Pasquali XB40 (CBS 740) Photos

Tandem · Jan 29, 2019

The clutch lever seems to work fine, is yours hard to squeeze?

So far I can't complain about hand fatigue, quite contrary compared to the Billy Goat mower the Pasquali is a huge upgrade for me in terms of handles vibration and minimal physical effort when operating.

The one think I do not like about the PowerSafe is the fact that I am having a hard time making the clutch engage and disengage smoothly. Unlike with regular clutch the PowerSafe clutch does not seem to engage at all until the leaver is almost completely released. I find this a bit tricky especially when pulling a trailer as the go and stop can be quite abrupt, although I am slowly getting the hang of it.

What I definitely don't like is the fact that the wheels stop completely when the clutch is squeezed, there is no coasting. It makes sense that everything stops when the Machine Stop Lever is released, but it should not be that way with the clutch.

JamesHW · Jan 30, 2019

My BCS dealer informed me that the stiffness of the clutch should alleviate with time.

Jens767 · Feb 5, 2019

Hi Tandem

Welcome to this great forum - and congratulation with your new tractor!

As I read your posts from 2016, I got the impression that you have been through many of the same considerations that I went through, when I was looking for a 2-wheel tractor back in 2010. I feel confident that you have made a very good choice by getting a Pasquali XB40, and I hope that it will live up to your expectations, and serve you well for many years to come. As I have used my BCS 740 for 214.6 hours now, please allow me to convey some of the experiences that I have gathered, since I got my tractor in July 2011. Perhaps some of my experiences can also be helpful to you. If you haven't read them already, there is a lot of useful information in some of the older threads in this forum.

I use my tractor in the front-PTO (mowing) mode only, either for mowing or sweeping. Especially by mowing, I found the ground clearance under the engine very small using the standard 5x10x20" wheels. I changed them to the 6.5x12x23" wheels, and that almost doubled the ground clearance. As an extra bonus, it adds around 15% to the ground speed.

The steering brakes on our tractors are normally set up for the rear-PTO (tiller) mode, which means, the when you turn the handlebars to the front-PTO mode, the steering brake lever on the right-hand side handlebar will brake the left wheel, and vice versa. One can easily get used to that, but if you mainly use your tractor in the front-PTO mode, you might consider swapping the cables. I did that as I changed to the larger wheels, and it is no big deal, if you swap the cables at the brake drums.

You are absolutely correct about the PowerSafe clutch; you do not have to worry about it getting stucket. The traditional double-cone clutch is a mechanically activated dry clutch, where a strong large spring engages the clutch by pressing the two cones together when the clutch lever is released. To disengage the clutch, you pull the clutch lever towards the handlebar, thereby compressing the spring, allowing the cones to separate. To prevent the clutch from getting stucket, a small clip in front of the clutch lever allows you to leave the clutch disengage, which is recommended if the tractor is left unused for a longer period of time, especially in humid conditions.

The PowerSafe clutch on the other hand, is a hydraulically activated wet multi disk clutch, where oil pressure engages the clutch, by pressing the disks together when the engine is running and the clutch lever is released after the OPC-lever has been pressed towards the handlebar. When the engine does not run, the oil pump does of course also not run. This means, that even with the clutch lever released, the clutch is still disengaged and it cannot get stucket, and that is why the lever need no clip. When the engine is running, the oil pump produces 6-9 bar (87-130.5 psi) of oil pressure, which at first bypasses the clutch through a pressure relief valve, leaving the clutch disengaged. Probably for safety reasons, you have to go through a 3 step procedure to engage the clutch:

- First you pull the clutch lever towards the handlebar
- This mechanically allows the OPC-lever to be pressed towards the handlebar
- Finally the clutch lever is released, while holding down the OPC-lever

The clutch lever and the OPC-lever, are each connected to a separate valve. When both valves are open, (i. e., the OPC-lever is pressed down and the clutch lever is released), oil pressure will compress the clutch disks, engaging the clutch while the pressure relief valve closes. As the two levers just actuates small valves, they need very little force to operate. To disengage the clutch, the clutch lever can be pulled, the OPC-lever can be released, or both, as this will close at least one of the valves, preventing oil pressure from engaging the clutch. At the same time, the pressure relief valve will open, as the oil pump is still running. When the engine is shut off, the clutch will disengage, as the oil pressure will disappear. This is the opposite situation compered to a tradition clutch, and can be a little counterintuitive at first.

I think most of us have had the same experience as you, when it comes to finding the "sweet spot" of the PowerSafe clutch. The two valves operated by the clutch and OPC-levers, are not of the on/off type, but my experience tells me, that they have a smaller range between fully disengaged and fully engaged, compared to at traditional clutch. This makes it more difficult to operate the clutch smoothly. My experience is though, that this was more of a problem when my tractor was new, whereas now, I can engage and disengage the clutch much more smoothly - more or les as with a traditional one.

You should be able to adjust the point where the clutch engages on the clutch lever, just where the cable begins. The clutch was probably adjusted correctly at the factory, but after a short break-in period, your clutch cable might need to be adjusted. I did that once shortly after I got my tractor, and it has worked perfectly ever since.

The braking issue when disengaging the clutch, has been one of the big topics in this forum, and if you haven't read it already, you might find a lot of useful information in the "Powersafe" thread in this forum. In short, this feature was installed by BCS, in order to comply with EU safety regulations.

Best regards

Jens

Tandem · Feb 20, 2019

BCS Curved Coupler (92247720)

Thank you for the detailed tips and suggestions Jens, very helpful.

My primary use is mowing and pulling a trailer. Ground clearance has not been an issue for me so far with the 5.0-10 wheels, but I will have to think about improving traction when puling the trailer. I know there is a lot of info on this forum about that.

So far I did not need to use the breaks for steering while mowing so I don't think I will need to swap the cables.

Here are some photos of my way of attaching the trailer to the BCS Curved Coupler (92247720).

Jens767 · Feb 24, 2019

Hi again Tandem

Thank you for your nice comments!

50 or more years ago, 2-wheel tractors would typically be much heavier than a modern one with a similar sized engine. If, for comparison, we take a Holder E12 produced in Germany in the 1950s and having a 8.8 kW (12 hp) engine, it weighed 415 kg (915 lbs)! Our tractors weighs only 114 kg (251 lbs), but has the same amount of power. As traction on a hard surface is proportional to the weight on the driving wheels, a Pasquali XB40/BCS 740 only has 114/415x100 = 27.5% of the traction that the Holder has. The light weight makes the modern tractors easier to work with, and when using a power hungry implement like your flail mower, you get the best of two worlds. When pulling a trailer on the other hand, you are not able to fully convert the power of your engine into traction, due to the low weight on the tractor wheels. I have mounted wheel weights on my tractor, adding 15 kg (33 lbs) to each wheel. This modest increase in weight has improved traction quite a bit, and at the same time lowered the center of gravity of the tractor, making it more stable on steep and bumpy terrain. If you would swap your standard wheels for the 6.5x12x23'' wheels, you would even be able to add 34 kg (75 lbs) to each wheel. This would bring the weight of your tractor up to at least 114+2x34 = 182 kg (401 lbs), thereby increasing traction by 68/114x100 = 60%!

As you have probably read in other treads already, some members are very pleased with the steering brakes, and uses them a lot. Like you, I hardly ever uses mine, as I find it very easy to turn without using then, when working with my mower and sweeper. I also feel more in control when I have a firm grip at the handlebar with both hands.

Best regards

Jens

Tandem · Feb 24, 2019

Thank you Jens, your explanation makes perfect sense.

At the moment I am looking at the least costly option and considering making an adapter to use weight lifting plates rather than the BCS weights you are referring to as they would cost me way to much.

Even with my standard 5.0-10 wheels, I should be able to add about 37.5kg in weight plates plus the weight of the adaptor.

cmyoung2 · Feb 24, 2019

BCS 853 Adding weight for traction does help. I foam filled the tires, added about 22 lbs each. If I really need traction I have another set of tires I can add as duals, also foam filled. The adaptor/extension to connect the 2 is a 8" extension, hollow, so I filled the middle with melted lead, added another 8 lbs each. For using the rotary plow, I made a bracket using 3/4" pipe to hold weight lifting plates, 25 lbs balance that implement well. I also have the post type brackets to fit inside the wheels to hold that type weight, I can add about 80 lbs that way.
Even still, sometimes on my hills, traction can still be an issue. And the heavier I get it, the more I use the steering brakes.

Jens767 · Feb 25, 2019

Hi again Tandem

If you are considering using weight lifting plates, you are perhaps already aware, that Earth Tools is selling barbell weight hangers, that will fit weight plates with a standard 1'' hole:

Earth Tools

These hangers will allow up to 100 lbs (45 kg) to be added to each wheel, bringen the weight of your tractor up to 114+2x45 = 204 kg (450 lbs), and increase traction by at least 90/114x100 = 79%!

Best regards

Jens

Tandem · Apr 26, 2019

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yes, the Earth Tools Wheel Weight Hangers is the best solution and I would definitely buy them if I was in the US. Did not make much sense to have something like that shipped overseas so I put this together and it works great. Getting the right weights to fit inside the small wheels was bit tricky as the diameters vary between brands.