Are parking brakes / emergency brakes really used much, if at all?

[wateka]

in reassembling my 853, I realized that the prior owner got rid of all the parking brake / emergency brake assembly.

The 853 has a manual (non-hydraulic, and non-electric) parking brake system with brake pads pressing against metal rotors in the chain case.

Bobcat no longer sells all the parts necessary to rebuild the system, so I've got saved searches on eBay.

In a perfect world, yes, I want a parking brake. While I wait for parts to appear, it begged the question - since these machines are near impossible to move when the hydraulics are functioning correctly - do people really use their parking brake much?

 

[cdmccul]

I wish my 632 had a functioning brake, to hold it while I do other work with the bucket, or if you had a back hoe you'd want a parking brake. I want it also to start the machine and let it warm up while I leave the machine to do other tasks, then jump in and drive. Mine is slightly cold blooded and needs a new distributor.

What's all missing? Just the foot plate and rod?

 

[wateka]

I should be so lucky! Everything circled in red is missing.

 

[brdgbldr]

The brake is a huge safety feature. Especially if you are working alone.

Technically you should never get in and out of a running machine. This of course is never fallowed.

Here is the scenario…. You get out of the machine with it running. You go to get back in and your clothing catches one of the drive controls or you just accidentally hit one before you are seated. The machine jumps and you loose your balance….. You get the idea.

Then of course there is the fact that machines tend to creep.

Also, my machine will not hold still on a slope when I am trying to change attachments.

 

[brdgbldr]

I should be so lucky! Everything circled in red is missing. View attachment 3743

Used parts places are your best bet.

This place is pretty good but they seem to have been picked clean lately:

All States Ag Parts | Used & New Tractor, Combine & Skid Steer Parts

All States Ag Parts is the leading supplier of tractor, combine, and skid steer parts to North America. Shop for new aftermarket, remanufactured, and used tractor parts.

www.tractorpartsasap.com

 

[Jyuma1]

I agree with anyone who states you should never exit a running machine however, I have never met a single loader operator who doesn't routinely do just that; myself included. As a result, I always set the parking brake when leaving the machine for any reason, running or not. If these machines didn't need the safety feature of a parking brake, why would any manufacturer go to the expense of including a parking brake?
Having said all of that, I can't tell you how many times I forgot to release the parking brake and drove quite a distance before disengaging the brake. Maybe the parking brake will be able to stop creep, but it can never stop a running machine receiving a control input to drive,

 

[brdgbldr]

I agree with anyone who states you should never exit a running machine however, I have never met a single loader operator who doesn't routinely do just that; myself included. As a result, I always set the parking brake when leaving the machine for any reason, running or not. If these machines didn't need the safety feature of a parking brake, why would any manufacturer go to the expense of including a parking brake?
Having said all of that, I can't tell you how many times I forgot to release the parking brake and drove quite a distance before disengaging the brake. Maybe the parking brake will be able to stop creep, but it can never stop a running machine receiving a control input to drive,

Sounds like your break needs adjustment. Admittedly, some brakes are just disks and pads which, when worn, can slip like a vehicle parking brake. But some brakes actually have a mechanical lock that a machine can not power through.

 

[FJRDarksider]

I would strongly recommend re-installing the brake but recognize the challenges in finding parts. I have an 853.....and it creeps if the levers aren't sitting just right....... enough to make me paranoid that even if I set the brake, I turn it off before I exit.

 

[Jyuma1]

Sounds like your break needs adjustment. Admittedly, some brakes are just disks and pads which, when worn, can slip like a vehicle parking brake. But some brakes actually have a mechanical lock that a machine can not power through.

My loader is a 1980's era Thomas T133. The brakes are disks and pads, and really small pads at that.

 

[Mustang Guy]

- do people really use their parking brake much?

That question shouldn't even be asked. Shows extreme naïveté.

 

[dfb]

The parking brake on my 742B will hold the machine from moving when set and I also use it every time it is parked....running or not.
I remember the previous owner exiting the same machine when the parking brake did not work and his jacket caught a control stick causing it to swing into a vehicle parked next to it. Repairing the brake was one of the first things I did to it, all it ended up being was out of adjustment.