Correct PTO RPM to Bush Hog

[scott_vt]

Hey Scotty, you don't recon this is a Massey thing do ya? We just picked a brand that can take all this stress'n we put on 'em maybe.????

Nahhh Bill,
My Farmalls take the same abuse ! Heck the 42 is 65 years young and runnin like a champ ! Heck, dont even use multi viscosity oil in those old girls, oh darn dont want to stir that pot !

 

[Gatorboy]

I'll be waiting.....with engine running at less than full rpms.....

Uh, I'm also running less than full RPMs -- I'm running at max PTO RPMs, not max tractor RPM's.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Uh, I'm also running less than full RPMs -- I'm running at max PTO RPMs, not max tractor RPM's.

Well, I suppose that's better than a few folks I know that don't run at full rpms, and they don't even own a tractor, if you know what I mean....

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Nahhh Bill,
My Farmalls take the same abuse ! Heck the 42 is 65 years young and runnin like a champ ! Heck, dont even use multi viscosity oil in those old girls, oh darn dont want to stir that pot !

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Not the dreaded oil viscosity arguement!

 

[N80]

My JD manual says to run the cutter at the rated rpm, but the only warning is not to exceed the rated rpm. The manual says to adjust the slip clutch to a gap of 4mm between the Bellville spring and the clutch plate. That is the only parameter given and there are no adjustments based on tractor hp.

I run my cutter at the rpm that suits the situation. The 'rated rpm' does not dictate how I mow. My land is bumpy, uneven and hilly and safe comfortable ground speed dictates tractor rpm. If I can select a gear that gives me the ground speed I want and the pto rpm of 540, then great. But most of the time it does not work out that way and the pto rpm is much less. I cannot tell a difference in cut quality, but then again, I'm cutting fields, not golf courses.

Now, when I mow my neighbors big, perfectly flat and smooth fields, I'll get a good fast ground speed and try to get to 540 pto rpm and set the hand throttle and go.

Bottom line, I'm usually mowing at less than 540 and that's just the way its going to be.

 

[greg_g]

Over the 40+ years I've been using my own tractors to bush hog with, I've worn out several mowers from hundreds, maybe even thousands of hours of use.

Don't think I'm singling you out on purpose, but the name "FarmWithJunk " paints a painfully tempting target. It's obviously far to late to quantify anymore, but I can't help but wonder how much less junk you'd have on that farm if you'd actually followed any/all manufacturer's recommendations during those 40 years.

//greg//

 

[Farmerford]

Listen up, Farmwithjunk. If you had only followed the owner's manuals that old Farmall wouldn't even be broken in by now. Bet our 1968? MF 1100 wouldn't even need a paint job at 18,000 hours. And I could have certainly gotten more pasture mowed in the 1950's with the JD 40 if I had just remembered "540 rpm" (and if the old girl had a tach).

And, you could change your handle to "Farmwithproperlymaintainedequipment."

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Don't think I'm singling you out on purpose, but the name "FarmWithJunk " paints a painfully tempting target. It's obviously far to late to quantify anymore, but I can't help but wonder how much less junk you'd have on that farm if you'd actually followed any/all manufacturer's recommendations during those 40 years.

//greg//

Ah Greg, yet ANOTHER occasion where you sound off when you have absolutely no clue about what you're speaking of. But then, we've come to expect that from you after oh so many times such as this.

It's very easy to understand how you'd make such a mistake. One quick look at your profile will explain how you wouldn't know a REAL piece of farm equipment if it fell out of the sky and landed on you.

My username comes NOT from the condition of my equipment as it is, but more accurately, as it WAS. Most of what I farmed with was bought used, and bought from people who used, abused, mis-used, tortured, destroyed, and damaged perfectly good equipment, then were forced to sell it or trade it for pennies on the dollar of what it SHOULD HAVE BEEN WORTH. Then I would buy it, repair it, and farm with it for a few years, sell it at a tidy profit and then go looking for yet another piece that met an early demise due to its owners lack of understanding of how to take proper care of their equipment and make it last .....

So long as there's people in this world like you that don't understand the fact that you don't need to hammer the daylights out of every piece of equipment every time you turn the ignition switch, people like me won't have a difficult time finding a constant source of used equipment with its life nearly wrung out long before it's time.

So your rather sophmoric attempt at humor actually ends up as a compliment on my username and how it came to be.

So, as I was taught at an early age, I thank you for (A) providing those of us who depend on people like you with a steady flow of prematurely worn out equipment, and (B) Thank you for providing me with an opportunity to explain how my username was created.

 

[3RRL]

Does your tractor have a 2 speed PTO ... maybe 540 and 720? If so, you could put it in 720 PTO speed and run at lower engine rpm if your tractor has the hp to run the mower. That's what I do. For example, my tractor engine runs at 2300 rpm to get 540 PTO rpm. But when I put the PTO in the 720 range, I can run the engine at 1725 rpm and generate 540 PTO rpm that way. In your case (if you have a 720 PTO range) you could run your engine at 1950 rpm to get 540 PTO rpm. (I used 2600 engine rpm to get 540 PTO rpm), then assumed you have a 720 PTO speed.

Advantages for me are:
- less engine rpm so less fuel use
- my peak torque falls right at that (1725) rpm range so little "engine bog down"
- I can navigate terrain at a slower speed in each gear since my engine rpm's are less
- less noise and vibration
- less wear and tear on the engine and drive train ... regardless that you can run a diesel at full rpm

As usual, others may disagree, but that's what I do.
So, do you have a 2 speed PTO?

 

[greg_g]

Most of what I farmed with was bought used, and bought from people who used, abused, mis-used, tortured, destroyed, and damaged perfectly good equipment,

Despite your unnecessarily rude delivery, I'll thank you anyway for reinforcing my point.

//greg//