Hour Meters

[Walkin Horse]

How does the hour meter record. Does it record hour for hour or does it work off the rpms.

 

[Wagtail]

Ignition 'ON', Ignition 'OFF' = time.

It's an indication of how long the donk has been running, not how hard its been working.

 

[ovrszd]

It totally depends on type.

My 2012 Kubota uses a digital/electronic hour meter. As Wagtail said, on/off.

My 1984 Ford uses a cable driven hour meter. It is most accurate at PTO engine speed. Less engine speed will record less time in an hour. Wide open throttle will record more time in an hour. It's uses are more under PTO speed than above. So it's hours recorded on the meter are always less than reality.

 

[Walkin Horse]

This is a new mx. A friend is using it to bill hours on a job. Are they that accurate or use a watch?

 

[DK35vince]

Depends on the type of meter.
My tractor has a cable driven meter.
1 hour at near PTO speed = 1 hour on the meter.

 

[ovrszd]

This is a new mx. A friend is using it to bill hours on a job. Are they that accurate or use a watch?

Yes, it's accurate enough. Simple electronic clock running when key is on.

With that said, the tractor should be paid for time on the job, running or not.

 

[Walkin Horse]

With that said, the tractor should be paid for time on the job, running or not.

Believe me he doesn't let it sit still.

 

[MHarryE]

Several variations. Old timers were hours at a certain rpm(generally pto). Next simple ones are hour meters that record when the switch is on. Not very good because if the key is accidentally left on, hours accumulate. Next type uses an engine oil pressure switch. When the engine oil pressure reaches a certain point, probably 5 psi, the hour meter starts running. Then there are engine computer hour meters. They might not be used to much as the engine oil pressure switch is inexpensive and farly reliable.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I don't try to squeeeeze my customers for every last penny... I go by the hour meter and leave it at that.

It's been working just fine for me for many MANYyears now...

SR

 

[Bird]

How does the hour meter record. Does it record hour for hour or does it work off the rpms.

I've had a Kubota B7100 and a B2710. This topic has come up several times in the past. One of them was simply a clock, running anytime the key was turned on, whether the engine was running or not. The other worked off the rpms; only recorded an hour if the engine was running at PTO speed.