A warning for those considering a Gear Drive Kubota L2501

[DieselnHooters]

HS if you clutch only halfway down, the tractor stops moving but the PTO still runs is what it is or maybe your model isn't really dual stage

 

[coralhead]

Click on attached picture to expand it and see why I claim that the Gear Drive L2501 does NOT have a 2 stage clutch. If you expand the picture you can see the warning sticker right on the instrument panel that reads "IMPORTANT: BEFORE SHIFTING FULLY DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH AND COMPLETELY STOP THE TRACTOR". View attachment 484010 This was actually a surprise to my dealer, who at first didn't know this either (neither of us had tried out this particular tractor before it was delivered). Because of this surprise, they were quite willing to allow me to trade up for an HST with no penalty.View attachment 484020

That sticker says nothing about the PTO. I read it as that the transmission does not have synchronized gears and the gears will grind if the tractor is still moving.

 

[TomSeller]

I agree, I'm a clutch guy,

I would think a clutch guy would know about a dual clutch.

 

[houstonscott]

Something ain't right then. The whole idea of a two-stage clutch is to be able to stop and/or change gears without stopping the PTO. 900 hours of ownership on my last L3400 and not once did I press the clutch to the floorboard to shift. That was only for engaging PTO. So either you have never tried it, or it was never adjusted properly

To shift gears or change from F to R ?

 

[houstonscott]

HS if you clutch only halfway down, the tractor stops moving but the PTO still runs is what it is or maybe your model isn't really dual stage

It does. HS

 

[DieselBound]

Never one to be worried about looking stupid... I've had my B7800 HST for nearly 6 years now (and put over 950 hours on it) and I've always pushed the clutch in fully to shift gear ranges. As clearly noted here, that sucks when your PTO is running. Am I understanding that I really only need to push the clutch in half/part way to change gear ranges and the PTO will keep running at set speed?

Not a huge deal for me, however, as I don't tend to shift very much (usually just stay in mid range while mowing).

 

[k0ua]

Never one to be worried about looking stupid... I've had my B7800 HST for nearly 6 years now (and put over 950 hours on it) and I've always pushed the clutch in fully to shift gear ranges. As clearly noted here, that sucks when your PTO is running. Am I understanding that I really only need to push the clutch in half/part way to change gear ranges and the PTO will keep running at set speed?

Not a huge deal for me, however, as I don't tend to shift very much (usually just stay in mid range while mowing).

I don't know about the B7800, but I do know about my old B7500. It did NOT have a 2 stage clutch. Only a single stage and when you pushed the single stage clutch in to reverse the PTO stopped or to be more precise the rotary cutter started to slow down and the overrunning clutch on the PTO shaft starts to click so that the cutters mass does not continue to push the tractor forward. When you let the clutch out again the rotary cutter would spin back up to speed.

Of course if you were in rough material, the cutter would actually stop and you would have to raise it to start it back up and then lower it.
This is not ideal, but I got along with it for 8 years.

 

[DieselBound]

Thanks, James. Pretty sure that it's as you note: now that I replay things in my head I can see that right away as I depress the clutch the PTO RPMs start dropping off. I guess I was just getting caught up in the excitement of this thread (and the thought of learning something new about my old tractor)

 

[mcfarmall]

I just pulled up the L2501 on the Kubota website and the specifications page clearly showed under the PTO section "Transmission driven".

 

[SpringHollow]

Unlike gear tractors, manufacturers say HST tractors are supposed to be run at near full rpm in order to keep the fluid cool. So I go through much more fuel when doing minor tractor work that I ever did with a gear tractor. They each have their own advantages.

Ken