Dont forget the park brake! They catch fire!

Just got back from cutting a small field.

The first 2 lines I did up and down the field I was thinking the tractor was a bit sluggish, and the clutch didn't feel right.
About half way down the third row I could smell burning, figured it was the belts on the mower (the grass was long, so it was working it pretty hard).
The end of the third row, smoke...... Cant ignore it any more, so I shut the mower down and jump off to investigate. The smoke is coming from the tractor axle.

I see FLAMES on the brake drum!

I'm about 1/4 mile from the nearest tap, and in the middle of a field of dry grass, so I jump on and go full speed up towards an old bath used as a trough, hoping it had water in. It did, much to my relief.
I must have looked silly using my hands to splash water onto the brake drum, but it got it out. I got it cooled right down, seems all the oil and grease around it was burning.
Anyway, it didn't take much looking to realise that I had left the park brake on. It sure didn't take long to get real hot!
My fault that I haven't fixed the park brake light yet, its right up at the top of the list of things to do now.

A whole load of lessons to be learnt there! I'm just glad that I didn't set fire to the field!

Close call Mith!

My parking brake "adjusted itself" this year and it is now a lot tighter than it was last year. It also doesn't release with a light touch of the brake pedal like it used to. I now have to consciously press down on the brake pedal to get it released.

I've started out with it on many times this year.

The Parking Brake light on my truck works intermittently too. I've driven several miles with it one once. Doh!

Glad everything worked out ok.

Yea, what I don't get is why it only took say about 1/4 mile of driving up and down the field to get it so hot it set fire to the oil and grease around it.

You have to stamp on mine to get it to release too. I'd rather that than have the tractor roll into a fancy car or something.

Close call as you say.

Wow! Pretty exciting Mith!!! Exciting in a bad way, but none the less exciting.

That is one thing I really like about my New Holland. It has a parking brake light (not that I pay attention to it), but also when the brake is set (even lightly) the tractor won't move. I just have a problem with it releasing on me when I don't want it to. I have it at the dealer a couple of times and have even been in touch with New Holland. I've heard of no other complaints about that, just me.

jwstewar said:

but also when the brake is set (even lightly) the tractor won't move.

Click to expand...

Yeah Jim, that's one thing with the Hydro and the brake. It ain't going anywhere. As long as it stays set though. I have not had that problem myself at all.

I did that once on a Harley I was rebuilding. Put it together anxious for a ride. Went down the road about a quarter mile and smelled burning and looked back ....... ......... rear brake caliber was in flames and the disc was glowing........ ............ I didn't feel the drag ............ !

Somehow the pads stuck..........ruined the hose and rebuilt the caliber .....

Mith, next time think of your Net Tractor Talk buddies and take a picture before you put out the fire...and an action shot of you driving with it on fire would get you bonus points.

Jim, mine has the parking brake light too, but I forgot to connect it
Although the parking brake is very effective it will still drive okay in all but the highest gear when the brake is on. I have 2 holes in the side of my shed to prove this, hit the wrong pedal.......

Doc, I could have got a group photo with the firemen too if I had of left it too long
A while back I set fire to the whole rear end of the tractor in a welder/fuel leak related fire, the first thing I though of was getting a picture, it was pretty spectacular afterall.....