Proper Way to Engage PTO?

[Steve HEF]

I'm running a 3930 with a finish mower and am winging it on engaging the PTO. It's live and I've found at about halfway of throwing the PTO lever there seems to be a clutch. What I've been doing is to raise the RPM just a couple hundred above idle so the machine won't stall, then ease the lever forward until the PTO starts turning. I hold the lever at this position until the PTO equalizes speed, and then engage the lever to direct hookup. Next I raise the RPM to 1800 for 540 PTO rpm and go to work. It just seems this is the least harsh way on the tractor.

Should I be doing anything different?

 

[k0ua]

Thats the way I would do it. and when I wanted to stop the PTO. I would reverse the procedure. throttle down slowly, then disengage the pto. and go on.

James K0UA

 

[jinman]

Thats the way I would do it. and when I wanted to stop the PTO. I would reverse the procedure. throttle down slowly, then disengage the pto. and go on.

James K0UA

+1 , Nothing to add. . . .

 

[missingstexas]

I'm not a new holland owner but on the Kubota's, the mechanics and sales guys told me to engage the PTO at the lowest RPM that the machine can operate at and not take a big hit from the added load.

 

[RoyJackson]

I'll add that if you have a foot throttle (or even a hand thottle), prepare to increase RPM's (or "blip" the foot throttle) if the engine starts to stall.
I'm normally below 1000RPM when I engage the PTO, shift the lever rapidly (blipping the throttle, if necessary), then increase RPM smoothly.
For those of you with the PTO switch or button (I don't and can't say I'd want one), the same process might work, but I think you'd have less time to react to a stall.
Finishing mowers are pretty easy...rotary cutters can be a beast (when engaging the PTO).

 

[JC-jetro]

Along with what has already said. If I'm operating a brush hog, I tend to raise it off the ground a few inches and then engage the pto to lower the interference with all the brush down below. I then gradually raise the rpm and lower the implement.

JC,

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. lower throttle to engage or disengage.

soundguy

 

[dave1949]

I always throttle down to engage or disengage the pto. However, my New Holland manual says to minimize the operation of the pto in the half-engaged position. I take that to mean you should slowly and smoothly completely engage the pto without waiting for the speed to equalize.

I know my pto doesn't have much low speed torque, it is pretty easy to stall the engine. I avoid that of course but I don't let it set in the middle either.
Dave.

 

[ccsial]

yep.. lower throttle to engage or disengage.

soundguy

I always engage/disengage at low throttle. But why is low throttle important to disengage?

It seems the implement has enough stored energy to provide a smooth disengage. I have done it on occasion and it is very smooth.

 

[barbqranch]

I also engage at low rpm, but often disengage at full running rpm. This is for a brush hog type mower. The only time I could image any problem with disengaging at higher rpm is if the implement is under a load so there is power being transmitted through the shaft. Then it might cause wear, I am not sure.