b-7100. What RPM to run while mowing

[MMudd]

My lovely wife runs the B7100 to mow the grass. She has a habit of running the engine a lower RPM than I would to cut the grass, sometimes dogging the engine a little. It cuts amazingly good even at lower RPM if grass is not thick. I have always run my diesel tractors just below the PTO operating speed when using most PTO attachments. Not sure where that is on B 7100 since no tachometer, but assume it would be a little below full throttle. There is no water pump on this tractor and there is a hydrostat cooling radiator. I was wondering if runnning at lower RPM may cause less effcient cooling of engine and Hydro fluid while under a load?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Kind of a tricky question.
Does it have a 3 point mower or MMM?
Mid PTO runs at 2450 @ 2800 RPM
What PTO gear range are you running, Low, Med, or High / 514, 786, 1498 @2800RPM?

On a B7100HSTD the max throttle is 2800 rpm.

 

[kubotasam]

I mow with my B7100 mostly with a 5 foot finish mower. I run just slightly less than full throttle. I have a temp gauge on mine and it runs cooler at this rpm than at a lower rpm. I'm sure you know-- keep the radiator fins blown out with an air hose. Mine will overheat on a hot day if I don't clean it before I start mowing.

 

[MMudd]

We use a Kubota 5' Mid mount mower, We are running on high side PTO speed which is the only speed the front PTO runs on. I would have thought running a higher RPM would probably be a little better at cooling the Hydro unit since that fluid is being pumped. On engine it is convection flow thru radiator so not sure.

I'm interested in how you installed the temp guage on your tractor?
Thanks
Mark

 

[kubotasam]

Look at post #8 in this thread. http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4145&highlight=radiator+hose.
I don't remember the size of the adapter I used. Measure the inside diameter of the radiator hose. These types of adapters only work with an electric water temp gauge. The hole is not big enough for a mechanical one.

 

[pjespers]

We have a 60 inch belly mower. The manual says to run the tractor at full throttle for the best cutting results. I have tried that and it mows the same as running half throttle. A lot less noisy. Going up hill or tall grass we throttle up a big to keep from lagging, then back to half speed.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

We have a 60 inch belly mower. The manual says to run the tractor at full throttle for the best cutting results. I have tried that and it mows the same as running half throttle. A lot less noisy. Going up hill or tall grass we throttle up a big to keep from lagging, then back to half speed.

Yes your fine, do what works!

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Service Dept Vic made a statement in the past that these particular tractors have a throttle limiter on the engine so you can crank the hand throttle back WFO and the enging wont go past a factory limit.