Cheap braking solution

If youve got a tractor thats got some brakes or poor brakes, be it from the wee disk on the transaxle/transmission, or oem mower drum/band brakes, heres how to come to a safe and reasonably quick stop on the trails: Use the engine. Kill the spark with the clutch engaged and your wheels are trying to turn dead machinery thru the tranny. Works in a panic or to coast down a steep grade. Easily rigged. Add a second 'kill' switch if your main is unsuitable for the job. Wire it in PARALLEL with the main/key kill switch. Does not hurt the motor unless youre constantly braking at W.O.T. Or in the upper rev range. It wont pooch your engine after a couple odd panic brakes when youre tailgating your buddies. Works for me, less pedals, less parts, more reliable (cant get wet, frozen or jammed) let me know in a reply if you have questions or comments.

We do that sometimes going down a steep grade, just turn off the engine and the engine braking helps slow it down. We have really good brakes, why waste them if you're not stopping

Exactly my point I dunno I just figure if you aren't going to rig a proper disk brake and build/mount a pedal control, save yourself the hassle and hit the kill toggle

I FORGOT TO MENTION IN THE ORIGINAL POST:

The braking force your engine gives gets stronger the lower a gear you're in.

This will work pretty good offroad, in a low gear. High speed, it's not very helpful, especially in a panic stop.

Ive skidded my tires at 25mph before I hit my friend on his bolens that kinda had oem brakes, just gotta be quick with your feet hands and have a reliable fast shifter setup

I found out today that you don't even need to kill the engine. Just put the trans in first or second.

The bottom end of the ATV trail that I built this for, is super steep. At least 45 degrees. And loose gravel!

The first time down it, the tractor almost got away from me. I was using the brakes as hard as they could go, and the tractor was acting like there were no brakes at all.

Next time down, I went down in a much lower gear, and viola, it simply rolled down much slower.

Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to... Engine braking!

Doc Sprocket wrote:

Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to... Engine braking!

yup! when i descend a steep hill in the bolens, i drop it in first, maybe 2nd, drop the throttle way back, and it'll slow you down, who needs brakes   

I am about to take this in a new direction... before I pulley swapped the murray I use to drive it to the top of ta steep hill and if I felt brave and I had my helmet on, I would put it in nuteral and coast down until i was about 25 feet from the bottom of the hill, where I would stomp on the brakes. I could get up to about 25 mph and I would be able to stop it before I reached the bottom of the hill.

Killing the engine in gear does pull fuel into the cylinder and washes the oil off the cylinder wall. Not really a big deal in a small engine but I'm sure it does shorten the life. Food for thought. And yes I've done it.

Anybody thought about exhaust brakes all they are is a butterfly valve in the exhaust

i want a jake brake   

That cackle on a mower would be awesome

rarbaugh07 wrote:

Killing the engine in gear does pull fuel into the cylinder and washes the oil off the cylinder wall. Not really a big deal in a small engine but I'm sure it does shorten the life. Food for thought. And yes I've done it.

You read my mind. It may work good goin slow but at high speed i would still rather have a brake. A brake thats not on the clutch that is. You still have the slowing of the motor to stop you but brakes do just what there called. If your gonna go fast your gonna need good brakes. Or your gonna get hurt.

Then you would have to have a good set of stacks. Make her bellow.

omg that would be amazing