Convert 540 PTO to 1000??

[ruffdog]

The HP dyno at the thresherman's park that tests pto HP has a scale for torque and a rpm meter so they can figure HP. A tractor may pull less torque, but because it is doing it at twice the rpm, has more HP.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Bottom line is, when I gear my pto UP to a faster speed, it has LESS power...

I've done it, so I'm not guessing...

SR

 

[4570Man]

When used with a 540 implement of course running it nearly twice as fast would feel like less power. Have you tried with a mower intended to be ran at 1000? Assuming the tractor is geared to reach pto speed at the engine rpm 540/1000rpm will have the same HP. I’m actually guessing the 1000 rpm has a little bit less lose to inefficiency since it’s closer to the engine rpm.

 

[RickB]

Bottom line is, when I gear my pto UP to a faster speed, it has LESS power...

I've done it, so I'm not guessing...

SR

You miss the point.

 

[searcyfarms]

I have a good deal on a used rotary cutter, but it is a 1000 RPM model. My tractor is a 540 machine. Can this tractor be converted to use this cutter?? TIA - so to your original post..........

yes you can add an external gearbox to increase the speed - those gearboxes are not cheap but they are less expensive than converting your tractor to a different speed pto typically unless you are a do it yourselfer.

 

[/pine]

Curious about an outside the box modification...?
What would be the drawbacks of a simple chain drive transmission...lg sprocket/sm socket ?
would require some fabrication skills but it seems like it would not be a difficult project??

 

[4570Man]

I was thinking something along the lines of taking the gears out of the gearbox and only using it for bearings and converting it to a tire drive bushhog.

 

[hosspuller]

First of all... how big is this "good deal"... cutter ? Usually, 1000 RPM PTO is a high horsepower unit. The stub shaft is totally different than a 540 RPM PTO. Regardless of the PTO you need a certain amount of power to make it work well. If your tractor can't provide the power, you're wasting your time thinking of a conversion. A 50 HP TRACTOR is not going to handle a 15 foot wide batwing mower well.

Do you have any other 540 PTO equipment needs ?

 

[searcyfarms]

I was going to ask the same question hosspuller, unless he is holding out on us per his signature file the biggest thing I see is 35hp and by the time you subtract various things from the tractor drive pto hp to the requirements of 1000rpm this is in the area of not a good idea nor will it work well.

my buddy and I have two batwings and they are 540s we had to hunt harder to find those vs 1000, it seems many of the big batwings are more 1000 as you say.

I have often contemplated running a 540 coupler off my 1000 pto ( all my tractors have both pto speed options ) and running my tractor at lower rpms to see if I would have the power in the tractors midrange and running less rpm on the tractor save fuel..........

You need power to run a large batwing mower - especially if you are mowing growth vs topping grazed pastures

I cant see this adventure being one of working well but hey cant knock a guy for trying but at some point you need to determine wise vs foolish

 

[zzvyb6]

Simple solution: Take your PTO generator and a 1000 rpm electric motor and run the grass cutter off of electricity. Best if your genny has 3 phase outputs. If not buy one that has it with the money you are saving. Cheap 3ph electric motors are all over the place. Try not to run over the electric cable you have to run to the cutter from the genny, you could start the field on fire. Even better would be if you have a front pto and run the genny from it. You need a longer cable though, and pushing a trailer in a field can be tricky.

Another possiblity would be to use a 1000 rpm DC motor and run it off of a battery trailer. Add some solar cells and you might be able to sell power back to the electric company on a very sunny day.

I suppose you could double the length of the mower blades, too. That would get the blade tip speed up but raise heck with the mower case and shroud for the first few revolutions. (Use ear muffs and a good radio).

Why do you have to actually run it ? Just try dragging it across the field (take the wheels off, off course). It takes work to cut grass over a period of time. Work is power x time. And power is the integral of torque x rpm. So, for 1000 rpm vs. 540, you can still use the same amount of sunlight. (BTW: 1000 is not twice 540. So the extra 80 rpm from a speed doubler could cause catastrophic failure of your sense of humor).