1700E Series PTO Operation

   / 1700E Series PTO Operation #1  

Wolfman

Bronze Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2003
Messages
88
Location
Texas
Tractor
2016 MF 2706E HST
I am starting to seriously look at the 1734E Hydro, but my only hangup is the fact that the tractor has a transmission driven PTO. Can someone who has a hydro with transmission driven pto explain how the system works. I am planning on running a rear cutter and post hole digger. I am assuming that the clutch is not just for the pto, but when pressing the clutch it will stop the tractor even if the hydro pedal is pressed down? How does the system work with a post hole digger? With the pto running, is it possible to change directions of the tractor using the hydro pedal without pressing the clutch to stop the pto?

Right now I currently have a gear tractor with independent pto, and the operation while using the rear cutter is simple. There are some tight spots that I need to back into, stop and then lower the cutter to cut and then move. Will this be possible with a transmission driven pto?

I'm also a little confused by the Massey Ferguson Brochure for the 1700E series. It looks like the 1726E and 1734E have a transmission pto, while the 1739E has independent transmission for gear and transmission with overrunning clutch for the hydro. Does that mean that the 1734E hydro does not have an overrunning clutch?

Thanks for any help from any 1700E series owners.
 
   / 1700E Series PTO Operation #2  
Hi Wolfman. I have the 1734E Hydro model. You press the clutch to engage the PTO, put it in/out of 4wd and to change from neutral/high/medium/low range. Afterwards, you change direction without using the clutch. The PTO is not affected by working the treadle pedal. Only engine speed and working the clutch affect the pto. It does have an overrunning clutch. I am very pleased with this tractor. It handles my 5' tiller, snowblower, rotary cutter and 2 bottom plow with ease. Hope this helps.
 
   / 1700E Series PTO Operation
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Hi Wolfman. I have the 1734E Hydro model. You press the clutch to engage the PTO, put it in/out of 4wd and to change from neutral/high/medium/low range. Afterwards, you change direction without using the clutch. The PTO is not affected by working the treadle pedal. Only engine speed and working the clutch affect the pto. It does have an overrunning clutch. I am very pleased with this tractor. It handles my 5' tiller, snowblower, rotary cutter and 2 bottom plow with ease. Hope this helps.

Thank you labhaven, that really helps a lot. In the specs it states that the 1734E is a transmission driven pto. Traditionally this meant that the tractor needed to be in motion for the pto to spin. So it seems the 1734E operates more like a live pto than a transmission driven one?

Also, do you find the hydro to be loud on your 1734E? I had a MF 1547 hydro a while back and it seemed to have a loud whine to it. My BIL has a JD that produces no noticeable whine. Wasn't sure if that might be just how Massey builds their hydro system.

And one last thing, I noticed this video of the 1734E on youtube that showed an issue with the loader hydraulics:
1734E1 - YouTube

Is this a problem that is just on that one particular tractor - or is this from the design of the system?

Thanks so much.
 
   / 1700E Series PTO Operation #4  
I'll have to defer to someone with more mechanical knowledge on how the transmission PTO works. I'd be interested in a good explanation.

I tried out a JD 2025R and a JD 3032E and to be honest, I don't recall if there was a difference in the hydro noise between JD and MF. I don't find it too loud. I think they tend to be whinier if you are running too low RPMs. Maybe I'm wrong on that but its what I notice. My old MH Mustang has a whiney hydraulic pump that drives you up a wall after a while!

I've done quite a bit of loader work with my MF1734e cleaning up a rubble floor and foundation. I have not experienced any bucket flop like they are showing in the video. Seems like that would be a major safety issue if the bucket wasn't locked under pressure. The bucket would flop around every time you hit a bump. I'll have to check it out the next time I have the tractor out. I have 10 yards of topsoil being delivered this week if we get a dry day.
 
   / 1700E Series PTO Operation #5  
Wolfman, I had the tractor out last night to start spreading topsoil. I was not able to duplicate the loader issue shown in the video. Maybe it was unique to that particular tractor? I'm not knowledgeable enough about hydraulics to know if its an adjustment that would fix that or a faulty valve, pump, etc..
 
   / 1700E Series PTO Operation
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Thanks labhaven, I think I am pretty close to pulling the trigger on the 1734E. You have set my mind at ease, haha.

Seems like a great value for this size tractor, I'm surprised I don't see a lot more talk about these MF 1700E series tractors. I am looking to downsize because of the need to fit into some tight spaces, that right now I can't really fit into with my JD 5045D.

Hate to keep doing this to you - but I was looking at the specs on MF website. It says that the overall width is 52.4 inches. Is that accurate? On my current tractor, the brochure gives the width as overall width of the rear axle between the flanges. It gives the figure as 57.3 inches - but the actual width of the tractor is 73" (without setting the wheels out). Just curious how wide the 1734E actually is at its widest point.
 
   / 1700E Series PTO Operation #7  
I have a 1726E which is the same dimensions and transmission as the 1734E. Mine has R4 tires and the widest point is 60" from the outside edges of the rear tires. It would be a tight squeeze to go through a 5' gate but who has one of those? I won't comment on the PTO use as I haven't used it yet. The loader has worked perfectly and seems to have a balanced amount of lift capacity in relation to the size and weight of the machine. I've moved about 20 yards of wet dirt so far plus assorted piles of debris with no complaints. I couldn't watch that video as it was taken down. Love this tractor.
 
   / 1700E Series PTO Operation
  • Thread Starter
#8  
I have a 1726E which is the same dimensions and transmission as the 1734E. Mine has R4 tires and the widest point is 60" from the outside edges of the rear tires. It would be a tight squeeze to go through a 5' gate but who has one of those? I won't comment on the PTO use as I haven't used it yet. The loader has worked perfectly and seems to have a balanced amount of lift capacity in relation to the size and weight of the machine. I've moved about 20 yards of wet dirt so far plus assorted piles of debris with no complaints. I couldn't watch that video as it was taken down. Love this tractor.

Thanks sdcharger. I am assuming you have the hydro version of the 1726E? The 1726E was the model that made me interested in the line, especially since it didn't have the new emissions stuff on it. If you have the hydro version, I'm curious if you ever hit the relief on the hydro (where you push the pedal to go but the tractor will not move forward), or if you end up losing traction if you go into something hard with the loader. The 1726E has to be one of the stoutest, DPF free new tractors available.

Right now, my dealer has only one 1700E series tractor on the lot and it is a 1726E 9x3 gear tractor. Its tempting, but I really wish it was a power shuttle since it has a loader...
 
   / 1700E Series PTO Operation #9  
Yes I have a hydro version and no I haven't hit any type of "relief". Keep in mind I only have 10 hours so far on my machine. Rain has been cramping my style.

As far as traction goes, I haven't had any trouble digging into the wet dirt pile with the FEL and getting a full bucket. Using low gear and 4x4 for the heavy stuff.
 
   / 1700E Series PTO Operation #10  
I'm coming up on two years with my 1734e, so far no issues with it at all. The regeneration of the DPF has not caused any problems. The only times I have it the relief limit with the HST has been when I was in high range, high range is only good for moving the tractor between jobs over mostly flat ground. I get most things done in the middle range. With R4 tires that are not loaded it will spin the tires before hitting the limit on the HST. I have ample power at the PTO for a five foot brush hog and tiller.
Conditions that would bring my 8N to a complete stop with the brush hog don't slow the 1734e down even a little bit.
What would I do differently? I should have had the tires filled, probably be a few less rust around from spinning the tires when using the fel.
I don't think you will go wrong with this purchase, but then I am a bit biased.
 
 
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