Satoh S-370D beaver questions.

[gsxrsquid]

Just got it today. A far cry from my old NH TN65! But for a small area and bush hogging I was hoping it would be ok. I drove it and tested all the functions and other than long play on the clutch everything seemed okay. I got home and fired it up to do a little bush hogging.

First, turning off the ignition key does not shut off the tractor. The only way to turn it off is to move the throttle to minimum position. This also means you have to move it off minimum for it to start. I wondered if it was supposed to have a fuel shut off solenoid that someone might have removed when it failed.

When I tested it the clutch went a little far before disengaging but I figured it was an adjustment. When I started working and the tractor warmed up the adjustment seemed to change and with the pedal all the way to the stop it still would not disengage completely. I am going to adjust it. I just had anything with a clutch where the adjustment was different when the machine was hot and when it was not.

The hydraulics have an up/neutral/down Down position. When it was cold, you used the up to take it as far as you wanted and then back to neutral. Same for lowering. Lower it and then back to neutral. Once I started bush hogging it acted differently and did not want to stay in a set position when in N. When you move it to the up position it instantly moves to maximum up. TO lower slowly takes some finesse. I am wondering if it was suppoed to have a metering orifice that might be missing.

I am interested what anyone familiar with this machine might have to offer.

 

[farmeratheart]

I’m not familiar with your tractor, but wanted to share that your experience with the key not shutting off the tractor is not unusual. I have a 1985 JD650 and that is the normal shut off routine. Turn the key to off. Push throttle to “zero” position. On mine, as you slowly engage the throttle from “zero”, there is a little catch at about 25% that is the correct place for starting the tractor.

Good luck.

Frank

 

[rScotty]

Just got it today. A far cry from my old NH TN65! But for a small area and bush hogging I was hoping it would be ok. I drove it and tested all the functions and other than long play on the clutch everything seemed okay. I got home and fired it up to do a little bush hogging.

First, turning off the ignition key does not shut off the tractor. The only way to turn it off is to move the throttle to minimum position. This also means you have to move it off minimum for it to start. I wondered if it was supposed to have a fuel shut off solenoid that someone might have removed when it failed.

When I tested it the clutch went a little far before disengaging but I figured it was an adjustment. When I started working and the tractor warmed up the adjustment seemed to change and with the pedal all the way to the stop it still would not disengage completely. I am going to adjust it. I just had anything with a clutch where the adjustment was different when the machine was hot and when it was not.

The hydraulics have an up/neutral/down Down position. When it was cold, you used the up to take it as far as you wanted and then back to neutral. Same for lowering. Lower it and then back to neutral. Once I started bush hogging it acted differently and did not want to stay in a set position when in N. When you move it to the up position it instantly moves to maximum up. TO lower slowly takes some finesse. I am wondering if it was suppoed to have a metering orifice that might be missing.

I am interested what anyone familiar with this machine might have to offer.

Well, you won't be able to get parts as easy as going down to the dealer.....but if the price is right that may not matter. I had several tractors from that era and can't recall that they ever needed any parts at all. Battery, oil, and filters are about all. And those are universal.

It probably doesn't have a fuel shut off solenoid. Those tractors were simple. In most - maybe all - the throttle lever contolled how much fuel was sent to the engine, and closing the throttle just shut the fuel pump down so it wasn't delivering any fuel - or at least not enough to support idle speed. So the engine simply stopped. And then when the engine stopped any warning lights like oil and charge came on.
You turn the key off so that those lights don't drain the battery. That's all there is to it.
Oh, come to think of it, most did have a fuel on/off lever on the fuel filter which I suppose could also be used to stop the engine but I never touched mine. Just put the throttle to stop, turn off the key, and walk away.

The clutch doesn't sound right, but I'd use it for awhile to wear the rust off the plates before doing anything. At least it sounds like it will still disengage.

The 3pt hitch doesn't sound right, does it. I've no idea if that is right for that model. Some of the older US tractors from the early1950s had a real simple rear lift like you describe, but I thought that by the time the Japanese were making Satoh that they worked like today's hitches....so no, I don't really know on that.
rScotty

 

[K5lwq]

To kill the Beaver you are doing it correctly. There is no stop solenoid.

To set the height, you have to return the lever to neutral manually once the desired height is reached. It takes some getting use to but it is not that bad.

I ran a 4 bush hog on mine for years. It would leak down as I mowed and would have to readjust the height. It is something I was use to so no real problem.

Front weights are necessary depending on how heavy your mower is. I replaced the Cat 0 hitch with Cat 1 arms and top link to make it easier to find implements.

I also replaced back tires with Rice and Cane R1 tires filled with water and had wheel weights as well. It pulled really well.

The PTO on these rotated the wrong way for most mowers but my Beaver has a reversing gearbox that fixes that problem.

Hope that helps some. Good luck!

 

[Roadworthy]

I had a Mitsubishi 2350D. It was about the same vintage and there WAS no fuel shutoff solenoid. You did have to turn it off with the throttle lever and be sure to turn off the ignition so as not to deplete the battery. Other than the quirk of having to kill it that way and remember to turn the fuel on again to start it was a good little tractor. When starting if you turn the throttle all the way on it kicks in some kind of linkage (can't remember the name) which is roughly analogous to a choke in a gasoline engine. For additional information check out Valley Power