texasjohn
Super Member
I admit it... am embarrassed by this question, I should be able to figure this out myself but am stumped. This is a friend's equipment, very well maintained, in fact, by dealer. She's owned equipment 5+ years, all she does with it is mow grass, she knows the equipment and how to mow, she never disconnects rotary cutter.
Net... the MX6 rotary cutter/shredder/brush hog simply quits cutting grass for no reason I've been able to figure out.
Details:
The answer must be obvious, but I haven't figured it out
Net... the MX6 rotary cutter/shredder/brush hog simply quits cutting grass for no reason I've been able to figure out.
Details:
- tractor starts and runs perfectly, RPM's at 2300, no change in engine sound or cutter sound that I can hear when it stops cutting.
- ground is level, grass/weeds to be cut are light, 1.5 foot high at most, it's EASY cutting, no brush, no stumps, no rocks. Cutting height is about 6 inches. Cutter rear wheel is lightly rolling on the ground
- ground speed is such that I can keep up at a brisk walk
- I watched yesterday as she started cold tractor, warmed it up for about 4 minutes, engaged PTO, brought speed up to 2300 RPM, cutter blades clearly rotating at speed, let out on transmission clutch and started rolling. All was perfect for maybe 100 yards, cutting as expected. Then, it stopped cutting while rolling along. Operator took no action to cause this to happen, PTO lever still engaged, nothing unusual/different about terrain to cause it to stop cutting. No grass buildup under cutter.
- Grass was pushed over as blades rotated over it, but it was not cut.
- I felt clutch on cutter, absolutely no heat. It was not slipping, nor any reason for it to be slipping.
- cutter blades inspected and reasonably sharp, blades themselves are free swinging and extended, not folded back or locked up. Cutter itself rotates by hand, gear box not excessively hot, rotates PTO shaft on tractor (engine off, PTO disengaged), thus not locked up.
- all PTO plastic guards are in place so I could not directly observe PTO shaft RPM, but cutter was still rotating when driver stopped to let me observe path of uncut grass/weeds.
- I removed protective shroud over cutter gear box and clutch. All shafts and splines appear properly mated, nothing disconnected, worn, loose.
- I observed cutter PTO shaft connection to tractor PTO shaft. All appeared properly mated/connected. I removed protective plastic guard, disconnected PTO shaft...it uses a slip collar....it was inserted approximately 3 inches onto tractor PTO shaft. Splines aligned properly, no heat at this PTO connection. I reconnected PTO shaft, it made a positive connection sliding onto shaft and clicking strongly to make the connection. With the collar properly in place, I could not pull the cutter PTO shaft off, or find any play in the connection itself... a good thing!!
The answer must be obvious, but I haven't figured it out