Use of Power Reverser

[laurenzo]

For you 4310/4410 veterans... I just took delivery of a new 4310 with the epr. This thread has answered some of the same questions that I had. There is one other though... The manual describes the initial use of the epr when first starting the tractor in the following manner (basically): With the epr in neutral, select both the "range" and "gear," (using the clutch of course) then, using the clutch, move the epr into, say, forward and release the clutch. When I was shopping, two different salesmen at different dealerships used it differently. In both cases, with the epr in neutral, they would set the range and gear position then they would move the epr to, for instance, the forward position without clutching.

Without knowing greater details of how the system is designed, the only thing I can figure is, using the procedure outlined in the manual, that initially the "lash" in the gear drive needs to be removed by clutching the epr. This would reduce "impact" stress. Once the lash is removed, the epr can be moved from one direction to the other since the tranny doesn't actually reverse - am I correct here? Your thoughts please?

 

[Adirondaks]

The short rollout (stopping distance) I use inside the barn, the long rollout I use outside to "coast" into material to be moved with the FEL.
Lou

 

[jeffinsgf]

While I tend to use the clutch -- sometimes when I don't even need to -- I have done it as your salesmen did. That is, ePR selector in neutral, select gear and range, then push ePR selector into the desired direction. It seems to make little difference to the tractor how it is done -- nothing ever jerks or buck or clanks. Personally I am quite happy with the ePR and think that I would prefer it over an HST.

 

[_RaT_]

Jeff is correct, you will find times where you clutch and other times where you will not. It really does not matter. I find myself doing it all the time on a different brand of tractor but it is essentially the same. Shuttle shifts work very well, its hard though to compare it to HST as the two work very differently.

 

[jeffinsgf]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...., its hard though to compare it to HST as the two work very differently. )</font>

I didn't mean to say one was better than another, and I don't want to start a silly debate. I prefer it personally, because I don't have to keep my foot in the same place all the time and I can turn around and look at my implement to see what is going on. I grew up on hand throttle tractors and it just seems more natural to me.

 

[Dargo]

I don't think you started a debate. I've had EPR tractors before and now have an HST. I can honestly say that I really don't have a preference between the two. Both are fine to me. It sounds like I'm trying to be "politically correct", but I really don't prefer one over the other. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

On the clutch thing, I almost always used the clutch when mowing and changing directions. That way I was able to accurately know exactly when it would move, and I could keep from leaving small marks in the yard from the tractor possibly taking off just a little too fast in either direction.

 

[robison]

Thanks for all the replies. Here's how I distill down the answers so far:

You can shift direct from F to R without touching the clutch. Just flick the lever. It may jerk is done at high speed, and logic says you do it near idle. No damage results from doing this. It's normal. I can see this makes loader operation a lot smother and faster than shift/clutch

Second, you can shift into N, then back to F or R, also without using the clutch. But you should use the clutch the first time the machine is started.

Do I have it right?

 

[timb]

You've got it. Reading this it actually sounds more difficult than it is. Becomes second nature very quickly, and spoils you when you jump back on a traditional gear tractor.

Especially with that tranny, you've got what should be one of the most bullet-proof and long-lived CUTs available. Just about everyone here with a large-frame JD 4000-Ten has had great success with that series. Any questions you have, ask away.

With the 4510-4710 having been discontinued at the beginning of 2004, you might want to investigate what 'upgrades' you might be interested in, if any, and poke around the JD site to see if anything you're interested in looks like it may be discontinued soon. (Example - the "power beyond" kit is discontinued, but there may be some stock left, and it should be possible to make up the same set of parts from individual stock items, but...) You get the idea.

 

[tillboy2001]

One last thing - you said "It may jerk is done at high speed, and logic says you do it near idle"

You don't have to worry about being near idle to do this. If you had to do that, it would ruin any productivity of having this feature in the first place. The only issue I've noticed is being in a high gear and flicking it back and forth. When it catches it CAN jerk and/or rip up grass (if that's a concern). It's totally fine for me to use it to go back and forth in B range at 2400 RPM engine speed and have no big jerks. Anything higher than 2 in B range though and it starts to get a little jerky...simply because the tractor isn't going to ride the clutch for 5 minutes just to give you a smooth transition. It doesn't care. All it wants to do is ease into it a little and then kick in completely...and that can create a jerk when you're in higher gears. It's no different than riding the clutch yourself in a high gear before finally popping the clutch completely. Same deal. But really, if you're doing fairly heavy loader work you wouldn't be in anything higher than B range/3rd gear anyway. I'm usually in B/2....but occasionally 3. I shift manually to 4 if I have to take it some distance before dumping.

 

[_RaT_]

No no, I completely understand Jeff, now, what abouot this umbrella deal. Give me some details, I'd like one.