Re: (ET) Re: Traction in the hills

["Christopher Zach" <czach computer org>]

I keep saying it: I have extreme hills here, and I have found the orig
"puck" brake to be fine once properly rebuilt.

The key is rebuilt. Make sure the pads are good, and the pins aren't 
galled.
It works fine though to stop the tractor when needed.

Chris

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee Richardson" <lrichard jbc edu>
To: <elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu>
Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 8:55 AM
Subject: (ET) Re: Traction in the hills


> From Lee (in hilly East Tennessee):
>
> First step (in my opinion) - get lug tires for the tractor.  I've had 
> them
> from the beginning (20 plus years) and I've never been able to detect any
> harm to my lawn because of them.  And they're great (indispensable) on 
> the
> hills.
>
> Second step - If your tractor doesn't have the brake upgrade, by all 
> means
> get it.
> Before I learned of the available kit I had put a drum brake on mine
> because the 'factory' brake just wasn't good enough.
>
> With those two modifications you have a great 'hill' machine. My twenty
> plus year old E-15 will still pull 1/3 rick of green oak firewood up a 
> 15%
> grade hill - in second gear yet!
>
>
>
>
> >Is the problem traction on slippery grass?  I find that using the weight
box
> >in the rear, with a few extra old batteries in it for mass, helps when
the
> >grass is wet and I have traction problems.  Some people have also
reported
> >that traction is improved by replacing the hardened old tires.  (If you
have
> >nice grass, you probably don't want to go to chains.)
>
>
>