Hand-Operated Clutch Makes It Easier To Shift Tractor

Hand-Operated Clutch Makes It Easier To Shift Tractor TRACTORS Accessories 22-3-31 When the foot-operated clutch failed on his White 85 hp tractor, Rayburn Tolen, Jamesport, Mo., installed a new, larger clutch that turned out to be more difficult to depress. He solved the problem by installing a hand-operated clutch assist lever that attaches to the foot clutch. "I can use either clutch depending on how I feel. I mainly use the hand-operated clutch when my foot gets tired," says Tolen. "The replacement foot-operated clutch was de-signed for a 155 hp tractor so it's built with tighter springs that make it more difficult to depress. I use the tractor a lot to make round bales so it's important to have a clutch that's easy to operate." The hand-operated clutch consists of a 3/4-in. dia., 3-ft. long steel pipe that bolts to an existing steel bar on the clutch pedal. Tolen split the bottom of the pipe so that it would fit over the mounting arm and made a bearing plate that mounts on top of the arm, then welded the plate inside the yoke. He then drilled a hole through the bottom of the pipe and through a bar in front of the clutch pedal and bolted the pipe on. He had to bend the upper end of the pipe to keep it from interfering with the tractor's steering wheel. "I think the same idea would work on any tractor with a foot-operated clutch that's hard to depress," says Tolen. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Rayburn Tolen, RR 2, Box 95, Jamesport, Mo. 64648 (ph 816 772-3207).

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