990 Questions

Keith_B · Dec 30, 2004

I plan on purchasing a 40hp compact or utility tractor with MFWD and FEL this spring. The 990 has a good price on it, but I have some questions about specs and capabilities I thought some on here might be able to answer.

What exactly is a contiuous live PTO?

Is the 990 capable of running a 6' bush hog?

Do you find the loader specs to be max what the 430 loader can actually do, or are the specs on the conservative side?

yellowsocks93 · Dec 30, 2004

I have a 990 and love it. A contiuous live PTO is one where if you press the clutch down half way of it's full travel the PTO will keep going as normal. If you press it down all the way to the floor it will stop. Once you let it out it will start up again. Kind of nice if you need to stop to talk to someone because you don't need to be messing with levers to start and stop the PTO.

Keith_B · Dec 30, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( A contiuous live PTO is one where if you press the clutch down half way of it's full travel the PTO will keep going as normal. If you press it down all the way to the floor it will stop. Once you let it out it will start up again. Kind of nice if you need to stop to talk to someone because you don't need to be messing with levers to start and stop the PTO. )</font>

How does this differ from an independent PTO with a two-stage clutch?

jrdellaratta · Dec 30, 2004

I think the 6' may prove a bit much for the 990 to handle in some instances, particularly if your into heavier brush. Others here at TBN have said as much. I run a 5' light-duty behind mine with no trouble.

RoyJackson · Dec 30, 2004

I think the 6' may prove a bit much for the 990 to handle in some instances, particularly if your into heavier brush. Others here at TBN have said as much. I run a 5' light-duty behind mine with no trouble

I run a 5' cutter behind a 790 with 11 less horsepower at the PTO with no problems at all.
The 990 has 35 HP at the PTO. I'd run a 6' cutter...in fact, I'd go for a 7' cutter.
As long as the weight of the cutter didn't exceed the 3PH capacity (too much), the 7 footer would be the choice. Should the growth get thick and the tractor bog, one can either shift down or takes passes using less then the width of the cutter.

As far as the continuous live PTO, the dual stage clutch yellowsocks described is easy to use. It does take a bit of practice, but those cutter blades spin quite a while when you clutch. That dual stage is very handy when you use a finishing mower.

yellowsocks93 · Dec 31, 2004

Generally an independent is fully seperate from the transmission. Like on the 4000 series Deere's you can press the clutch all the way down and the PTO will keep going. My 4300 was this way and it was nice but there really is no downside to having a 2 stage if you use it properly. If a brochure says independent with 2 stage clutch it is not fully independent.