Shifting gears on L3200DT Newby question

[TSE]

Couple other questions regarding mowing with a rotary cutter. I guess I need to adjust the front of the mower a little higher. My ground is pretty rough and sometimes it will dig in a bit. Occasionally enough to bog down the tractor and lower the engine rpms. Should I be picking up the mower deck with the 3 point when this happens or letting it run through that terrain for the few seconds it takes? I'm sure the tractor is tough but I'd hate to be destroying it by not knowing what I'm doing.

Also, I'm trying to understand the lever position for mowing. I should have it on the lowest setting because that is the float position? Or do I set it a little higher with the three point lever to keep it from digging in? Or is setting it's height only a function of the rear wheel (which I have touching the ground) and the top bar of the three point?

I've read a lot of pages here and on other sites and it seems there is some conflicting information.. Overall I just want to make sure I don't hurt the tractor. The mower is tight side to side so that it won't get into the tires. The shaft seems to have enough travel fore and aft to allow for any movement it needs on the terrain. All zircs have been greased. All fluids checked on the tractor and the mower. My only question is the front height adjustment and the bogging issue. Do I set it higher with the lever or leave it in float? Is bogging it down harming the hydraulics of the tractor. Am I explaining myself well enough to understand? And what will happen on the next episode of Soap?

 

[repete]

I am not exactly sure what you mean by the "float" position being all the way down. On my L2550DT the lever sets how far down the three point is allowed to go. It will "float" upward at any point in the adjustment. Have you adjusted your cutter to have a 6" cutting height? If the trailing wheel is adjusted for 6" then you level with the three point control lever.

Is the cutter new? Are the blades sharpened correctly.

In regard to the shifting issue, when in low range I stop. When in high range I start in first or second then shift to third and then fourth while rolling. To try to start from a stop in 4H is difficult to do and hard on the clutch.

Post a picture of you setup.

 

[TSE]

Thanks for the reply. The manual for the mower and the tractor tell me to position the lift lever to the float position which is the lowest position. Today I mowed a little more and just left the lever up off the bottom a bit. I positioned it until the wheel was just touching the ground and the front of the mower was an inch or so of the ground. On the scale of the lever that was about the 3 to 4 position. When I got to uneven terrain I just raised the mower a bit. It seemed to work well that way. I was just under the impression that it needed to be down all the way and it would ride along the ground where it needed to be.

Can't post a picture at the moment but it seems everything is set up correctly. The top link has a little play it it as directed. The side links are level and adjusted to not flop back and forth. It was/is the whole 3 point lever position that is confusing.

The mower is nearly new and the blades still look like new. My rocks are limestone so easier on the blade than rocks from other regions I would think and I'm doing my best to avoid them.

All in all I would think this tractor is probably way tougher than I could imagine. As long as I don't overheat it or run it with low fluids it will likely last me a lifetime as it will only mow about 5 acres 3 or 4 times a year and do a little other work here and there. Appreciate any other insights based on what I've shared if anything comes to mind.

 

[TripleR]

This might help, he left out the part where you adjust your tail wheel and top link to match height for the 3PH, but overall pretty good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-Thfr3fChg

Here is an old TBM thread also: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/5990-how-do-i-adjust-bush.html

 

[DK35vince]

Maybe you will say I am doing it wrong but in low range I shift at a stop or near stop. In high range I shift just like a motor vehicle always starting in 1st. Low is my work range and high is a travel range for my use.

Your profile shows you have a 3010.
I thought 3010's were synchronized transmission, so you can shift on the go.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Your profile shows you have a 3010.
I thought 3010's were synchronized transmission, so you can shift on the go.

I do. But in low I don't do much shifting. I just start out in the gear I want to use and generally keep it there. As I said in high range I start out in first and shift up (or down) thru the gears like you would a p/u or car.