Rotary Cutter Need help with my Field Boss 43 and Bush Hog

[rlyons]

I just replaced a broken PTO clutch switch and now the PTO works, but every time I engage it with my bush hog, the torque is so strong, it breaks the coupler bolt where the bush hog connects to the PTO. This is a "new to me" tractor, and I'm totally unfamiliar with it. Can someone with experience with a Field Boss give me a hint on gradually easing the PTO up-to-speed?

 

[Catchad81]

I just replaced a broken PTO clutch switch and now the PTO works, but every time I engage it with my bush hog, the torque is so strong, it breaks the coupler bolt where the bush hog connects to the PTO. This is a "new to me" tractor, and I'm totally unfamiliar with it. Can someone with experience with a Field Boss give me a hint on gradually easing the PTO up-to-speed?

Are you at idle in engagement?

 

[rlyons]

Yes, at idle. All I am doing is flipping on the PTO clutch switch to on with the PTO lever engaged and boom! If I disengage the PTO lever first, flip PTO switch to on, and then push the clutch in and try to engage PTO lever, the gears grind (because PTO is already spinning) and when I finally force it into gear, the bolt snaps again. All of this is at idle.

 

[rlyons]

Just an update on my problem. It has been corrected and I have learned I was causing the problem. First of all, I was using a 1/4" sheer bolt instead of a 5/16" and the extra "slop" around the bolt was allowing the PTO "snap" into gear instead of a solid engagement. Next, I was using #5 bolts instead of #8. As you know, the #5 is a softer metal than the hardened #8. I was concerned the #8 might be too hard and not allow the sheer bolt to do what it's supposed to do and protect the bush hog from damage by sacrificing itself, but I found that even a #8 will sheer. After getting it running, I took it out back to do some mowing, and about 30 minutes into it, I hit a stump because I had the bush hog too low and the #8 sheer bolt snapped in half. Looks like I'll need a bag of them until I get all the weeds mowed and I can see the stumps again.