[AT] Some ads(JD hand clutch)

Tue Jul 19 12:38:06 PDT 2005

My opinion on this issue is only worth 1 1/2 cents.  I remember well how 
happy I was when the (Stanhoist) loader showed up for our !#$%^ J.D. A about 
1949.  No more hand pitching manure !!! The tractor will do it all.  OH JOY! 
Then it only took a short while to learn that 100 to 150 spreader loads 
could be loaded by hand much easier.

Two hands were necessary to turn the steering wheel, since it turned so hard 
even without a load..

Another hand was necessary to feather the clutch to make turning the wheel 
even remotely possible.

Another hand was necessary to reach the hydraulic lever... which could only 
be used while the tractor was in motion, and was as far away from the clutch 
lever as possible.

All the necessary shifting very soon wore out the pulley brake from all the 
necessary shifting.  This gave time to operate the two shifter levers with 
the idle hands.

The trip lever must have been within a couple feet of the clutch lever, 
since I don't remember it being much of a problem to trip it while the 
tractor was standing still.

I doubt any J.D. engineers could fathom using a tractor in a covered yard 
with posts on a 14' grid.  Maybe they could and sadistically designed the 
system to be as difficult as possible. I haven't and probably won't ever 
forgive John Deere for that abomination.  I probably won't ever forgive Pop 
either for not buying a useful tractor... ANY OTHER TRACTOR!

I suspect today's J.D. collectors haven't had to use them in this manor as a 
kid.

I have a deep respect for the young man who wins tractor rodeos driving a 
J.D. B even though he lost both arms in a horrible accident.

George Willer

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ralph Goff" <alfg at sasktel.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 11:04 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Some ads(JD hand clutch)

> Had to put my two cents worth in on this one. My first experience with 
> hand clutch tractors was using a neighbour's DC4 Case. It seemed pretty 
> strange after being used to foot clutches but I soon got used to it. As 
> Dean says, a third hand would have been helpful when using this DC4 with a 
> dozer blade pushing snow.
> My Uncle would have known that well I think as he spent years clearing his 
> half mile driveway with his little JD AR tractor and a 7 foot dozer blade. 
> Hours of back and forth snow pushing trying to widen the path as sometimes 
> the snow was too deep to just angle the blade and wing the snow out that 
> way. It took a mighty strong arm on the clutch too as he had it adjusted 
> way too tight.
> I was thinking about that last January while I was opening the same 
> driveway with a tractor with nearly triple the horsepower and weight 
> inside a warm cab. It still took me the best part of a morning's work to 
> make a trail wide enough for the grain semi to get in and turned around. 
> How he ever did it with the little JD is hard to imagine.
> The AR has it easy in semi-retirement now. I had it out of the shed the 
> other day to clean up and re-paint the rear rims covering up the calcium 
> chloride damage. Nothing fancy, but a definite improvement. Picture in my 
> old farm machinery album at
> http://community.webshots.com/user/rusty6100
>
> Ralph in Sask.
> http://lgoff.sasktelwebsite.net/
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dean VP" <deanvp at att.net>
> To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 12:06 AM
> Subject: RE: [AT] Some ads from the 7/16 Lancaster Farming
>
>
>> Brett:
>>
>> As a John Deere Collector I'm not sure I could go that far either.  But 
>> in
>> some things they did take a leadership position. I recall as a youngster
>> that the hand clutch wasn't totally user friendly either. But probably
>> easier than reaching a foot pedal. More than a few hand clutch levers got
>> cut and a longer piece welded in to offer a little more leverage for the
>> smaller folks.
>>
>> However, there were times on a John Deere when three hands would have 
>> been
>> very helpful. To me the biggest advantage of the hand clutch was the 
>> ability
>> to feather the clutch for that delicate and very small nudge that was
>> required in either forward or reverse and still have a foot left over for
>> the brake. And the unique ability to also use the clutch as a brake at
>> times.
>>
>> Even though JD didn't encourage the user to use the clutch that way there
>> were certain situations where that really came in handy. And something 
>> that
>> just became ingrained to be used that way. That function stuck with me 
>> even
>> after not using a two cylinder tractor for almost 40 years. And almost 
>> got
>> me into trouble.
>>
>> When I was able to get my stuck and parts JD 60 running the first time I 
>> was
>> so pleased with my self I decided to drive it into the barn and park it,
>> rather than push it in as I had done before I got it running. I pulled in
>> rather slowly and got to where I wanted to stop and pulled back on the
>> clutch to disengage it and then somewhat automatically pulled a little
>> harder to stop the slowly rolling tractor. A habit from 40 years 
>> previous.
>> Well, the clutch was a bit out of whack and instead of slowing the belt
>> pulley, which will slow/stop the tractor when in gear, as it was supposed
>> to, it re-engaged the clutch and the tractor took off instead of 
>> stopping.
>> By the time I figured out what was happening and got the brakes applied I
>> almost went out the other side of the barn. With the door closed. Not
>> pretty. After I cleaned out my underwear, I figured out what was wrong 
>> with
>> that defective clutch. A unique feature of the JD hand clutch but one 
>> that
>> can come back to bite you. Old 40 year old habits are hard to break!  :-)
>>
>> Dean A. Van Peursem
>> Snohomish, WA 98290
>>
>> I'm a walking storeroom of facts..... I've just lost the key to the
>> storeroom door
>>
>>
>> www.deerelegacy.com
>>
>> http://members.cox.net/classicweb/email.htm
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Brett Phillips
>> Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 7:00 PM
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>> Subject: Re: [AT] Some ads from the 7/16 Lancaster Farming
>>
>> Ron:
>> Several friends have remarked that John Deere had ergonomics figured out
>> before the rest of the field could spell it.  I'm not sure if I would go
>> that far, but the hand clutch was a real blessing to the small tractor
>> driver.  Some day, I'd like to own another H.  My Allis 'C' will have to
>> fill the gap until I win the lottery (that I never play).
>>
>> Brett Phillips
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Ronald L. Cook" <rlcook at pionet.net>
>> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
>> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>> Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 3:50 PM
>> Subject: Re: [AT] Some ads from the 7/16 Lancaster Farming
>>
>>
>>> Brett,
>>> You could be me talking about my uncle's M Farmall.  9-10 years old but
>>> small.  Same job.  Same problem.  I much preferred my Dad's 1941 JD A. 
>>> <g>
>>>
>>> Ron Cook
>>> Salix, Ia
>>>
>>> Brett Phillips wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Utility tractor, IH 300 gas, T-A fast-hitch and 3 pt, loader, weights,
>>>> steers hard, call mornings, Northampton Co. $1600. 570-758-5810.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> !Ramble alert!
>>>>
>>>> My dad had a 300U from when I was 5 until I was about 10.  As I recall,
>>>> there wasn't anything about that tractor that wasn't "hard" for a 7-8
>>>> year
>>>> old tractor driver.  At that time, I was dad's 'hired man', and I did
>>>> most
>>>> of the raking, and would get bored when he asked me to drive when we
>>>> baled.
>>>> He still says that I was better than my mother, since she would always
>>>> try
>>>> to turn left with the baler and wagon in tow.  If the baler started to
>>>> act
>>>> up, or the windrows were too big, my left leg would get tired pretty
>>>> quickly
>>>> from the stiff clutch.  I remember standing with my full weight on that
>>>> infernal clutch pedal, and having to pull up on the steering wheel in
>>>> order
>>>> to get it fully depressed.  Dad knew this, and he never let me run the
>>>> 300
>>>> in tight quarters, because he knew I couldn't steer and press the 
>>>> clutch
>>>> down at the same time.  For this reason, our JD H was my favorite, and
>>>> the
>>>> tractor that I raked with.  When the 300 left, I remember shedding a
>>>> tear,
>>>> but now I wonder why...  I have little desire to own one today.  There
>>>> are
>>>> plenty of others that I would like better.
>>>>
>>>> Brett Phillips
>>>> Strasburg, VA
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
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