B2620 Clutch Operation

[jcaledon]

Hi there,

Just put 20 hours on my new B2620 HST. However, I'm somewhat confused about how to operate the clutch. I thought that this was a two stage clutch. Push the pedal down half way, and you can change gear ranges, and press it all the way down and you can engage is disengage the PTO.

There doesn't appear to be a half way point on the clutch to distinguish between the two. So I have just been pressing the pedal down all the way to engage/disengage both the PTO and the speed range. The manual is silent on how to operate either/or - all it speaks to is engaging or disengaging the clutch period - nothing about it being two stage.

I have generally been leaving the tractor in the M range, when mowing so really haven't had a problem. But I would like to be able to change ranges without disengaging the PTO. Also, is it safe to just disengage the PTO by moving the lever to neutral, without engaging the clutch? The manual says to disengage the clutch - but I get the impression that the manual was written to be really general, so I don't trust it completely. As an example, it says that you can't start the tractor without the speed range being in neutral - but mine starts no problem when its in gear. Perhaps this is an HST thing.

Any advice would be appreciated. I don't want to screw up my new tractor.

 

[Elsie71]

I don't have a 2620, but I'm sure you do not have a two stage clutch. You just push it down to either change ranges or engage the PTO. Some tractors have a two stage clutch, but I don't think your does. I can easily disengage the PTO without using the clutch on my 7100.

 

[jcaledon]

I don't have a 2620, but I'm sure you do not have a two stage clutch. You just push it down to either change ranges or engage the PTO. Some tractors have a two stage clutch, but I don't think your does. I can easily disengage the PTO without using the clutch on my 7100.

You must be right. I thought that it was a two stage clutch, but I was obviously mistaken. When you disengage the PTO without using the clutch, do you drop the RPMs, and then move the lever to neutral, or do you just leave the RPMs at whatever level they were at? Does this harm the tractor at all?

 

[B2400]

Two stage clutches are for manual trans tractors. The only need for the clutch on your hydro is to engage/ disengage PTO and startup safety switch.
My B2400 is pretty much the same set-up. As long as your sitting still, you don't need the clutch to change ranges. You might have to wiggle the hydro pedal a bit to line things up, but it usually drops right in whatever range I need.

 

[art]

The 2620 is not a two stage clutch.

 

[jcaledon]

Two stage clutches are for manual trans tractors. The only need for the clutch on your hydro is to engage/ disengage PTO and startup safety switch.
My B2400 is pretty much the same set-up. As long as your sitting still, you don't need the clutch to change ranges. You might have to wiggle the hydro pedal a bit to line things up, but it usually drops right in whatever range I need.

I will try changing ranges without clutching later on today - although the manual says that you need to clutch before changing ranges. The manual is the same for the 2320/2620/2920, HST and gear driven models. Kubota needs to add more detail to its manuals.

Is there any chance that I damage the transmission by changing ranges without clutching? Also I read on another thread that you only clutch to engage the PTO, but not to disengage it. Again, the manual says that you clutch to engage and disengage the PTO - which is contrary to this.

Also, I thought that depressing, or disengaging the clutch, activated a PTO brake. When I use my MMM, the mower continues to spin for a few seconds (as it slows down) after I've hit the clutch and disengaged the PTO. Is this normal, or is it supposed to stop immediately?

There is another thread on related issues in the general section - but the responses appear to be contrary to what I'm getting - this may just be the nature of the B's setup.

Thanks for the responses.