In farming, productivity means profitability, and when your tractor isn’t performing like it should, it could mean lost dollars. One factor that can severely inhibit productivity is power hop — a bouncing effect a tractor sometimes experiences when pulling a high draw-bar load. By understanding what causes power hop, however, farmers can better diagnose the problem and make minor adjustments to correct it.

One of the major causes of power hop is unfortunately out of the farmer’s control — soil type. Power hop has been found to be most common in dry, loose soils, where traction is harder to obtain than in a high-moisture soil. Fortunately for farmers, all the other known causes of power hop can be addressed through adjustments to overall tractor weight, weight distribution and tire inflation pressures.