eepete
Platinum Member
I have a JD 4520 with E-PTO. The tractor has 50 HP on the PTO at the rated engine speed. My questions is what is the HP of the PTO when I have the E-PTO engaged and am at the lower (and correct) engine speed?
Years (decades?) ago, you could get torque curves for engines (torque vs. RPM). As you gear up the PTO for the economy mode, it would have less torque. Combined with reduced engine speed that should mean less power. I suspect the answer to my question will involve wrestling with concepts of torque and horse power.
The event that has triggered this questions is I purchased a SpeeCo PHD that is rated at max PTO of 40 HP. While I normally get good quality and well matched attachments all from my JD dealer, I only need to make 36 6" holes for my next project. I'm sure there will be more holes in the future, seems like every time I use my manual post hole digger I swear it's the last time and it's not. So the PHD decision was a mix of a fit of frugality tempered with the local clay soil and not too big rocks. I am hoping that careful use will make it work and the $600 I saved will be good in the long run.
I've also used my MX6 mower with the e-PTO. It really bogs down the tractor when I engage the PTO, but my dealer says it's OK. I use it like this when I'm effectively "mowing the lawn" and it's all level surface with grass where I'm taking off 4" or so. I've also used the sickle bar in this mode and it seems to have all the power it needs. I use the MX6 in "normal" PTO mode in areas that get cut once a year, and it's great. One pass at 5 MPH and I'm done.
So there's my questions and circumstances that brought it up. TIA.
Pete
Years (decades?) ago, you could get torque curves for engines (torque vs. RPM). As you gear up the PTO for the economy mode, it would have less torque. Combined with reduced engine speed that should mean less power. I suspect the answer to my question will involve wrestling with concepts of torque and horse power.
The event that has triggered this questions is I purchased a SpeeCo PHD that is rated at max PTO of 40 HP. While I normally get good quality and well matched attachments all from my JD dealer, I only need to make 36 6" holes for my next project. I'm sure there will be more holes in the future, seems like every time I use my manual post hole digger I swear it's the last time and it's not. So the PHD decision was a mix of a fit of frugality tempered with the local clay soil and not too big rocks. I am hoping that careful use will make it work and the $600 I saved will be good in the long run.
I've also used my MX6 mower with the e-PTO. It really bogs down the tractor when I engage the PTO, but my dealer says it's OK. I use it like this when I'm effectively "mowing the lawn" and it's all level surface with grass where I'm taking off 4" or so. I've also used the sickle bar in this mode and it seems to have all the power it needs. I use the MX6 in "normal" PTO mode in areas that get cut once a year, and it's great. One pass at 5 MPH and I'm done.
So there's my questions and circumstances that brought it up. TIA.
Pete
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