PTO engagement using a rotary mower

[SPYDERLK]

Adding a slip clutch to the rotary mower, if it has a shear pin now, might help reduce the shock.

,,,,,,,,v v

I would think that if the clutch slipped at startup, it would slip badly when mowing.
If the OP is worried about gear damage, then the best thing to do is just follow the OEM manual and throttle it down till it is just above stalling when the PTO is engaged. This might require a couple of tries to get it just right without over revving. I don't think it is going to damage either the tractor or mower even though it makes a ton of racket.

,,,,,,,,,^^Pretty much the bottom line. ... Cant go any further w/o actually starting the tractor with PTO engaged.

 

[Ford850]

I would think that if the clutch slipped at startup, it would slip badly when mowing.
If the OP is worried about gear damage, then the best thing to do is just follow the OEM manual and throttle it down till it is just above stalling when the PTO is engaged. This might require a couple of tries to get it just right without over revving. I don't think it is going to damage either the tractor or mower even though it makes a ton of racket.

I wouldn't want it set up to slip badly, just to take the initial shock out of it at startup. Maybe a half to a full turn slip? I know on mine, I have to feather in the PTO clutch otherwise it will pop the shear pin. It's a huge shock to the PTO drive. I think a slip clutch would act like a shock absorber, which is where it should be set for mowing (right at the point that would normally shear a pin).

 

[TripleR]

For relatively new owners, I can understand how severe the noise and shock load of starting a rotary cutter may seem, but these are tractors. Right now, we own ten tractors with about six rotary cutters from 4' to 10' with various PTO engagement options and in 50+ years, I've never had a PTO failure, damaged a gear box, broken a shear pin on startup etc. and I've not always been as gentle as many. Our oldest tractor was made in 1953 and the newest in 2012.

Yep, until you get use to it, it seems pretty bad, but I believe most worry too much about it.

Just my take on it.

 

[arizona98tj]

,,,,,,,,v v
,,,,,,,,,^^Pretty much the bottom line. ... Cant go any further w/o actually starting the tractor with PTO engaged.

The 1529 will not start with PTO engaged.

 

[arizona98tj]

Sure, ease it on to the extent that you have control to start the rotation, but beyond that don't worry.

That is the point I was trying to make....there is no "easing it on". The push button engages an electro magnetic clutch, from what I've read. It is off and then a few milliseconds later, it is 100% on.

And the engine's miminum idle is 1200 RPM. It doesn't go any lower than that.

But that being said, I'll just continue to use it the way the manual states.

I appreciate everyone's input. I'm 60+ years old so I am old school when it comes to farm equipment. This MF 1529 is my first new tractor and while it sure runs nice, I can't imgaine it still working in 50 years (like several I was operating when I was a kid and still continue to run today). A tractor made with pieces of plastic that actuate the shifting and cable assemblies (like the kind found on motorcycles or bicycles).....seriously, it won't stand up to 50 years of service and weather like the "old tractors" have done all these years. I figure I probably got about 15 or maybe 20 years left in me and then my wood cutting days (and a need for a tractor and brush cutter) will be over. Hopefully those plastic parts won't wear out until then. FWIW, the cruise cable assembly already broke.

Thanks again to all who provided input. This is a great community of owners!

 

[hawkeye08]

I like that my hydro Kubota has a clutch, I do the switch (little lever that electrically engages PTO) with the clutch pushed in, then release the clutch slowly... at about 1200 rpm.

Sorry that doesn't help you, but others might want to consider this when looking at tractors if the harsh engagement like you have bothers them..

 

[TripleR]

That is the point I was trying to make....there is no "easing it on". The push button engages an electro magnetic clutch, from what I've read. It is off and then a few milliseconds later, it is 100% on.

And the engine's miminum idle is 1200 RPM. It doesn't go any lower than that.

But that being said, I'll just continue to use it the way the manual states.

I appreciate everyone's input. I'm 60+ years old so I am old school when it comes to farm equipment. This MF 1529 is my first new tractor and while it sure runs nice, I can't imgaine it still working in 50 years (like several I was operating when I was a kid and still continue to run today). A tractor made with pieces of plastic that actuate the shifting and cable assemblies (like the kind found on motorcycles or bicycles).....seriously, it won't stand up to 50 years of service and weather like the "old tractors" have done all these years. I figure I probably got about 15 or maybe 20 years left in me and then my wood cutting days (and a need for a tractor and brush cutter) will be over. Hopefully those plastic parts won't wear out until then. FWIW, the cruise cable assembly already broke.

Thanks again to all who provided input. This is a great community of owners!

I can certainly identify, my 60s are close to being in the rear view mirror, but I've gotten use to the same system you have on my L5740 having used it for four years now. Given the choice, I'd prefer the "old style", but I sure like the features on it over my old Fords and Case. I'll let my kids and grand kids worry about how well it holds up over the years.

 

[Poke]

My 1533 has the soft start switch too and it works flawless. In fact, that was one of the things I really liked about it. I put the PTO in gear with the yellow lever, push the yellow button, then push the yellow knob and turn it. It's smooth as butter at any RPM.

 

[arizona98tj]

Poke....mine is not the soft start. Yes, it has a switch and lever, but it is not softstart. I wish it were.

 

[buickanddeere]

I have a MF 1529 that has both a PTO lever as well as a PTO egagement switch on the dash. Today, I put a 5' King Kutter rotary mower on the tractor. Per the owner's manual, I engage the PTO lever and then push/turn the PTO switch. At an idle of 1200 RPM, the torque shock is enough to make me never want to turn it on again. Am I doing something wrong or is the acceptable norm now to just hammer the PTO attached implement? As a kid, my Dad would have smacked me into next week if I had done that to his PTO driven equipment.

Idle as slow as possible without stalling as the Pto engages.