TC29D PTO Problem

[DocHeb]

With shear pins, isn't it the speed of the overload (i.e. sudden) that shears the pin? If you're mowing heavy grass, the torque required just keeps gradually increasing and increasing until you put the engine over the torque curve and it stalls. If you would take that same amount of stress and put it in place in a fraction of a second (like a rock getting stuck in a tiller) the shear pin would break.

I don't know for sure - just thinking. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[jinman]

Chris and Chris, I guess I "muddied the waters" by bringing up a rotary cutter. JD2210va's problem is with his Woods 5000 chipper/shredder shown below.

I don't know how you could stall a 29 hp tractor with this attachment because you physically have to push a limb into the chipper and you are not supposed to put anything larger than 1" diameter into the shredder hopper. The drum on this chipper weighs 125 lb and it will have a lot of inertia also. I asked about what was being fed thru the chipper because I guess you could put construction waste like 2x4s or 2x2s or other material and bog down the tractor, but I had a real problem trying to see what could be put into this small chipper/shredder that the TC29 could not handle. That's why I made the comment about the rotary cutter.

As to shear bolts, I think when you reach the shear pressure of the bolt it's going to break no matter whether that comes instantaneously or slowly increases. Certainly a rotating drivetrain with it's inertia would have more instantaneous torque than one where the resistance slowly increases. I think that's the point you are making. As far as the bolt goes, whatever way you reach it's limit, POW! it's outta' there. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif That's one thing I'm very expert at. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[thcri]

Yoo Mike, been out of town this last week and gone again next week. I am not sure but I think my PTO on my 29 is completely mechanical!! (that doesn't sound right when the whole thing is mechanical) Anyway when putting in the clutch and then sliding the PTO lever in you can feel the gears meshing some. It's funny that this post came up as just two days ago I had a heck of a time getting my PTO engaged. It was like the lever was frozen and I could not move it. I finally got it to move and then felt the gears a bit and from there it worked fine. It almost felt like the linkages were bound up more than anything. Could this be the original posters problem but just the other directions?? Just a thought.

murph

 

[tc33brad]

In the original post it was mentioned that 5" diameter branches were being chipped and in Jims post he mentions that only 1" branches should be chipped. Would appear that the unit is being overloaded.

 

[DocHeb]

The 5" goes in the side (chipper) chute, and the 1" goes in the top (shredder) hopper.

 

[DocHeb]

I can't help you much with the PTO problem - but was thinking about the overall power shortfall that stalls out the tractor.

Is there a chance the blades are put in backwards in the chipper? I would expect the bevel to face the direction of wood's travel. If the bevel was facing the oncoming wood, it would take a lot more effort to cut through.

I'm not a chipper expert, nor a Holiday-Inn-Express customer; just thinking.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( With shear pins, isn't it the speed of the overload (i.e. sudden) that shears the pin? If you're mowing heavy grass, the torque required just keeps gradually increasing and increasing until you put the engine over the torque curve and it stalls. )</font>

I'm not sure. I would guess if you have enough tractor up front, and enough load at the mower.. that the engines governor is going to keep the rpms up even as load increases.. I would guess the shear pin is what takes the beating. Course.. I used to mow with a NH 1920 and a 5' mower.. so i had more tractor than mower. Now I mow with a Nh 7610s and a 10' mower.. and have way more tractor than mower. ( and a slip clucth.. ).

If the tractor is just adaquate to pull the load.. I guess it could gradually stall down. If there is alot of surplus engine on the tractor... I'd guess the shear pin would break.

In any case.. I think the original post was about a chipper.. I'd ~guess~ a chipper is more of a shock load than a gradual load. After all.. the chipper either chips it.. or chokes on the limb right?

Soundguy

 

[SacandagaBrad]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( and even caused it to stall a few times )</font>

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Odd... I'm surprised the shear pin wouldn't pop if the chipper was loaded down enough to stall the tractor. )</font>

I suspect there is something else going on with the tractor, but I thought I would mention that it was a Woods snowblower (new) that came with a grade 8 shear bolt when I bought my tractor and equipment. It was discussed at great lengths last winter, but it basically stopped the tractor dead in its tracks at PTO speed. I now run grade 2.

Might be worth a check to see what the bolt is. If nothing else, a weaker shear bolt would be better than tearing the guts out of the tractor while trying to figure things out, allowing it to pop rather stalling out the tractor.

Just a thought - good luck!

Brad

 

[jd2210va]

After further tinkering this weekend with the pto lever/linkage, I tend to agree with your root cause for the problem, that is the linkage is binding. I removed the linkage and using channel locks was able to rotate the shaft and could feel it go in and out of gear very smoothly (clutch disengaged) with distinct detents at the ends of travel where it would engage or disengage the pto - no binding there. The linkage arm seemed to be too long so that when pulling back on the lever to disengage the pto, it couldn't travel far enough to actually rotate the shaft to the point of disengagement before hitting the rear end of the plastic lever slot. I cut off some threads from the linkage arm and threaded the attachment clevis(?) all the way down and left the locknut off and it's improved the lever action quite a bit, but it's still not what I'd like it to be. The linkage arm still needs to be a little shorter in my mind but I ran out of threads to shorten it further. I wasn't real impressed with the levers to start with on this tractor. They were all very stiff and difficult to operate and when I mentioned this to my dealer he said they would loosen up with use. Well that seemed to be true for all of them except the rear pto lever, which got more difficult to operate. I understand that compromises need to be made in design to hold cost's down and I assume these levers were one area of compromise on this model. I suppose 4 out of 5 working levers ain't bad /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif. Anyway, I'm glad it doesn't appear to be an internal problem.

As for stalling the tractor with the chipper, I've now learned the hard way that when they say it can handle 5" limbs they don't specify the length of that limb but I now know it can't be more than about a 12" length at a time. It's a workout trying to pull back a limb from the chipper chute, once the chipper is doing its thing and pulling it in based on the bevel edge of the chipper blade facing the chipper wheel /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif! Maybe a little more chain saw work up front would be the easier method for dealing with limbs that size. All in all, the TC29D is a very good tractor for the money IMHO, but it is what it is, 29 pony's!

Thanks to all for your advice.

Now does anyone have any opinions on running a backhoe or stump grinder on the TC29D? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Typhoon]

When you mentioned 5" limbs, my initial thoughts were thats HUGE! Also, being in the firewood business myself, I can tell you that the type of wood you are putting in there will make a big difference as well. A 5" piece of yellow poplar is one thing, but you try to throw a 5" piece of hickory in there and its a whole different story. What kind of wood are you shredding primarily? I don't have a chipper myself. But after owning my TC29 for quite a while now, I have come to know its power limitations very well. And I doubt that it has enough power to chew up a 5" dia. piece of hickory or oak. Maybe 3" but not 5. Just my opinion. Hope this helps you!j
-Brad