JD X720

[Toyboy]

I have a question for you Deere guys. My friend just got a new X720 and was telling me the book says to engage the PTO when engine is at full rpm. Boy, that sounds like a real jolt to everything and tough on clutch pack. Darn near like dropping the clutch at drag strip.

Is this common w/JD or just this series?

 

[jenkinsph]

Don't know about the book but I would read the verbage myself to make sure the interpetation is correct. I would much prefer to engage the pto at the lowest rpm possible then increase the engine speed to the pto setting. That is just me.

 

[JD755]

Wow, the manual does say full RPM. All the manuals for JD compacts I have seen say to reduce RPM. Maybe the X720 has insufficient power such that engaging at less that full RPM would kill the engine?

 

[jenkinsph]

JD755,
I am hoping the 749 will have enough torque so that this isn't necessary. Guess I will find out soon.

 

[JD755]

JD755,
I am hoping the 749 will have enough torque so that this isn't necessary. Guess I will find out soon.

A friend of mine had, I believe, a 445 gas that he said he always had to engage his MMM at full RPM or the engine would die. When he got a 2520 I noticed he was still doing that. I checked his manual and it said to reduce RPM for engagement. He did and it worked fine. I would expect the engine in the X749 to handle reduced RPM engagement just fine, but I see the exact same words in its manual as the X720 about using full RPM. Maybe there is something else we don't know about, although I'm sure you will try the reduced setting first. If that works I would stick with it.

 

[Toyboy]

The X720 is listed at 27hp, so I don't think power is the issue. Just don't make sense to me, thats all.

 

[RollTideRam]

When I'm mowing on my x744 and forget to pull the switch up to back up, it kills the mower. I never idle down to turn it back on. I turn it on at full throttle and keep going. JC

 

[KB9UDE]

The x720 will start the mower at LOW rpms but it works better mid way up to full throttle. I never read the book but found it does work better with a higher speed than idle.

 

[JD755]

How are the PTO's connected on these tractors? Are they like the old garden tractors that ran pretty much directly off the engine rather than from the transmission like the compacts? Could be something there.

 

[fgross335_2210]

Most JD L&G tractors have an electric PTO clutch mounted directly to the bottom of the engine. I know when Deere introduced RIO they beefed up the clutches to handle full RPM engagement as it was obvious people would forget to use RIO and would back up and kill the mower and then immediately just push/pull the PTO switch to reengage the mower deck.

My Dad's 345 was pre-RIO and the manual said to reduce RPM's. My 335 and 355 are post-RIO and both manuals says WOT is fine.