Nuffield 10/60 - brakes and battery question

I have a Nuffield 10/60 with a monstrous backhoe and loader. The tractor BARELY stops - and not at all on a downhill. The most obvious conclusion is that the brakes are bad, but I have removed one side and there appears to be pad - and the actuator does move. I don't think I need to take up any slack in the actuator because I only have an inch or so of movement before I feel resistance. So, the question is... How do I tell if the brakes are in need of repair, or adjustment? Possible thoughts: 1. The Nuffield brakes never really worked right, or 2. The additional equipment makes it impossible to stop... which I would buy if the tractor were easy to stop on the level, but even then, it take s a LOT of pressure to get the thing to stop.

And second - the battery. From the manual, it seems to show the original electrical system came off of two 6 V batteries, but what's there now is 2 12 V. I'd like to restore the tractor to its original condition, but I'm unsure if I'm reading the schematic correctly and if the tractor started out as a true 6 V system. Also, if switching back to the 6 V system will cause a ton of additional headaches (i.e., with the two 12 V batteries, it always starts like a champ), then I might defer.

Thanks for reading a long post!

Cheers,
Mike

The tractor was built as a 12volt system. The two 6 volt batteries were connected in series and therefore gave 12 volts. Your 12 volt batteries are connected in parallel. This doubles the capacity of the battery but not the voltage. Either way is OK.

THANKS! SOMEBODY out there knows something about Nuffields. It's a shame... this tractor is a beast, and as far as I can see, tough as hell. It's a good find.

As for getting the brakes relined, I haven't a clue as to where to begin with that. Can I order new pads? Who does relining? The service manual just tells how to remove and replace them, but I don't believe it talks about repair of the actual pads. The Peatland site has engine parts, but nothing about brakes.

Best,
Mike

Nuffys are a vastly underated tractor. I have one along with Fords and they are my "babys".