RPM's while working

[FishHaggis]

I have been reading a lot on this forum and have seen a few discussions on the RPM's while working the tractor. I recently have a 2320 and thought if I was using the PTO, to put it to the RPM where is shows the PTO at 540, which means I increase engine speed to full on.

I have been reading that you only have to have the RPM as fast as you "need"....... say keeping the RPM at 2200.

While moving dirt and sand, I need it full out for the bucket to work properly. When I am mowing my grass, I don't think I need it RPM'ing that fast, but thought I might mess up the gearing/linkages/engine/whatever if I slowed her down a bit. Will dropping your RPM while having the PTO working throw off the machine?

I keep the gear box in low when I am working the tractor, and will drive in high gear only when heading to or from a spot or when mowing my lawn.

 

[Transit]

Full rpm's may be excessive to get 540 at the pto. under revs can lug the engine and effect the quality of the cut. Can you check the tac?

 

[jester156]

the manual shows 3k for the PTO mark. I have also seen many running the MMM at 22-2500 on the TAC and I am sure it works fine, just spins the blades slower. I am sure it makes an adequate cut but in any slightly wet grass, it won't discharge it as effectively as it would with a little higher RMP.
I have tried to vary my PTO speed when using my rear blower and it just does not throw the snow far enough. even a little variation is enough to dump snow in an undesired location.

 

[Henri88]

I have been reading a lot on this forum and have seen a few discussions on the RPM's while working the tractor. I recently have a 2320 and thought if I was using the PTO, to put it to the RPM where is shows the PTO at 540, which means I increase engine speed to full on.

I have been reading that you only have to have the RPM as fast as you "need"....... say keeping the RPM at 2200.

While moving dirt and sand, I need it full out for the bucket to work properly. When I am mowing my grass, I don't think I need it RPM'ing that fast, but thought I might mess up the gearing/linkages/engine/whatever if I slowed her down a bit. Will dropping your RPM while having the PTO working throw off the machine?

I keep the gear box in low when I am working the tractor, and will drive in high gear only when heading to or from a spot or when mowing my lawn.

No problem to increase or slowing it down when pto is engage. Not sure it would do a good job on cutting your grass at a lower rpm. I cut mine at the suggested rpm of 540 same for the blower and the tiller. Just make sure you turn your pto on at idle before increasing your rpm. :thumbsup:

 

[greg_g]

Will dropping your RPM while having the PTO working throw off the machine?

Yes. it's actually the implement that's designed to work most efficiently with 540 rpm input to it from the tractor. Faster than that wastes fuel, slower than that may produce less than satisfactory results from the implement. Set the throttle to indicate PTO revs, then regulate your ground speed with the transmission. Low range in a geared tractor is generally fine. But experiment with H1. I had at least one tractor that was slower (ground speed) in H1 than it was in L4.

For work that doesn't involve PTO-driven implements, run the engine at whatever revs are necessary to prevent it from bogging down under load. Keeping a tractor revving at a constant speed is easier on it that throttling up and down all the time.

//greg//

 

[TracTrac]

When you run your engine faster your engine (and hyd) oil pump pumps more oil under a greater pressure. To make it simple, Just as a vehicle can hydroplane or water skier can ride on top of water you crank shaft and rod bearings ride on a layer of oil. When you "work" an engine too slow the crank no longer rides on top of a layer of oil. The metal comes in contact with metal. Not good.

 

[RalphVa]

For PTO work, I run at PTO speed, which is near 3k on the 4010. For other work, it's 1800-2500 rpm generally, depending on how much power I need. Goes up hills fine at 1800. The bucket works fine at around 2200, but if working it with gravel, it needs near PTO speed.

Ralph

 

[boggen]

personally don't like running any sort of engine at full max throttle non stop.
1/2 to 3/4 idle is what i normally run. now don't get me wrong. if i have mower on. and i am about to go through some thick dense wet grass. i will max it out. but after i get past that i will drop it back down.

perhaps a post hole digger on. will be slow revs low idle engine. then as it starts to bite into the ground. i would rev it up. once i got down to what depth i wanted. i might max throttle. and dip the auger up and down a couple times to help clean out the hole.

if i have a plow on. i might rev it up if i hit a big rock or ground is really compacted. to help pull through the given spot. then move throttle back down.

what i am trying to get at. don't be a ram rock. and try and get everything done as quickly as you can at full throttle. take your time. slower down. including yourself. it takes time and practice to learn the tractor and how to operate it. pending on what you are doing.

if ya have a large rottory blade not a finish mower, but a mower to cut down tall weeds. i normally refer to them as bush hogs. and ya get the blade hanged up on some large limb or stump. ya don't want to run full throttle to get it unstuck. shut down the pto back up. lift up the bush hog etc...

for the front loader. to work properly. again slower down. only time i use full throttle is when i am trying to put the bucket down into the ground to dig some. or working my way into a pile of dirt that has been setting there or perhaps a rock pile. and mainly for full throttle is to make sure i can get the power i need to the wheels to push into the piles or down into the dirt. once the hussle and bussel is over generally back down to 1/2 to 3/4 throttle.

if you have a finishing mower on. and the grass is to wet, or to tall. instead of trying to full throttle the entire yard. raise the deck up some or take half passes. and put it into a lower gear. so you are not moving as fast.

*shrugs* atleast above is me. i generally like being able to have the extra power or rather extra RPM's to get me through the tough spots when need be. vs finding out i just got stuck or burned up a belt, or have to do the old reverseing then going forward again. to retry doing what ever i was doing. due to full throttle wouldn't cut the cake.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I kind of run in like I like to be run. :thumbsup:

Less RPM's means I can tear up less in the same amount of time. :laughing:

 

[Glen Watkins]

I see construction equipment, backhoes excavators mills all run at full throttle year at year with thousands of hours on them used hard and they just keep going!

 

[whistlepig]

I run the PTO equipment at 540 PTO RPM. For loader work I run the engine at the RPM that makes the loader work smoothly. Too low engine RPM makes the loader work slowly. Too fast engine RPM makes the loader work "jerky". I run about 1800 engine RPM for loader work.

 

[greg_g]

I see construction equipment, backhoes excavators mills all run at full throttle year at year with thousands of hours on them used hard and they just keep going!

Yup. Same with generators and pumps

//greg//

 

[RoyJackson]

I run the PTO equipment at 540 PTO RPM. For loader work I run the engine at the RPM that makes the loader work smoothly. Too low engine RPM makes the loader work slowly. Too fast engine RPM makes the loader work "jerky". I run about 1800 engine RPM for loader work.

Same here...and if I need a bit more for a short time, I use the foot throttle.

 

[US American]

These machines are designed to run at PTO 540 speeds for their entire lives. If I am running PTO driven equipment I keep it close to 540. If not, I am usually between 1800-2200 (PTO 540 for me is 2400). You do not want to make a habit of running at too low of an rpm. That can stress systems other than the motor (or so I am told).

And remember not to lug (as has been stated). So long as you can increase rpms by adding throttle even when under the harshest loads you should be fine. My .02

 

[FishHaggis]

I used to do a lot of on-the-water work and with an outboard engine, I used to warm her up, then put it full out and then back off a titch. It was the best way to run those outboard engines.

I asked the question about RPM's here because this past fall when doing work at 540 PTO RPM I had to put my 2320 at full throttle. Sounds like I don't have to from what I see on this post. I guess I will learn the feel of the tractor and when it starts to bind or struggle, up the RPM.

I was starting to feel weird about running that tractor at full throttle for extended periods of time but I was worried about messing up gears or lubrications with lower RPM's.

 

[dmay]

In general I find all engines live longer, happier lives when throttled back from full throttle. On my tractor I set the speed at the RPM rated position when snowblowing. I can encounter heavy drifts that can certainly bog the engine down. My guess is if I jammed it full throttle and just pushed forward something expensive might occur. I prefer to let this be an indication I'm pushing too hard and slow down to let the blower work through clearing the snow.

 

[RoyJackson]

I asked the question about RPM's here because this past fall when doing work at 540 PTO RPM I had to put my 2320 at full throttle.

Is the PTO mark at full throttle? I don't have a 2320, so I don't know.
All three of the tractors I've owned had the PTO mark (on the tach) a few hundred RPM below full RPM.

 

[FishHaggis]

Thats a good point. My 2320 is at full throttle to get it to 540 RPM on the PTO............ Any other 2320's out there different?

 

[AKfish]

The 3,000 rpm is the "rated" rpm per the Deere spec sheet that JD also uses to list the HP and Torque levels for that particular Yanmar engine.

It's 170 rpm's below the upper end of the operating range of 1,270-3,170 rpm's listed by Deere.

So, operating your tractor a 3k for pto operation is still below the upper operating range.

AKfish

 

[PCABE5]

I asked the question about RPM's here because this past fall when doing work at 540 PTO RPM I had to put my 2320 at full throttle. Sounds like I don't have to from what I see on this post. I guess I will learn the feel of the tractor and when it starts to bind or struggle, up the RPM.

Your 540 or mid-2000 pto's won't work properly or efficiently if not run at pto speed (not saying they won't just the way their designed). You mention mowing in HI at reduced rpm. Watch your grass as that will tell you if your ok, at lower rpm your blade tip speed is reduced so your travel speed would have to be slower to make a clean cut. I do acres so I run mine for hours at pto and in HI to mow.

Take a tiller for example it was designed to do it's job properly at 540. Can it do it at a slower speed, yes but you have to do other things in order for it to do it as properly and efficiently as if it were at 540.

I was starting to feel weird about running that tractor at full throttle for extended periods of time but I was worried about messing up gears or lubrications with lower RPM's.

Full throttle will not hurt your engine. It will run for more hours than you will probably own it for at full throttle. But you can definitly do a lot of work at lower rpm's. All your lube pressures and volumes would be just fine at lower rpm's. If you were watching gauges the only thing you would see with rpm's is hydraulic volume change, pressure is constant, and oil pressure rise in the engine.


The 2320 is 3000 rpm for pto and JD rated hp. It will rev to 3170-3200 rpm's at full throttle which is where Yanmar's rated hp for this engine family is at.