max 24 new owner question

[MCRIBB]

 

[BlackOps]

That is freakin off the charts!!!! WTF!!! i never saw anything like that. I have 2 controllers. i only use the bucket and rarely the midmower - never used or have anything to hook up the rear pto. That is wacked out. I did not even thing they made one like that!

curious to see what Dave has to say about it.

 

[DavesTractor]

I've had a couple hundred of these go through my place and I have never seen one without a mid-pto. So the slot is there, but is empty. Could the lever be missing but the PTO is actually in place?

Look underneath the tractor and tell us if you see a forward facing PTO under the mid-section. It might have a shield over the shaft. Snap us another picture if you don't mind.

That tractor was probably built a couple years back, if you get me the serial I can check it. I see the 5-year warranty sticker, that is my first clue. Then the cracked decal, showing a little UV aging.

None of this really matters unless a guy were to want to install a mid-mower, but it is perplexing. Inquiring minds want to know....

 

[BlackOps]

dave that good be a possibility. pto there but missing lever....

 

[BlackOps]

if you look on the left of the seat i have 2 levers on my max 25 hst (taken when it was new)

 

[DavesTractor]

Or maybe there was a batch or two of these that were not built with the mid-pto. It is possible. Very seldom did anyone use that pto.

 

[MCRIBB]

Dave, sent you the model and serial number.

I'll try to get a pic from under tomorrow after work. Since I haven't seen one myself I'm going to guess on location or take multiple pics, but I see nothing like a forward facing PTO.
Again I have no intention of putting a mid mount finish mower on it and around these parts the light dusting of snow once a year and solid layer of ice don't have me itching for a snow blower. My need is with the rear PTO and loader. My concern is more on making sure everything is on the up and up.
Maybe we all learn a thing or two. I know I am! Thanks for the input guys.

 

[MCRIBB]

Another question for you Dave. This one had 7.2 hours on the meter when I bought it. What do they usually read when they hit your lot?

 

[doneill127]

The mid pto shaft is just forward of the centerline of the rear axles inline with the rear pto. With the 3pth raised you can lay down and reach it from the back of the tractor

 

[DavesTractor]

Another question for you Dave. This one had 7.2 hours on the meter when I bought it. What do they usually read when they hit your lot?

Mitsu product will have less than 1 hour, often less than 1/2 hour. Often a dealer will put a little time on the tractor moving it around the lot, perhaps warming it up a time or two to keep the battery topped off, and in our case every tractor goes on the dyno for 1/2 hour. So it is easy to get 2-3 hours on one. And if a tractor sits on the lot for a few months....or a year or two....it will often end up with 5-10 hours on it. Honestly the new tractor issues, such as a leaky hose or some loose bolt somewhere generally show themselves in the first 5 hours. I wish all tractors had a few hours of usage or testing before delivery.

As to tractor age, this comes up on TBN occasionally. Tractors will have build dates that are generally not obvious to the untrained, but the tractor year model is generally considered the year it is retailed, so long as it is a current model. This tractor, even though it was not built in this current year (thanks for the VIN McRibb), would be considered a 2017 for insurance and financing and retail value reasons. Since we have no title, there really are no defined rules regarding year model, but that is how we handle it.

Lastly, I sure like this model. It's the smallest tractor that is still built like a real tractor, not a riding lawnmower. Obviously the eMax, BX, etc. tractors are great sellers and meet a huge need as sales volume is huge, but I like the conventionally built machines best. The Max24 is built just like a 50 HP tractor, just smaller.