Speed Limit Vs. Gear Selection

Bone stock Case 400 gas round nose. Is it better to be in a higher gear and run right at the speed limit Vs. a lower gear and chug along?
I appreciate your responses for a newcomer to the sport. Thank you.

you have it backwards, high gear will make you chug along, rpms is what you need to pull, -however power and speed are related
very closely, you need to be fast enough with power to gain rpms as the sled slows you down, spinning is going to increase in most
cases at slower speeds -so the gear you choose has to match your power, traction and ability to gain speed as you slow down due to
load increase,in my experience, higher gear torque will spin you out faster, other times not,no set in stone answers, many yrs. of
trial and error can help with choices. Watch the winners, steady consistent pulls go the furthest.Unless power level dictates the
lowest gear, - you will be better off to have throttle left when you need to increase speed, those who can keep speed closest to
the limit will do best. Good luck ! First rule to remember as a newer type puller, you do not have the Power you think you have,
because the drag increases very fast after a certain point. Weight placement, hitch height, and air pressure are tools to help
manage the pull success.

In addition to the excellent information from 535353m, it is highly unlikely that a bone stock ANYTHING will go very far in the higher gear. The gearing of the sled is set so that most pullers will go 3/4 of the way or more down the track yet no more than one should get a full pull, and most of the tractors that you will be pulling against will have substantially more power than "bone stock". As 535353m posted the other tractors will have not only adequate power to go at the higher speed for the first half of the hook, but they have reserve "power to add" which you will not have, once the sled starts to get harder to pull.

Great info so far.. As a person new to pulling, what option is most likely to go furthest?
Higher gear, farther faster with 3/4 throttle until sled weight the full throttle?
Or, low gear, slower not as far, less throttle until sled weight then full throttle?
I understand that there is is a million more variables, but want to start out with the greatest chance of success. I know winning really isn't an option right now. Not losing is the current
goal. All in a hope to pull in 2022
Thanks again, I am nothing if not teachable..LOL

The 400 Case -I believe has about the closest gears of most tractors, which is good for you, all stock means less power, so pick a fairly low gear, you will need wide open throttle shortly after you let the clutch out, -Bone stock means most likely a 2-2.5 mph gear to start, what weight are you at? Try to learn your tractor's characteristics, and pay attention to consistent issues you can control,finesse wins as many pulls as does power and experience, being able to read the track and adapt changes needed from observation of others makes your hooks more productive. Ect, if most before you raise the front more than normal and or kill easily, you will also most likely do the same, so adjust weights and gear as necessary. New points, full throttle linkage adjustments, good governor springs and settings, good fuel, not high octane, proper timing, new plugs, wires, dist. cap, coil, are all stock things that make optimum hp. Keep us posted,I am in almost my fifth decade of pulling and still learn on a regular basis, if it were too easy - it would not be FUN !! Keep an eye on chain length and height on the sled(s), makes a huge difference in your choices.

Guys below killed it. Yes it is better to
go in.a faster gear that your tractor will
loaf along for first half and stay just
below the speed limit, then have enough
per to keep..2 below for as long as
possible. Above all make new friends and
have fun

My guess is with a stock tractor you will be wide open in 1st gear and still wont be able to run 3 mph which is usually the slowest class..My U MM is a little over 100
horses and I can run 2nd gear in the 5500 lb 4-5 mph classes but I'm at full throttle in 1st gear in the 6000 and 6500 lb classes...

The real strong tractors can stay close to their speed limit at a little over half throttle and have lots left when they really need it.Some of the 12 mph class tractors can
probably run as much as 15-18 mph at full throttle..

Depends a lot on the sled your pulling. With a drop pan sled you need to run as fast as you can without speeding cause when the pan drops you are about done for. A little
more speed and the momentum might give you an inch or so more than the rest. On a transfer sled, you don't necessarily need the speed to keep going, the weight comes
on gradually.

(quoted from post at 12:13:56 10/19/21) Great info so far.. As a person new to pulling, what option is most likely to go furthest?
Higher gear, farther faster with 3/4 throttle until sled weight the full throttle?
Or, low gear, slower not as far, less throttle until sled weight then full throttle?
I understand that there is is a million more variables, but want to start out with the greatest chance of success. I know winning really isn't an option right now. Not losing is the current
goal. All in a hope to pull in 2022
Thanks again, I am nothing if not teachable..LOL

Click to expand...

Pulling is all about TRACTION. Traction is what determines how far you go. The amount of traction needed however can be reduced by MOMENTUM, also known as INERTIA. If your speed is near the limit the inertia of the motion of your tractor and the sled combined does part of the work of carrying you past a little place in the track where the sled pulls a little harder or where you get a little less traction. You want to get your speed up to .3-.2 below the limit ASAP, Then be ready to increase throttle as the load comes on. Your speed will go up and down as you proceed down the first part of the track due to surface variations. If you exceed the limit you will be DQed. Again, It is highly unlikely that you will get very far in second before you choke, but if you don't choke now and then or get DQed for speed now and then you aren't trying. The horn will take some getting used to. Newer pullers will back right off to stop it. Experienced drivers will ignore the horn and go by what they know that the track requires for power over the next twenty feet.

Thank you... Yes, the 400 is very closely geared, in fact, Case advertising said overlapping, never a gap between gears. That only adds to the confusion on gear selection while pulling.
It's a strong runner and with one set of rear-wheel weights and my fat self, it weighs 6470lbs. So it will be in 6500lb class, stock w/18 drawbar height.

535353 is right on. It has took a lifetime but my tractor now will pull 6mph at half throttle. Sometimes I churn my tires fast at the end but generally better to watch speedo and keep it on 5.8. Even backing off just before I stop.

Depending on weight class pulled the 400 in good condition should do 2nd gear, Pull and have fun.