Had opportunity this fall to spend a few hours on the 45's. Trying to learn the subtleties of the TB system. Got things working pretty good while plowing. Then while running the narrow front with the sub-soiler I noticed that the 'plow' setting would lift the soiler up. Had to run almost all the way down on the quadrant, not quite but close. Not as many square inchs I guess. Went as far as taking the working gauge off the CA and putting it on the 45 so I could study whats happening.

Last plow day I attended I didn't even have to 'engage' the traction booster! Leave the lever all the way down and it would still transfer weight, at least according to the gauge. This kind of blew my mind.  

LOL!!!!!!!!!. Yeah, who knows what those silly engineers must have been thinking to come up with this silly draft control system that allowed tractors like the WD45 to keep up with or even outwork other machines that weighed significantly more and/or also were running much larger CID engines and also do so more economically at the same time. Geez, thank goodness that all the other manufacturers didn't line up and chomp at the bit so to speak to copy this idea of load sensing hydraulics ASAP and carry it right up into present day machines. What a nightmare that would have been!!!LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve/Doc, I'll have a look at this. I have an NOS bell/latch I want to install on this tractor someday.

That day is the only time I've had the booster engage with the lever down. That dirt was TOUGH! Front wheels were in the air a lot.

Imagine when the dealer came out to the farm with a properly set up TB and started demonstrating how that WD-45 could out plow all those bigger tractors.

The look on those farmers' faces must have been priceless!

[TUBE]HzxLw3SIcLw[/TUBE]

Here's some video of me plowing using the TB on my '53 WD. It pulled me thru some tough spots, especially that last run at the end of the video. Set it about a "thumb" up on the lever and away we go.

[TUBE]7UWWKaa9rng[/TUBE]

As far as I can tell, it is a great feature. Just took me awhile to get the hang of it, especially since I don't have a gauge.

DrAllis wrote: When the going is that tough, front end weights are needed so the Traction Booster can work effectively. You can't have the front end come up when the plows weight is to be transferred to the rear wheels.

It has four stack weights on it now!!

Silly me for thinking it would be nice to have full range of my lift arms with the use of only one lever.  What a crazy idea to have an implement stay at the depth I want it at until I make a adjustment.   Crazy idea to expect the person behind the wheel to be competent enough to raise or lower the implement.  You know I’m out with the disc or soil saver or finisher and tractor lugs or slows down hmmm what do I do ohh that’s right raise it up a touch then once that tough spots passes then lower it. Crazy concepts. Ohh I love the days of planting beans with a 2 point hitch ground driven planter with no monitor behind the 7000 and once the beans come up and see a skip hmm why the cussed TB felt the need to raise the arms grrrrrr

Indeed. I don't know that I've ever seen that hook in person.

Today I had a look at the situation. There were six shims in there. Not sure how many they came with. Anyway, shims are 1/16" apiece. Took out two. Now I just need a chance to get the plow in the ground and see how things work.

Thanks for all the help, Mike.

The gauge is interesting to watch in the field. It did help me dial in the No. 4 sub-soiler. Took the working one off my CA where all it ever showed was up or down.

The 3-16 SC plow that Dad had for this made her work. I only plowed up his garden spot once the first time at his new house in town. She seemed to hold her own pretty good when plowing though I did feel the front get a little light at the end of the furrow when I first hit the lever to raise the plow up. The XT was the main plow tractor by the time I was old enough to do so thus I never got any field experience plowing with the WD45 myself. Dad did though with this and the WD which I also still have. He always said that the 45 was nicer to plow with obviously because of her extra power allowing her to run a gear faster even if it meant the front getting a little light whenever she hit a good patch of clay. That being said, he also always gave kudos to the old narrow front WD which would pull that same plow, albeit a gear lower, but he never had as many issues with her front end coming up. The WD has no front stack weights at all but does have a pair of front wheel weights the same as is shown here on the 45.

Resurrecting this old thread now that I've had a chance to do some plowing.

As stated in a previous post, I removed two shims. This seems to have cured the problem. Depending on conditions the 'setting' varies a bit. Watching the gauge lets you really dial the setting in.

I always plow in second gear as that's about the right speed. Tried third yesterday, pulled it fine but just don't need to go that fast! With the 16.9X28's she moves right along in second anyway.

The ground I've been in this fall seems a little easier than last year. Maybe due to timely rain? I have been using the 73 slat bottom vs the 63 model I used last year. Really like the 73 but is HEAVY for the 45. Thinking I may remove the stack weights and try 5 or 6 hundred pound suitcase weights!

There is another plow-day next Saturday, actually three I think. The one is close enough I'm going to drive the 756 with semi-mount Oliver to that one. That's if it is dry enough. We'll see how the 'Draft control' on the Red machine compares to the 'Traction Booster'. Should probably try to limber it up a bit as I havn't used it yet and this poor old girl sat outside with a stuck engine for years before I bought it.

allisbred wrote: I always thought the TB on the 45’s are one of its best features. I may be wrong here, but also thought it worked a little better than on the D series. Seemed like on the 19, it was never fast enough when hitting a wet spot.

That may well be. WD45 is the only one I have experience with. Sold my D-17 so I can't try that out. If I ever get the belly mower off the CA I hope to try it with a 62 plow I have in the waiting.

Edit; I could try that Oliver plow on the 185, just need more plow-days!

I was only 7 when I ran the WD, did the '14,15's have the same quadrant as the '17's ??

Got out to another plow-day Saturday. As discussed in this thread; https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/need-a-part-p-n-wd45_topic184299.html" rel="nofollow - https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/need-a-part-p-n-wd45_topic184299.html

I plowed with the wide front 45 having the spring installed. Could not detect any difference in performance, good or bad. Traction Booster still did it's job nicely.

I'm working on rehabbing a 3-14 plow for my WD45, mostly because I'd like to hear that machine really digging in to do some work.  Not much call for that around my 2.7 acres in MA! Fortunately I have a neighbor who is still farming - he lets me bring my tractors over to his place to try them out.

I envy you all out in the midwest where land is flat and not stuffed with rocks - a plow day in New England is a mighty rare event.

Dave, I remember the D-series part of the discussion.

Good luck with the 3-14's. My two best plows for the 45's are both 3-16's, feel at a bit of a disadvantage when guys show up with a 706 or a JD G and 3-14's. I have a model 63 3-14's in the shed, may dig it out along with the 62 2-14's next spring. Think they both have pretty good wear parts on them and the adjustments are free.