Starting with PTO Engaged

[bobframe]

Forgive me if this has been covered elsewhere.

My Kubota L3010 HST is doing something that seems different to me. Yesterday I tried to restart the tractor (thought I had the clutch pushed in) and it was dead. I noticed that the PTO lever was engaged, so I disengaged it and the tractor started normally.

My question is this: Should the tractor start if the PTO lever is engaged and the clutch is pushed in?

 

[BubbaJr]

What you experienced is how it is supposed to work. If you had an implement attached you could have done some real damage.

Joe

 

[ruffdog]

Even my 1983 Cub Cadet 982 won't start with either of the pto's engaged.

 

[bobframe]

What you experienced is how it is supposed to work. If you had an implement attached you could have done some real damage.

Joe

Thanks for your quick reply.

My tractor will only start if clutch is engaged. If clutch is pushed in and PTO was engaged, wouldn't the PTO be immobilized upon starting? How would "real damage" be done? For example, lets say I was bush hogging and turned tractor off without disengaging the PTO. Upon restart the clutch would be pushed in and only after releasing the clutch would the PTO again turn. Seems like a safe start to me. What am I missing?

 

[LouNY]

Thanks for your quick reply.

My tractor will only start if clutch is engaged. If clutch is pushed in and PTO was engaged, wouldn't the PTO be immobilized upon starting? How would "real damage" be done? For example, lets say I was bush hogging and turned tractor off without disengaging the PTO. Upon restart the clutch would be pushed in and only after releasing the clutch would the PTO again turn. Seems like a safe start to me. What am I missing?

Any tractor with independent pto the pto would be turning when the engine was, requardless of the clutch position.

 

[Mendonsy]

My B7500 HST works the same as your L3010. If will not start unless the PTO lever is in neutral and the clutch is depressed.

 

[bobframe]

OK, so I can stop worrying that somethings wrong. Given a choice between my understanding being deficient and the tractor being broken, its a whole lot simpler to fix my understanding. Thanks guys.

 

[ruffdog]

I think the manufactures and safety people want the tractor to be started in a neutral state, then, the operator can choose what implements and gears are started. You may be the only operator at your household but many pieces of equipment are operated by more than one person. How are they to know you left the bush hog engaged? They start the tractor thinking it is in neutral and let the clutch out not thinking it was engaged. Was the family pet under the mower? What if it was a tiller back there...do you want it to run as soon as the tractor starts?

 

[bobframe]

I think the manufactures and safety people want the tractor to be started in a neutral state, then, the operator can choose what implements and gears are started. You may be the only operator at your household but many pieces of equipment are operated by more than one person. How are they to know you left the bush hog engaged? They start the tractor thinking it is in neutral and let the clutch out not thinking it was engaged. Was the family pet under the mower? What if it was a tiller back there...do you want it to run as soon as the tractor starts?

Brilliant answer. Now I understand this. It really could be a disaster. Thanks.

 

[diesel85]

I think the manufactures and safety people want the tractor to be started in a neutral state, then, the operator can choose what implements and gears are started. You may be the only operator at your household but many pieces of equipment are operated by more than one person. How are they to know you left the bush hog engaged? They start the tractor thinking it is in neutral and let the clutch out not thinking it was engaged. Was the family pet under the mower? What if it was a tiller back there...do you want it to run as soon as the tractor starts?

Perfect statements and very realistic examples!

Remember: Accidents happen fast!

 

[BHD]

the only time I try to start my tractor with the PTO engaged is when I have this big air compressor hooked up, as with the fly wheel the location where the PTO shaft and the fly wheel attaches is a weak point and you can shear 6, 3/8 bolts like butter, so start it as slow as possible, mine does not have a safety switch on the PTO,


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
other wise that safety switch could save you an expensive service call some day,

one day I was out bailing and I shreared the shear bolt on the round baler, baler stopped, I was near the shop so I drive to the shop to replace the bolt, replaced the bolt and May have ate lunch, I had done something that took a bit of time, so I got back on the tractor and tried to start it, it just would not spin fast enough to start the tractor, so I get the charger out and charge the batteries, still no go, I looked it all over, checked the fuel, I even called the dealer and the service guy was in our area, so I asked them to stop by, I was at a loss, I said to my self I will give it one more try, and the light was just right and there was a reflection in my glasses and I sat the bailer rotating when I was trying to start it,
(amazing how much easier the tractor starts if your not trying to roll a bale up at the same time),

I jump off the tractor and run and call the dealer back to cancel the service call, and I was able to get it canceled, but boy did I feel about 2" tall,

 

[bunyip]

Remember: Accidents happen fast!

And rarely do you get a warning.
My ride on mower is much the same to start I have to be in the seat, cutting deck raised, cutters disengaged and foot on brake.
On the tractor when I finish I lock the FEL down, engage neutral drive and have the brake engaged, not only safe but can discourage a would be thief as the universal key is available anywhere.

 

[BubbaJr]

Thanks for your quick reply.

My tractor will only start if clutch is engaged. If clutch is pushed in and PTO was engaged, wouldn't the PTO be immobilized upon starting? How would "real damage" be done? For example, lets say I was bush hogging and turned tractor off without disengaging the PTO. Upon restart the clutch would be pushed in and only after releasing the clutch would the PTO again turn. Seems like a safe start to me. What am I missing?

I was thinking aboout my tiller when I wrote that. If the tines were on the floor you could bend the tines or bust up your concrete. Any other implement setting on the ground could do damage if it started moving when you didn't want it to. Kubota puts these safety items on a tractor because of accidents that have happened or accidents that could happen. Sometimes having "big brother" watching over your shoulder is a good thing, up to a point.

 

[Fallon]

On my L3200 I'd leave the PTO lever engaged as a security measure. **** I was the one that did it on purpose & it took me longer than I care to admit to figure out why the dam thing wouldnt start. Unlikely an ignorant thief would sort it out in a timely manner to steal the machine.

 

[ruffdog]

On my L3200 I'd leave the PTO lever engaged as a security measure. **** I was the one that did it on purpose & it took me longer than I care to admit to figure out why the dam thing wouldnt start. Unlikely an ignorant thief would sort it out in a timely manner to steal the machine.

I know a person that put their car keys in an ingredient box in the cupboard when they went on vacation. When they came back, they thought they had lost the keys and the expensive fob. It took them weeks before they ran across those keys in the kitchen.

 

[Farmer495]

I operate some older tractors that have clutch or neutral safety switches, they will allow engine to start with PTO engaged. Newer orange one have PTO safety switch, no start if it's engaged.

 

[Fallon]

I operate some older tractors that have clutch or neutral safety switches, they will allow engine to start with PTO engaged. Newer orange one have PTO safety switch, no start if it's engaged.

My L3200 had both. Clutch & PTO lever. I assume that was because it was easier to leave the clutch switch on the HSTs than have separate wiring for the HST & gear machines. No reason to have that clutch switch there with the PTO switch.

 

[Mendonsy]

My L3200 had both. Clutch & PTO lever. I assume that was because it was easier to leave the clutch switch on the HSTs than have separate wiring for the HST & gear machines. No reason to have that clutch switch there with the PTO switch.

Actually there is ......
My B7500 has both switches and won't start unless the PTO is in neutral, but the clutch switch is used to control how long the glow plugs pre-heat. The glow plugs turn on when the key is moved to the start position but the engine wont try to start until the clutch is depressed.

 

[bunyip]

Daughter has a manual Hyundai i20 that won't start unless you have your foot on the clutch, it has caught me out a couple of times.

 

[diesel85]

Daughter has a manual Hyundai i20 that won't start unless you have your foot on the clutch, it has caught me out a couple of times.

Manual vehicles are supposed to have a clutch interlock.

However, some stupid people remove them AND add a remote start.

Then an unsuspecting person remote starts it, whilst in gear and a Mustang ends up in a pond...

Dealership Remote Starts Customer's Mustang Into Pond, Car Totalled - The Lounge - Cheers and Gears