L3901 PTO Lever Grinding Issue?

The Deerslayer · Jul 22, 2015

Noticed something that may or may not be of concern in using the PTO on my brand new Kubota L3901, and looking for some feedback(especially from fellow L3901 owners). I have used both my chipper and brush hog with excellent performance overall when the PTO is running the implements. Here is the one issue that I never experienced with my former tractor:

When disengaging the PTO, I lower the rpms and then press the clutch all the way down. I then disengage the PTO lever and release the clutch. The PTO and spinning implement start to slow down as it should. At this point...so far so good. If I decide to re-engage the PTO and implement when the implement is still spinning due to inertia, I then press the clutch all the way down, and keep the rpms low. The problem is when I attempt to re-engage the PTO lever it starts to grind. :smiley_aafz: If I wait until the implement ceases to turn as the inertia decreases to a full stop, I can then re-engage the PTO lever without any grinding.

Checked the manual and it does not seem as though this should be happening. Unless this is normal, I figure maybe the clutch or something else needs to be adjusted. Reached out to the dealer (who has been awesome pre and post sale) and they are checking into it and will be getting back to me. In the interim, has anyone experienced this or done the same thing with no grinding?

ritschner · Jul 22, 2015

It is perfectly normal. What is happening is the opposite of what would happen if you try to engage the PTO without the clutch. If the implement is stopped and you disengage the clutch power side of the PTO stops spinning matching the not running PTO and the PTO engages without grinding. If you try to engage the PTO without disengaging the clutch the power side is spinning and the PTO is not and you get grinding. The opposite is do disengage the clutch and the power side stops spinning, but the PTO is still spinning you again get a mismatch and grinding. The only sure way to not get the grinding is for both the PTO power side to be stopped via clutch disengagement and the implement itself also be stopped. Remember that on the L3901 the PTO is like a non-synchronized manual transmission.

Mysfyt · Jul 22, 2015

I have to wait until PTO is stopped before re-engaging. Nothing wrong with yours.

s219 · Jul 22, 2015

Seems normal to me. I would expect grinding whenever both sides are not very close to the same speed. The only way to guarantee that is with everything stopped.

The Deerslayer · Jul 23, 2015

Thanks for the replies; so far it seems the consensus is that this is not a problem. Maybe it is my lack of knowledge as to how the clutch works with the PTO. Strange how it did not grind at all on my other tractor.

Kanook · Jul 23, 2015

NORMAL FOR THIS SITUATION....YOU CAN"T RE-ENGAGE UNTIL BOTH SIDES COME TO A HALT, AS PREVIOUSLY STATED.

The Deerslayer · Jul 24, 2015

Kanook said:
NORMAL FOR THIS SITUATION....YOU CAN"T RE-ENGAGE UNTIL BOTH SIDES COME TO A HALT, AS PREVIOUSLY STATED.

Ok, this may sound stupid...a couple references were made to "both sides". What does that mean? Looking to educated. Thanks

s219 · Jul 24, 2015

The two spinning shafts with gears -- the transmission/pto input and the pto shaft/implement output. They meet when you engage the lever, connecting input to output. If either one is spinning the gears will grind.

sandyc · Jul 24, 2015

Guess they didn't use synchromesh gears in the pto

The Deerslayer · Jul 24, 2015

s219 said:
The two spinning shafts with gears -- the transmission/pto input and the pto shaft/implement output. They meet when you engage the lever, connecting input to output. If either one is spinning the gears will grind.

Great explanation, thanks. I suppose my old L2250 must have had the "synchromesh" that was also referenced.