Newbie still learning

[walaby]

I have a Kubota L2600 I bought used, in great shape. Used a friends rotary cutter to cut my 7 acres and it seemed to work just fine. Researching purchasing a rotary cutter of my own, and I want to make sure I am using it correctly.

One of the rotary cutters said use at 540 PTO RPM ONLY. When I was using my friends rotary cutter, I had PTO engaged and the RPM's were up around 2000 (if I remember) as I was "cruising" around, cutting my pasture.

So, am I wrong and should I be cruising at 540 RPM (which will take a month of Sunday's to complete), or is it really 540 RPM minimum. Or, am I doing something else wrong?

My assumption is, as long as the RPM's exceed 540, then PTO would be operating at 540 . Just wondering if my assumption is correct, or what Im missing.

Thanks for any advice/help for a newbie who knows just enough to be dangerous or get in trouble.

Mike

 

[Matt Ellerbee]

Should be an odd color line or dot on the tach to show 540 PTO. Usually up around the 2000-2500 engine rpm mark.

 

[Russell King]

The 540 RPM is the tractor pto shaft speed (also is the input speed of the implement (rotary cutter)). The tractor engine speed could never be as low as 540 RPM or the tractor engine would die.

There should be some indicator of engine RPM for 540 RPM PTO speed. On old tractors there was a marking on the tachometer that gave the proper engine RPM. On the newer tractors there may be a separate display setting for PTO RPM instead of engine RPM.

The engine generally has to be around 2000 RPM to achieve the 540 PTO RPM.

 

[walaby]

Ok.. I feel better. Tractor is at my property about 30 mins away so I will look at the tach next time Im out there to see if there's a mark somewhere on it.

I knew the engine would die at 540 especially being under load, so really figured that wasn't the answer. I just couldn't get it out of my mind that I was missing something, and it just wasn't clicking for me.

Thanks

Mike

 

[NCL4701]

I have a Kubota L2600 I bought used, in great shape. Used a friends rotary cutter to cut my 7 acres and it seemed to work just fine. Researching purchasing a rotary cutter of my own, and I want to make sure I am using it correctly.

One of the rotary cutters said use at 540 PTO RPM ONLY. When I was using my friends rotary cutter, I had PTO engaged and the RPM's were up around 2000 (if I remember) as I was "cruising" around, cutting my pasture.

So, am I wrong and should I be cruising at 540 RPM (which will take a month of Sunday's to complete), or is it really 540 RPM minimum. Or, am I doing something else wrong?

My assumption is, as long as the RPM's exceed 540, then PTO would be operating at 540 . Just wondering if my assumption is correct, or what Im missing.

Thanks for any advice/help for a newbie who knows just enough to be dangerous or get in trouble.

Mike

The 540 is PTO rpm, NOT the engine rpm you see on the tach. Unless there’s something really odd about it, there should be a mark on the tach for whatever rpm you have to have the engine running to make 540 on the PTO. Run it at that speed. If your tractor has a multi-speed PTO make sure the selector is set for 540. There’s a good chance 2000 engine rpm is actually a bit slow.

So far as the 540 rpm ONLY. If your running 500 rpm or 550 it’s not a big deal. The reason it says 540 only is if you have a multi-speed PTO and set it on say 1000 rpm that’s not cool at all.

 

[walaby]

Thanks NCL. I think there is a mark on the tach. I just have to check to see for sure.

It's not a multi-speed PTO, I do know that.

Thanks

Mike

 

[85Hokie]

Thanks NCL. I think there is a mark on the tach. I just have to check to see for sure.

It's not a multi-speed PTO, I do know that.

Thanks

Mike

Mike,

as mentioned by the others ..... that 540 is the rpm of the shaft going into the cutter. It is what the manufacturer of the cutter designed the speed to be in order to get proper tip speed on the blades to cut correctly.

Having said that - many feel that it is too fast and the engine will be spinning at a rate NOT necessary to achieve the goal - and they lower the speed of the engine, which in turn lowers the speed of the blades.

So - what is the correct answer??? If the manufacturer wants the blades to spin at "X" feet per second - but it cuts just fine at a lower speed why not do just that????

Well....... much like engine oils, type of grease and whatnot - everyone has their opinion..............

I will tell you this - a diesel is an engine designed not to be "babied" - thus cutting at a too low of a RPM will not be helping the engine at all - really quite the opposite. Running an engine at the max rpms does little to harm the engine - too low, lugs the engine........

Funny how the spec sheet you mentioned said "rotary cutters said use at 540 PTO RPM ONLY. "

 

[walaby]

Yeah.. the spec sheet statement is really what got me thinking and wondering. Now, i will say this was a Tractor Supply rotary cutter, so I don't perceive it as anything more than a lower end cutter, although Im not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I just checked again and the online technical info definitely emphasized the ONLY.

My first time using the borrowed rotary cutter, I definitely did not baby the engine or let it bog down at all. Diesel's are made to work. Learned that with my truck.

Mike

 

[Motion]

Some tractors have both 540 and 1000 PTO RPM's, I'm guessing TSC doesn't want to chance running their cutter at a 1000 PTO RPM's. I'd suggest using a tachometer to confirm what the real engine RPM is with the PTO at 540 RPM. Use the transmission to determine the ground speed based on conditions.

 

[Matt Ellerbee]

Not your tractor, just what to look for. MX5100 is 2700 rpm and JD 110 backhoe is 2600 rpm for 540 PTO rpm.

 

[MNVikingsGuy]

I will tell you this - a diesel is an engine designed not to be "babied" - thus cutting at a too low of a RPM will not be helping the engine at all - really quite the opposite. Running an engine at the max rpms does little to harm the engine - too low, lugs the engine........

Even more so with modern diesels that have DPF - they need to run hot to function correctly.

 

[walaby]

I got a chance to check today, and yes, there is a mark on the Tach for PTO RPM. It corresponds with 2300 RPM.

So, learned something new today. Probably would be a good thing if I bought the owners manual online. I didn't get one with the purchase.

Thanks again for the help.

Mike

 

[85Hokie]

So, learned something new today. Probably would be a good thing if I bought the owners manual online. I didn't get one with the purchase.

Mike,

Hang around here...... you will learn something about something EVERYDAY here......... some people come ask ONE question, then never come back....... others like me look for a new piece of info on any Kubota model - you never know how it applies down the road!!!

 

[walaby]

Yup. i check all new threads every evening. Sometimes more than once.

Great site.

Mike

 

[NCL4701]

I got a chance to check today, and yes, there is a mark on the Tach for PTO RPM. It corresponds with 2300 RPM.

So, learned something new today. Probably would be a good thing if I bought the owners manual online. I didn't get one with the purchase.

Thanks again for the help.

Mike

Don’t know if you can find a free download online or not. You can get a pdf from Kubota for $10 or a print version for $25 at

Marketing Portal by Deluxe

kubota.deluxebrand.com

Would probably be a good use of $10. There are other sources as well but didn’t see any cheaper based on an admittedly non-exhaustive search.

 

[MNVikingsGuy]

Don’t know if you can find a free download online or not. You can get a pdf from Kubota for $10 or a print version for $25 at

Marketing Portal by Deluxe

kubota.deluxebrand.com

Would probably be a good use of $10. There are other sources as well but didn’t see any cheaper based on an admittedly non-exhaustive search.

Thanks, I have been looking for a pdf manual for my lx3310.
As an aside, I see there are Nov 2020 and March 2021 versions for the lx series. I wonder what has changed (I got mine in late October 2020)?

UPDATE: I went to buy the LX3310 and LA535 manuals. $18 each seemed like a rip off, but really want the pdfs on my phone. But when I added them to my cart and selected "pdf" the price switched to $0. A nice surprise. A few minutes later I had link to download in my inbox. Now I just need to find the maintenance/shop manuals.

 

[Esabvol]

I got a chance to check today, and yes, there is a mark on the Tach for PTO RPM. It corresponds with 2300 RPM.

So, learned something new today. Probably would be a good thing if I bought the owners manual online. I didn't get one with the purchase.

Thanks again for the help.

Mike

Get the My Kubota App for your phone, go to resources, look up the L2600 and you can look at your operators manual