Trouble changing PTO settings on BX2660

[radioman]

yup - same here. need to bump the PTO engagement to make a movement "forward" so I can shift more easily to different PTO selector. Sounds normal for a kubota. Since I don't use different PTO shafts all day, it doesn't seem to bother me but it is a bit annoying.

 

[KeithInSpace]

yup - same here.

Same here, too. Need to bump the PTO the same way I bump the HST when switching H-N-L. Bugger is that it is very easy to do a tapdance on the treadle and not so easy to engage the PTO for a brief second to move the gears.

This is yet another reason why it is beneficial to always swich PTO on-off while the engine is at idle... much easier to perform this maneuver.

 

[Frosstoise]

I had the dealership service guy come out and take a look at it, and it flummoxed him. They are going to haul it down and crack the thing open to see what's going on. It can be shifted if you just start to engage the PTO while attempting to move the shifter, but when you do it, if you get it just a little bit off, you end up grinding something internally, and there is no way I'm going to put up with that. It's like buying a lexus, and having the dealer tell you you need to start it with a screwdriver!

 

[TripleR]

I had the dealership service guy come out and take a look at it, and it flummoxed him. They are going to haul it down and crack the thing open to see what's going on. It can be shifted if you just start to engage the PTO while attempting to move the shifter, but when you do it, if you get it just a little bit off, you end up grinding something internally, and there is no way I'm going to put up with that. It's like buying a lexus, and having the dealer tell you you need to start it with a screwdriver!

Let us know what you find out.

 

[rdsaustintx]

My BX23 occasionally requires the "on-off bump" to move the PTO selector. Never thought much about it.

 

[Frosstoise]

After much delay on both sides, my 'bota was at last hauled to the dealership. I got a call earlier this week from the technician. He had the transmission torn apart, and said that he hadn't found anything wrong, so called Kubota. Then, he asked me if I could remember if I happened to have had the MMM on when it stuck. Thinking back, I likely did. He then proceeded to tell me that Kubota has known of an issue with these models (and a few others) wherein the MMM keeps pressure on the MM PTO spline, which prevents the transmission from shifting between back/back+mid/mid. Their recommendation was to always disconnect the mid PTO device when switching.

While I can understand that they had an engineering problem which caused this, one would think that they would at least let their dealer network know about something like this in a service bulliten, or some other way. It would have avoided them tearing apart my poor tractor.

I do wish I would have had this happen a couple of months ago, there are only 8 hours on the thing since I had it's 50 hour service (I could have gotten new transmission oil for free )

 

[TripleR]

I hate to disagree with their experts, but there is no way you should have to disconnect the PTO shaft, I change mine regularly and all I have ever had to do is bump the engagement lever a time or two and then it will shift without resistance.

 

[radioman]

Hmmm- you got me thinking about this. I doln't think it just a few models- it affects mine too which is BX24. I never gave it a thought about shifting the pto selection can be hard due to the mid shaft is still attached and could be causing resistance. If this is the case, then MMM is not the only attachment to cause this. the front mounted blowers would be doing it too. I think its pretty cumbersome just to disconnect the shaft when trying to shift the pto selection. After you are done shifting, then what ? go back down and reconnect shaft? leave it there ? What if you need the mid pto and you forget to connect the shaft and you already driven a few yards over bumpy terrain and losing half of the shaft?

Sorry for ranting, but just trying to make a point. It's soooo much easier just to bump the pto engagement and then shift the pto selector.
No getting on/off, losing parts, etc. the kubota recommendation is just plain silly, not to mention a easier way to have workaround . Chalk this one up as another unresolvable kubota quirks.

 

[amg280]

Mine would always stick in the front position. Now that I think about, with my MMM off, it doesnt do it. Hmmm....

 

[Frosstoise]

So, after far more time than I would have liked, my tractor is back in my hands. It's had it's transmission torn apart and reassembled, and all that has come from it is a recommendation to jiggle the rear PTO spline when encountering this shifting issue (though with some attachments, that won't be possible.)

The dealer said they tried all of their smaller models (1860, 2360 and 2660) and all suffered from the same problem.

All in all, not so bad a thing. I *really* wish Kubota would have told the dealers about this in a bulliten though. Ah well, got a transmission flush, new oil, and a new filter for nutin' (though, I did my 50 hour service only 8 engine hours ago )

Funny thing too; the tractor got back into my yard, and it's engine RPM/Hours LCD had broken. Leaking LCD fluid all over it Delivery guy said he'd be back next week with a new dash panel.