TD95D clutch question.

[WTA]

I've never been inside the transmission on a New holland yet but I have rebuilt several similar to it and I've been wondering is it better to leave the PTO clutch engaged or disengaged?

With it disengaged it seems to me like it's unnecessary wear on the pto clutch throw out bearing. I sure have rebuilt a lot of those on David brown and older case tractors which are sortof similar.

Since I am planning to keep this tractor for a long time does it make sense to run with the PTO always on or should I just leave it off till I need it? It just seems a little like riding the clutch to me is all with it off while it's running.

[RickB]

I haven't been around any TD's yet, but I can tell you that TN's and those TL's with a dry PTO clutch only load the "release" bearing when the PTO is engaged, not disengaged. The pressure plate fingers which we would commonly think of as pulling the pressure plates apart actually push them together in this configuration. The folks that wrote the operator's manual have described the proper and safe operation of the PTO clutch, and in the absence of better info, I'd follow what they have written.