X738 with 47 Snowblower PTO Question

[brettwho]

Hello everyone. I just took delivery of a new X738 with 47 inch snowblower just in time for a November snow storm. In reading the manuals for both the X738 and the snowblower, I am confused about one thing. In the X738 manual it says to move the throttle to the "fast" position before engaging the PTO, while in the snowblower manual it says that the PTO shouldn't be engaged at full throttle because it's hard on the PTO clutch. Am I reading something wrong? Which of these recommendations should I be going by? As often as I accidentally disengage the PTO by not hitting the RIO before backing up, it seems like it would be a real pain to have to throttle down, engage PTO and then throttle back up. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[Dutch445]

i think the mower deck puts a lot more strain on the pto system,
as it takes a lot more power to start the mower when you engage
the pto. i would think that engaging the snowblower at full rpms is ok,
i have done it many times.. although if the blower is full of snow when
you do it you may break a shear bolt.

 

[Dutch445]

and welcome to TBN! Nice mower you go there.....

 

[beenthere]

I would disconnect the RIO when snowblowing... it is there to stop the mower when in reverse to avoid backing over someone behind the tractor. Not there to stop the snowblower, IMO.

:welcome:

 

[Yellowfever440]

It's always better to engage your pto as the lowest possible rpm so your clutch doesn't slip as much. The more it slips the faster it wears. So if the tractor can't start the deck at idle move the throttle up 25 percent or to half. It would be better on the tractor to wire around the Rio or zip tie the switch back. Only problem with zip tying the switch back is it the mower has reverse lights then they will be on all the time.

 

[TimS]

The manual wording has been ambiguous for years - makes a statement like "should be at full throttle when the PTO is engaged" or something like that. This has been a subject of much debate.

Clearly there is more stress on the entire drivetrain, including the PTO clutch, if you are at full throttle when you first engage the PTO. So what they mean is that while you are using PTO-driven equipment, such as a mower deck or snowthrower/blower, you should be running at full throttle - they just didn't state it very well.

So yes, you should be throttling down, then engaging the PTO and going back to full throttle. Think of it as incentive to remember the RIO override.

T