Creeper Drive Helps Save Tractor Clutches

Creeper Drive Helps Save Tractor Clutches TRACTORS Modifications 4-6-30 If you've ever tried to blast through 3 foot snow drifts with a rear-mounted snowblower, you know it's hard on tractor clutches. You have to keep inching into the snow, and before long you need a new clutch. Elmer Jacobson, Redwood Falls, Minn. solved that problem by adding a hydraulic-powered creeper reverse speed in his IH 1066 tractor. Jacobson bought and installed a front-wheel drive gearbox and attached a used truck transmission in front of the new gearbox. Then he simply hooked a hydraulic orbital motor to the transmission input shaft. By setting the truck transmission in low or second gear, and operating the orbital motor through the regular tractor hydraulic outlets, Jacobson can operate at about half the normal reverse speed of his 1066. Shifting up to third or fourth with the truck transmission places too much load on the orbital motor and puts speed close to that of the regular reverse gear. So, Jacobson recommends using only the lower gears with the hydraulic drive, and standard reverse for lighter snow and faster travel. "You can creep into big drifts and stop or go whenever you need to," says Jacobson. "You don't worry about the clutch, and it really speeds up snow blowing." Jacobson figures his home-built conversion costs about $800, depending on the price of a used transmission. The biggest portion of his cost was about $400 for the frontwheel drive gearbox. While he hasn't investigated the use of creeper conversions on other tractors, Jacobson sees no problems with any tractor for which front-wheel drive is available. And, most current models can be bought with, or converted to, frontwheel drive. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Elmer N. Jacobson, R. 4, Box 29, Redwood Falls, Minn. 56283 (ph 507 637 3266).

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