howse cutter, 4.8 hours and I broke it

[Toby873]

new owner so I know that I have been sort of babying this thing, branson 4720 with 6' howse cutter, I was at 540 rpm, in slow mode. Cutter bottom out but not any more significantly then the couple of times previous in its short life, cutter stopped as did the pto I believe. raised the cutter free, turned pto back on, very very slow speed build up in the cutter, when lowered it dies, what have i done? the shear pin on the cutter is still in place, ???????? help please

 

[ronnie2005]

Not sure of your shear pin configuration , but in some cases the pin will shear and the ends stay in the shaft. Given the appearance of a still intact pin. Try and remove it and see if that is not the case. Worst case is that you broke something inside the gearbox.

One question, when the cutter stops, is the pto shaft still turning? If it stops also and the pto is disengaging then there may be a problem with the tractor.

 

[GEB]

Not that I can add much help but it's kinda hard to tell if your
saying the pto is turning or not?
So is it the tractor or the cutter?
I use a 5ft howse on my 4720 and have used it fairly hard!
Not one problem out of it yet.....
Gene

 

[gamble77]

I'm not telling you what to do but I would never buy a rotary cutter with a 40hp gear box to use behind a tractor with more than 40hp!

 

[JCar]

Do you have a 4720 or a 4720(I) if it is an (I ) it sounds like a pto adjustment, just call your dealer or I will try to help.
Good Luck

 

[Toby873]

I have a 4720i. Just loaded my tractor up and taking it down the road to a great old retired Kentucky pig farmer. We're gunna hook it up to his Woods cutter and see what happens. The pto turns underpower but I am unable to turn the pto by hand when I engage it and turn the tractor off. According to the Repair/Parts board that might be a good sign that I have a busted cutter and not a buster Branson. Some of you ol' salts on this board might not remember exactly what this feels like but I know a few of you on this board know exactly what it feels like when your first real machine dies in front of you and possibly at your hands.

 

[Toby873]

I think im going to throw up. We went through four or five steps before I even unloaded it. My buddy at last allowed me to unload and I put his cutter on my tractor and he put my cutter on his tractor and he gave the extemely glum news that my pto clutch is toast. He said he has never seen something like this before with such extremely low hours and he watched my bush hogging techniques yesterday. He said there is no way that this is my fault, low gear, high cutting depth, proper pto speed. He had never heard of Branson until Friday night when I brough it home. After he inspected it and took a couple of spins he said he was pretty damned impressed. He is concerned for me now.
Toby

 

[JCar]

Before you jump off the bridge, you must make sure the pto is not out of adjustment, there is a hydraulic pressure valve behind the right rear tire that sets the pressure for the PTO, I have had to make this adjustment to some of mine before delivery. If this is not it I'm sure your dealer will take good care of you. Keep us updated. Jason

 

[Yalerider]

Wonder how this ended up?

 

[Toby873]

road trip tomorrow to take tractor back, I am determined to stay calm