3-Point Hitch L2650D PTO grinding

[mathlizzard]

I've been lurking and learning on this forum for several months now. Am amazed at the wealth of knowledge here and the camaraderie. I'm new to tractor ownership and purchased a used Kubota L2650D 4WD with 950 hours on it. When I attach my Howse 5 foot bush hog and engage the PTO it grinds just as if I'm not using the clutch. It will engage but I'm not used to having gears that grind. The clutch works as it should when changing gears and using the shuttle shift. Any thoughts as to what may be going on here?

 

[rbargeron]

Sounds like there's a 2-stage clutch in your L2650. There are two clutch disks, one for travel and the other for the pto. One pedal linkage operates both - part way down for travel - fully down for pto. Over time the travel clutch gets worn and the linkage is normally adjusted to compensate for the wear. Unfortunately this gradually puts the pto clutch out of adjustment to where it no longer fully disengages. That causes grinding when shifting the pto into gear, even if the pedal is all the way down. To avoid the grinding, I've engaged the pto before starting the tractor (not approved by the safety police)

The pto clutch can be independently adjusted. Take a look at this discussion for more detail on how to do it. It is more of a job if the tractor has a loader - the adjustment window is hidden behind the loader frame.

The eventual solution will be to replace the travel clutch - but an adjustment might get you by for a few seasons. Clutch replacement involves separating the tractor.
Good luck, Dick B

 

[mathlizzard]

Thank you for the advice Dick. I am going to attempt to adjust both as you suggested and I'll let you know what the outcome is. I have tried engaging the PTO under different circumstances, such as with nothing attached, and there is no grinding. Also when I attach my fertilizer spreader and engage the PTO there is no grinding. I'm wondering if the rotating mass of the Howse bush hog with stump jumper is just so heavy that its difficult for the PTO to engage. The best solution may be to engage before starting the tractor.
Thanks Again, Jim P

 

[rbargeron]

Yes, with nothing attached it won't grind. With only a lightweight rotating mass needing to spin up, there's little resistance so the gears may go into mesh with less grinding - but it's best to avoid the grinding if you can.