8N Brake effectiveness

Thanks,

Mark

Complicate all of that with lack of live hydraulics, strap a 700# bushhog on the back, and it can get down right scary. I grew up around two farming families in WV ca. 1955 and that was always the main complaint WRT the N's. We lost 2 members of the family to runaway 8N's. Once they get away from you on a hill they (or any other tractor for that matter) don't stop real fast or straight even if you do "lock 'em up". I try to keep my N on leveler ground and use a newer machine with better brakes on the slopes.

HTH,

Dan

N's are great tractors but in some instances don't have the extra safety margin on hills that other tractors do. And this hill business is a whole different ball game than it is for the guys using N's "down on the level on the river flats" as my grandfather used to say.

Back in the 50's when my friends and I used to talk about our families' tractors, they always talked about their N's that they used on their farms along the river; they never could understand why my uncle had to use a Farmall M and Massey Harris 44 on his hill farm; just two different situations requiring different equipment and different practices.

Enjoy your N and be safe.

1. Keep them free of oil and keep them maintained and adjusted.

2. Plan your stops.

I personally never try to get into a situation that I have to rely on my brakes to stop the tractor. Since you only have rear brakes and the brakes are really designed for turning as well as stopping, mashing on the brake pedals to stop the tractor on a dime is not a good idea. The ORC will help and is something that I would never be without, but still is not a replacement for common sense.

hth

Mountainman...CA