giving the mower the beat down

[zio]

Okay, another question. Yesterday, I replaced the high grade bolt with a regular one. Started the tractor up, clutch in, PTO selector to 540, clutch out, & it sheared the bolt. I put the high grade bolt back in & finished mowing the property.

Engagement is never smooth. I can't feather it with the clutch. It always engages with a bang. It's this way with our auger, too. Only that's much lighter & less reciprocating mass so it's not as harsh sounding.

Any ideas?

 

[Keith_B]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Okay, another question. Yesterday, I replaced the high grade bolt with a regular one. Started the tractor up, clutch in, PTO selector to 540, clutch out, & it sheared the bolt. I put the high grade bolt back in & finished mowing the property.

Engagement is never smooth. I can't feather it with the clutch. It always engages with a bang. It's this way with our auger, too. Only that's much lighter & less reciprocating mass so it's not as harsh sounding.

Any ideas? )</font>

Lower the RPMs to just about an idle when you feather out the clutch. Once the clutch is out enough to get the PTO engaged raise the RPMs.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto what Keith said. Always engage pto at idle.. then throttle up. If 2-stage clutch.. the main clutch can be used to feather the pto into operation. If it's an independent pto, many of them can also be feathered. The only ones I've seen that can't ar ethe electric solenoid engaged ones. either way.. the lower rpm helps.

Get that hard bolt out of there unless you want to find out what a tractor split and pto repair costs.. I'm sure it would take your breath away..

Soundguy