11:13:15  
AMEN to the knee, my son found out about it this summer as well as a young I had running a rake. After they had hit their knee (which I figured out from a distance while on another tractor, been there done that) I drove up to them both and told them "Hit your knee didn't ya?" Got reply and then asked "Kinda made you sick at you stomach, didn't it" My son's reply was yessir and I can't print the other driver's reply, but, you know, it kinda does make you sick at your stomach.

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Leon

03-01-2000 09:01:16




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 Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 02-29-2000 14:21:27  
Also, I think another advantage of the hand clutch is that you have the left hand for steering, the right one for the clutch, and the left foot for the left brake and the right foot for the right brake. I've driven both hand and foot clutch tractors, and in some situations where you have to stop FAST, it does get a little "hairy" trying to use one foot to control both brakes (especially if they are not adjusted evenly!) while holding in the clutch with the other foot.

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Tom in Frankenmuth

03-01-2000 08:47:09




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 Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 02-29-2000 14:21:27  
Qbert,

I was using a John Deere 60 with an 8' push blade to move snow around the farm last winter. Tom in Ontario is right, I often wondered what year it was that the folks at John Deere found out at farmers have feet? Using the same two hands to steer (power steering thankfully) shift, raise and lower the blade and run the throttle and clutch was a real chore. After a while you get into a kind of routine and can move around pretty good, but you need to practice it. The reason for the hand clutch was that in the old two cylinder tractors, the crank shaft runs crossways of the tractor instead of along its length like on your Farmall. The clutch is on one end of the crankshaft, hanging off the tractor, the flywheel is on the other end, hanging off the other side of the tractor. The great thing about the old twos it that you could just about rebuild them in the field with very few tools. I have adjusted the clutch on mine, standing in the field with a plow in the ground, on more than one occasion.

Tom in Frankenmuth
Using a '75 830 Diesel Utility now....

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ronm

03-01-2000 22:13:50




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 Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Tom in Frankenmuth, 03-01-2000 08:47:09  
You should try an 840 Industrial w/the Hancock paddle scraper. The ol' guys that ran them are easy to spot-right arm twice as big as the left.



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Qbert

03-01-2000 09:27:32




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 Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Tom in Frankenmuth, 03-01-2000 08:47:09  
Thanks Tom, that helps me put it in perspective a lot. I appreciate the explanation.



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Tom from Ontario

03-01-2000 06:43:16




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 Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 02-29-2000 14:21:27  
Qbert: On JD"s the clutch had to be "snapped" over center to be fully engaged. When pulled back to disengage, they would stay in that position. Transmissions in those days were anything but synchronized and everything had to be (should have been) stopped before you shifted.The JD's also had a small brake on the pulley which helped stop the transmission when the clutch was pulled back. One of these tractors equipped with a loader was a real operation, you felt like you need four arms, BIG arms. One place where they were definitely great was when you drove standing up, you could shift stop and start without sitting down. People did a lot of that, also because the seats were'nt that great. Tom

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Not as angry as rod bender

03-01-2000 03:16:04




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 Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 02-29-2000 14:21:27  
Jiff had a pretty good idea. Pay no attention to rod bender who aside from being rude, can't spell and is obviously a very lonely person. What a jerk.



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Jiff

03-01-2000 03:02:04




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 Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 02-29-2000 14:21:27  
You might wish to address your question(s) to Mr. Thinker at Green Magazine.



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rod bender

03-01-2000 00:16:00




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 Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 02-29-2000 14:21:27  
Its plane to see that you must be a yuppie and dont know nothing about anything, if you did, you would know that a clutch is a clutch no matter how it is operated. The first thing you have to learn is to disengage the clutch before shifting gears. The oppisite in life, learn to ENGAGE your brain BEFORE putting your mouth in gear. Go find yourself a life.



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Learn how to spell opposite you retard

03-01-2000 16:49:14




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 Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to rod bender, 03-01-2000 00:16:00  



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Chad Wink

03-01-2000 16:24:05




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 Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to rod bender, 03-01-2000 00:16:00  
Are you related to Burrhead?

You exemplify the great problem in todays world--- There are far more south ends of north bound horses than there are north bound horses.

In short, stop acting like a horses rump.



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Kemper

03-01-2000 11:52:14




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 Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to rod bender, 03-01-2000 00:16:00  
I think rod benders rod is broke, What a rude comment, Qbert just asked a simple question, however the hand clutch has good and bad points, but to me they are the best thing since icecream.



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Qbert

03-01-2000 08:25:46




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 Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to rod bender, 03-01-2000 00:16:00  
Rod Bender,
My goodness, you must be an angry little person! To tell the truth, I own and operate three modern John Deere trators and do some custom plowing and haying in my spare time (when I am not working as a sales rep. for Cargill). I was simply asking how the hand clutch compared to the pedal type; I am well aware of how a is clutch operated and what it does. I think I'll go crank up my FARMALL A now and plow the garden. I sure hope you don't represent the entire JD board!

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Terry H

11-04-2001 06:49:29




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 Re: Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 03-01-2000 08:25:46  
Qbert, Seems like every board has at least one "rodbender." If you've got any JD questions, this is the place to be. I've learned more about my '47 B here, than all the manuals ever written.

One comment on the hand clutch...it will sure build up your coordination and upper body strength when operating a 3 point mounted shredder in tight quarters with no power steering!



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lightenup

03-01-2000 22:07:57




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 Re: Re: Re: Hand Clutch in reply to Qbert, 03-01-2000 08:25:46  
I think he's had a few too many rods bent over his head...



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