Frontier RC2048bb questions 1025r

[hurricanoday]

Frontier RC2048 questions 1025r

I am about 10 hours into my 1025R and have some questions about the rotary and imatch. I have used the backhoe to dig a trench for cable internet and started working on a duck pond.

Question is about the rotary and the sheer bolt/slip clutch. I bought just the basic rotary with bolt and no chains/footgaurds etc. Well I started mowing the front pasture which I would guess is about 3 acres with some hilly terrain that I have to take the right angle with the tractor but mowing fine. I have already broken 2 bolts and it isn't fun replacing them or cheap.

So my question is should I buy a slip clutch for it or keep the bolt? I am sure I didn't have my RC set perfectly and the grass was tall and wet. I still have the back 2 acres and more in the front to do. I have read that most would keep the bolt if the ground is flate and kept but we had to let it grow all summer because we were buying the house and wasn't sure. (Plus I didn't have a tractor )

I have contacted deere and here is what they said.

Part #'s and prices are as follows
5TIFC711330 Clutch $153.62

5TIFC711331 Cover $16.64

5TIFC711306 Driveline Asmy w/clutch $332.64

If I had more experience I would have probably got the clutch in the beginning but my sales guy didn't mention it. So I am debating if I should buy the whole new shaft or just the clutch and cover?

Any help or input would be great

 

[beenthere]

Have you pinpointed just what is causing the shear bolts to shear? Going too fast and trying to cut too much? Or catching high dirt mounds or logs?

Weigh the time spent changing shear bolts against the cost of the clutch.

And if it would make putting in a shear bolt easier, I'd slip off that black shield (should slide ahead and if not, remove it).
No one will be on top of the rotary cutter when it is running, so shouldn't be a danger to tangling up in the drive shaft.

The shear bolt is protecting the tractor, so adhere to the specs on the bolts you get.

Nice pics, good work getting done, and cute daughter... thought at first maybe your daughter was running the rotary cutter..

 

[hurricanoday]

Re: Frontier RC2048 questions 1025r

Have you pinpointed just what is causing the shear bolts to shear? Going too fast and trying to cut too much? Or catching high dirt mounds or logs?

Weigh the time spent changing shear bolts against the cost of the clutch.

And if it would make putting in a shear bolt easier, I'd slip off that black shield (should slide ahead and if not, remove it).
No one will be on top of the rotary cutter when it is running, so shouldn't be a danger to tangling up in the drive shaft.

The shear bolt is protecting the tractor, so adhere to the specs on the bolts you get.

Nice pics, good work getting done, and cute daughter... thought at first maybe your daughter was running the rotary cutter..

Nope wife and brother in law helping to get the field down with the daughter holding the ducks this summer to show how tall the grass is. That is the back field we haven't even started yet

I also haven't pinpointed what is going on. I am pretty tractor noob and have just watched videos. I would guess we didn't have the mower/quick hitch set right. There def was some spots where we scalped the ground but I don't think we were going to fast. We probably did have it to low. Still gonna try different settings was just coming here asking for some opinions/advice.

We went to deere and bought the correct 5$ bolt so now we are gonna play with it some more. I don't think we did to tight of turns and tried to do more of the sweeping turns but we could have cut some to close. You can't turn at all with the shear bolt?

I just thought and from what I have read, since my land isn't a perfect flat pasture it will continue to break bolts.??

 

[rustyshakelford]

When I had a shredder with a shear bolt we went to tractor supply and bought a big bag of them for a couple bucks. I personally would go that route now vs spending $300 on a slip clutch. Figure out what keeps breaking them as mentioned above and go from there.

Brett

 

[MF283]

When I had a shredder with a shear bolt we went to tractor supply and bought a big bag of them for a couple bucks. I personally would go that route now vs spending $300 on a slip clutch. Figure out what keeps breaking them as mentioned above and go from there.

Brett

Agree:thumbsup:

 

[beenthere]

Shear bolts are not breaking because of tight turns. Likely breaking because of the cutter being set too low. And that comes with training the operator, but as long as the bolts shear then you are protecting the rest of the drive gears in the cutter and your 1025r from breaking. The shear bolts even at $5 are cheap protection.

Often the pain changing the broken one out is getting the bent bolt out of the hole. Get the right tools to do that job easier, such as a punch the right size and hammer. Also, I buy lock nuts for those shear bolts and then don't have to double nut them or tighten them all the way (leaving the bolt loose).

Be fussy who drives your tractor while working it, as it is an expensive toy. Great to have wife and BIL helping you clear the land, but it comes with needing to be cautious. Your shear bolts are your protector in this case.
Save the money on the slip clutch, as it comes with its own set of operator precautions.. meaning it is not the cure to your inexperienced operators. Changing out the shear pin when they break it is good training for them. Believe it or not.

A side pic of your cutter mounted on the tractor set at the height you are getting your brushing done, would maybe help with giving you some pointers.
Setting the trailer wheel for consistent rear height, and then using the 3ph to adjust front cutting height is a good way to go.

As shown in the pic with the lady (presume your wife) backing into the thick brush, I would back in with cutter carried about a foot higher, and knock down the tops. Then go forward with the cutter a bit lower and knowing a bit more where the lurking rocks, logs, or high spots are that will wipe out the shear pins.

I replaced the steel straps on my cutter with chain, and that lets the rear of the cutter float easier over non-even ground. Early on I bent those straps because they didn't work well in compression caused by the rear wheel wanting to raise the deck when backing into a hill.
I adjust the top arm to the 3ph to the length that the chains are loose when at cutting height, then when the 3ph is raised, it picks the rear wheel off the ground for transporting.
Hope this helps.

 

[al3]

About slip clutches……they need to be adjusted correctly in order to function well. For example, the Deere sent up on an LX4 requires tensioning ½ doz or so bolts to the point where the friction plates hold under normal cutting but will slip when blade momentum is abruptly stopped. Too loose and it’ll slip constantly building up heat and ultimately ruining friction plates. Too tight and you run the risk of PTO drive train damage.

Deere provides an initial set up measurement, but its best dialed in based on operating conditions. When mowing, if the clutch is slipping, you can often hear/sense that the blade RPM are dropping. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if the disc pack is too tight and mowing becomes too aggressive, the tractor engine will start to lose RPM, even stalling. The risk of damaging driveline shock if something solid (stump, rock, post) exists on this end. I carry a pair of 17mm wrenches when cutting, start with a loose set up and increase tension as needed.

The bugaboo here is that you’re never 100% certain that things are adjusted correctly. I shoot for no slippage in normal grass/normal speed, but have it slip some rather than engine RPM dropping. Hard to know for sure till you hit that big hidden stump or protruding rock…….
.
Depending on idle time (days, weeks, months) between cutter use, it’s often recommended that the tension on bolts be relaxed to prevent the friction plates from fusing to the steel backer plate. So it’s not like you can dial in the correct tension once and be done with it.

Shear bolts can be a PITA, but they are also binary in use, i.e. go or no go, and might be more appropriate for users that aren’t savvy/experienced/willing/or wanting to stay in tune with operating conditions. Not saying one is better than the other. Just trying to give you some additional info to consider.