5320 PTO

[vanee]

Hello,

I recently purchased a used 5320 and have been very happy with it. The only issue I have with it is that the PTO startup is very aggressive. When I start up something that has a fair amount of momentum, like a brush hog or stalk chopper it's very hard on the implement since it forces it to get up to speed instantly rather than gradually. In fact startup will shear the pin on my brush hog if it's already been weakened by hitting a few rocks or started up too many times. The manual offers no real help, and even suggests being at pto speed before starting it up. For now I start it up at about 1000 rpm or below. One thing I haven't tried is engaging the pto lever slowly since I know it's hard on some transmissions to do that. So what do you think? Should I engage the lever gradually, or will adjusting the linkage help with this problem? Thanks.

 

[JD5210]

When I engage the PTO I have the RPM set at 1000 and I gradually engage the PTO clutch. I would be interested to know why you feel it should NOT be done gradually.

I did some searches and took this out of the first URL. "reduce PTO shaft abuse by observing the following: avoid tight turns that pinch rotating shafts between the tractor and machine; keep excessive telescoping to a minimum; engage power to the shaft gradually; and avoid over tightening of slip clutches on PTO-driven machines. Would think if it was bad for the tractor, it would have stated that.

National Ag Safety Database - Power Take-Off (PTO) Safety

Since you said the tractor was new to you. I thought the following URLs maybe of interest.
Instrument Panel Fogs Up : Fog forms inside instrument panel on some 5000 series tractors, making it hard to read gauges
Tire Tips for 5000 Tractors : Answers to common questions regarding 5000 series tractor tires
Clutch Slip on 5000 Series Tractors : Learn the importance of checking and maintaining proper clutch alignment
Transmission Creep : Tractor ?creeps? forward with gear lever in neutral
Mechanical Front Wheel Drive tire recommendations for best performance
Front End Noise : Gear backlash causes noise on 5000 series tractors
This is a John Deere manual on the engine.
http://www.visaevolution.com/dati_sito/manuali/officina/motori/john deere/ctm125-3029-ENG.pdf

 

[vanee]

I'm not sure where I got it in my head that it was bad to slowly engage the pto, maybe last year when I was debating JD vs. Kubota and I rented a Kubota M5040 for a month they had told me that, but I think that was more of an electronic engagement rather than a mechanical one.

Thanks for all the links!