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Garden tractor pulling


dieselman

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Im thinking about getting into garden tractor pulling. I was wondering if any one on here pulls in south east Iowa? also is there any clubs in the area? Id be pulling stalk and have a bolens 1220 that I would pull. Ive been looking at some rules on the internet and it looks like thats the easyest and cheepest way to get started. Thanks for any help you can give me.
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Out there Mike I dont know, but around here they dont have a stock class for anything that big. :( I know I'd sure hate to put my B12 up against that too. :D
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The 920 with a three speed tranny would work great ,iw ould think anyway.The torque of the diesel in the 920 would be neat.I think you should think about using it,just dont tear it up.
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Neil, Check this link out before you make up your mind to go pulling with that old Bolens...[:0] http://www.simpletractors.com/gallery/2001_tractor_pulling.htm Pretty impressive isn't it;)8D
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I wish there was a small tractor pulling club up here. Dont see many A/C's up here anyways. I'd be using the 410S, but if I had the chance to pull with it, i'd probably put the 16HP in it:D. Still gotta find the right pulley for the shaft, im sure it would beat all the deeres and cubs.
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Ive considerd the 920 but I think im gona keep it for mowing and garden work. I just finished building the rear lift group and the brindly hich for the back. My next project for that is im working on building a 6' feild cultavator for it. As far as pulling with the bolens vers a AC is the bolens is just sitting there asking for something to do and AC's and simplictys are kinda hard to come buy in these parts. I only plan on pulling a cupple 3 times this year and maybe more next year. ill keep you posted on what i end up doing.
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Get a 7012 3 spd with 26X12 tires lock the rear take muffler off and go have some fun! This thing of my sons is a brute most times wins trophys in the 1100,1200 and 1400 lb stock classes.Last 2 X's out it got 2 1sts and a bunch of 2nds and 3rds
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I went to a Garden Tractor pull in September, again, mostly hopped up Cubs, there were 2 Simplicities there, and a few old Sears Subs. The Simplicities placed in the middle of the field, they weren't in the best condition to pull (fence wire held them together), it seemed like they ran out of power about 3/4 to the end, it was like they didn't have the horsepower to keep it moving forward. The best pullers that I saw had Kohler singles and 2cyl. Onans in them, that was in the 14hp+ class.
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If you are interested in pulling information, check out this site. http://www.svtpa.com Definitely check out the PHOTOS and LINKS. This is the organization that I pulled with.
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MPH & Dave, I don't understand the use of first gear. We always used the 3 speed from my 61 Wards. With a 16 Hp engine we pulled in 3rd gear. With a 14 Hp engine we pulled in either 3rd or 2nd depending on the track. With both 10 and 12 Hp engines we pulled in 2nd. From experience I've found that you need to go the fastest that you can without killing your engine too soon. I've never seen a slow moving tractor win any of the events that we were in. We usually hit 6-10 events per year in VA, MD and NC.
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Did you use the variable pulleys Dave or did you put standard pullies on? Rod, whats the advantage of getting down the track faster? Might need to understand these things if this antique power equipment club I'm getting into knowing, by looking for tractors in the Palmer Ak area, gets into tractor pulling. Guess some are talking about it. They got a plow day in mid May now.
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1.) Friction reduces somewhat with speed because of the less uniform ground contact. 2.) Irregularities in the consistency of the soil along the track have less effect. Momentum can carry you through soft spots and low traction areas if the speed is higher. 3.) You are making maximum use of the available engine power. You want the gear ratio to be set such that the governor is keeping the throttle wide open throughout the pull to use all of the power available. If the governor is throttling the engine, then you are not making maximum usage of all of the available power. 4.) The inertia of a faster moving sled will add several inches to the pull, since it takes additional frictional force to counterract this inertia. Many pulls are won by an inch or so if the competition is close. I have been beaten by as little as 1/2 inch. 5.) At higher speeds you effectively increase traction, because when the wheels start to spin, the lugs are contacting more often so this will add distance. 6.) The angle of the tow chain from the hitch to the skid plate of the sled produces a downward force on the rear of the tractor. When you leave the starting line, the acceleration of the sled increases this force till the speed of the tractor reaches its steady-state motion. If you are geared higher, you will accelerate a little longer and attain a higher forward momentum. On short tracks, 100 feet or less, the effects of the above items are significantly reduced. When the track length is around 200 feet, speed becomes everything. Remember, this is a sport where the difference in the distances for the first five tractors can sometimes be less than a foot. It doesn't take much of a gain over a 200 ft track to add an additional inch onto your pull distance. Each of the things I listed above will give just a little. Better to win by a little, than lose by a little.
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All of those things Rod said are true if you are pulling a transfer sled. There are clubs however that prefer to pull the stone boat and then those rules don't apply. Dead weight pulling is a whole different world and takes a tractor set up differently to move a 2500# stone boat with a 1150# tractor. Especially when in stok classes you are limited to 23-1200-12 tires.
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My brother tried to pull with a freshly rebuilt 10hp Bolens several years ago. His had the high & low ranges but the fastest gear he could ever pull was 2 gear in LOW range. The transmission speeds were simalar to my A.C. 710 6-speed. My 710 with a very wore engine(the guys at the scales stepped back about 20 feet, then made me shut it off once on the scale and push it off) could run in second gear in HIGH range. We beleive the reason it (the Bolens)couldn't get the power to the ground was the worm gear drive. Have you ever tried to push one of those things around? The worm gear is a strong system, just takes up alot of power. By the way I only pulled my 710 1 time with the worn engine, and it took 35 thousandths from it still stock bore to almost clean up the cylinder walls. It's kinda amazing it didn't fly apart!
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John, I've never pulled on anything but a weight transfer sled. Pulled on 8 or 10 different ones in my pulling career. We do not pull at a fixed track. We pull at fairs and various fund raisers mostly for fire departments and rescue squads. They provide the track and we run the entire pull.
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Thanks Rod, I'll try to remember some of that if I ever get a chace to pull. Just had supper with one of the guys from this club in Anchorage passing though Tok. Nice chat for the past couple of hours. Garden tractors are kinda a new interest to thier group.
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our pulls are dead weight to start out with not freewheeling for 1st 30 ft like weight transfer sled.ratio is about 2.5 to 1 from bev to trans pulley.26X12X12 8 ply tires with a full 12 inch wide rim, make a big difference.Fast aint gonna cut it here you will die quickly, belive me we tried that route to no sucess,,.
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Rod, again did a great explaination! The advantage the AC/SIMs have is the ability to change pulleys to get the ratio "just right" and the they also go down the track straight and put the energy to both wheels. The guys driving cubs usually need to put alot of "body english" into the tractor to keep it straight. Update from the "2001 pulling season" article. Ivan has sold the Diesel to Sneaky Pete, who is going to put it back as a puller. And our 712 has been a 718 for the past 2 seasons, and has won many 1sts.
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Guys, Not only have I pulled stock tractors, but I created the modified class in this area. It is quite a thrill to climb aboard a tractor that weighs 1100 lb with you on it, turn loose the 85 horsepower Suzuki motorcycle engine sitting under the hood, and go blasting down the track with the engine screaming at 12000 rpm. An exciting ride, I really miss it sometimes. I don't miss all the work or spending the money or traveling two or three weekends a month. But I do have lots of good memories from my pulling years.
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