Minimum width culvert pipe for a small stream crossing

[dave1949]

Could you tell me I know the PTO is best run at 540 aprox 2400rpm's but when I was using the loader I ran it at 2000rpm was that sufficient or should I have run it faster for more power?

I hardly ever run my engine at pto speed for loader work. I think a lot depends on the material you are working with too. Small stone or clean dumped dirt, the easy stuff, you can work pretty fast. If you are into larger rocky stuff or digging in dirt, then pto speed seems like banging the equipment around too much for a decent combination of power and travel speed.

You don't want to lug the engine or see your rpm's dropping under load, but for my gear tractor I don't see much use for pto speed with loader work. 1900 to 2100 seems to feel about right in most cases. I use 1st gear in mid-range a lot. For something really heavy I will use 2nd or 3rd in low range and higher rpm's. Even with the backhoe on, I will run out of traction well before I run out of power.

 

[MossRoad]

A gear tractor and a hydro tractor are different animals. Running a hydro at low RPMs while performing strenuous tasks may (I said "may") harm the machine. First and foremost, you can overheat the hydraulic fluid quickly, damaging or shortening the life of the tranny.

 

[dave1949]

A gear tractor and a hydro tractor are different animals. Running a hydro at low RPMs while performing strenuous tasks may (I said "may") harm the machine. First and foremost, you can overheat the hydraulic fluid quickly, damaging or shortening the life of the tranny.

Why would you own a hydro tractor? :laughing:

I did note "my gear" tractor, but I'm sure your advice is good for hydros. I don't know which the OP has, but it's likely he has gone to the dark side.

 

[MossRoad]

Why would you own a hydro tractor? :laughing:

Good question. I think there may be a thread somewhere on TBN called something like 'gear vs hydro' that explains it. :laughing:

 

[dmccarty]

...

My T1530 and 250 loader have their limitations and that was a learning curve.

Could you tell me I know the PTO is best run at 540 aprox 2400rpm's but when I was using the loader I ran it at 2000rpm was that sufficient or should I have run it faster for more power?

I still have more work to do to finish making the pass wider due to lack of time and available rock and soil but I am able to ride over it now so that's a good start.

I run my tractor around 2000 RPM when doing loader work. I used to run at 1600-1800 and I was getting fuel in the oil per the oil analysis. I bumped up the RPMs to 2000 and fuel in the oil went away. There was not enough fuel in the oil to be a problem, it was in spec, but I don't want the fuel in the engine oil so up went the RPMs. Even at the lower RPM level I had plenty of power to do what I needed to do on my 48 HP tractor. If I really needed every bit of power I would and do push the RPMs up to PTO speed but this makes controlling the hydraulics a bit different.

Later,
Dan