06 dk45se PTO keeps stopping after warmed up

[ineloquuciusb]

Hi all.

Seemingly at the same 2 or 3 spots on my meadow (med-to-shallow grade) the PTO will stop or significantly slow down. If I stop moving, no change, but then if I also lift the 3 point a little, it starts spinning up again.

This is my first tractor over 20 horsepower, and it came with no user manual, only a service manual. The service manual unfortunately has been largely useless, at least to me. So I'm not sure if there is some kind of automatic system that is perhaps too sensitive and is stopping the PTO, or if it's something entirely different.

Not sure if this is relevant, but when the tractor is cold the PTO will engage with a horrible bang, as if somebody had welded the clutch plates together and there was no slip allowed whatsoever. After warmed up a little the PTO will actually engage rather nicely with a nice slow spool up. Until of course, it stops spinning as described above. Perhaps this is just a red herring, but thought I would include it in case relevant.

Amy thoughts? Apologies if I've left out any necessary information.

 

[Billrog]

Is it connected to a seat safety switch ?

 

[DK35vince]

What are you mowing with ?
Finish mower slipping the belts ?
Brush mower slip clutch not set tight enough ?

The DK 45 has independant PTO. It is either on or off with a switch.
I always turn my PTO on at idle so the startup isn't so abrupt.

 

[OhioCowboy]

RE: the PTO engaging with a loud bang. My 2022 CK3510se HST came with the electric PTO too (No Mid PTO). It did the same exact thing you are describing....bang...clunk...shake. Just like my previous tractors without the electric PTO when I popped the clutch to engage the PTO. I asked many folk if their KIOTI acted the same way. The two people I talked to at the dealer said I was the only owner who had mentioned anything. We've had the electric PTO on our Bad Boy 35 HP mowers for over 10 years and never experienced the harsh coupling sound and feeling we had with the KIOTI. I've read to engage the PTO at 2400 RPM and I've read to engage at 1500 RPM. I tried all different RPMs and nothing changed. Last summer I used the low RPM method and cringed every time I had to engage it. This Spring it just stopped doing it and engages smoothly/smoother like I would expect it to. I did nothing to make the change Except I changed the hydro fluid and filter. Why that would make a difference I don't know and doubt it.
So....I know I didn't answer why but at least you aren't the only one it's happening to if you talk to the dealer. I would have to spend $200+ to have the tractor trailered into the dealer to look at the PTO. They didn't mention bringing it in...

 

[5030]

PTO clutch needs adjustment. How much I have no idea.

 

[OhioCowboy]

PTO clutch needs adjustment. How much I have no idea.

5030/ Do you have a KIOTI CKxxxx? This is an electric PTO on my Ck3510se and has no clutch adjustment for the PTO that I have found on the tractor or in the owners manual or service manual. Let me know where to look so I can go there if it starts up again. Thanks

 

[5030]

Like I said in the previous post, no, I don't. It may be electric actuated but I bet it's still mechanical.

 

[IndyIan]

On my tractor there is a switch that turns the pto off when the 3pt is raised and back on when lowered. I guess for roto tilling? I never use it anyways.
I would start with that switch and see if it makes any difference?

 

[IndyIan]

PTO clutch needs adjustment. How much I have no idea.

It's described as electric over hydraulic control, so I believe its a solenoid that controls a hydraulic valve, that I guess pressurizes a cylinder to engage the clutch.
I've broken the shear pin in my 5' cheap rotary cutter hitting the switch by accident at near pto rpm! But then with a real load on it, it engages smoothly, as it starts a round baler with a 3' bale inside quite smoothly with some rpms?
I just engage the pto for everything at idle speed and it seems to work fine and not break things.

 

[ineloquuciusb]

Wow ... this forum is fast to respond. Thanks for the replies--I'll try to cover all of the above.

1. Hard PTO engagement: bear in mind that this only happens when cold. When warmed up, it quickly (esp. in warm seasons) reverts to a very polite and civilized spool up.

2. The fact that I can see the PTO shaft spooling up slowly means to me that it isn't about the clutch in the mower (it's a large, older, Woods brush mower). If it were a clutch in the mower I wouldn't expect the PTO shaft to start out any slower than the full 540 rpm.

3. Agreed that while the engagement mechanism is electronic, there's still a hydro-mechanical clutch involved with the PTO--at least on my DK45. The almost-useless service manual references a PTO clutch.

4. Someone mentioned adjustment of the above. The manual is--once again--useless on this front. Any idea how to do this, or where I might find a not-so-useless link for it?

5. But also, is it really the clutch adjustment if after warm it works right?

6. Also based on the above, I am curious about the statement above regarding a change of fluid. Though it seems most THF brands are supposed to be pretty much interchangeable, I've seen other threads elsewhere describing various changes in tractor behavior based on the use of cheap vs. better-brand options, at Tractor Supply for example.

7. Ah ... the seat. I don't think it's the seat safety switch (if there even is one). Nothing has ever changed states whether I'm on it or off. Means I can easily walk around to stick my foot under a fully operating brush mower without hassle.

As an update, I might have seen an improvement yesterday. I'm still very low on hours with this tractor, personally (plenty on the tractor itself), and hadn't yet checked the hydraulic fluid level. No thanks to the manual, I found a dipstick just to the left of the PTO, and a filler to the right. I checked the level and it barely registered on the stick (some knucklehead mechanic replaced the hydraulic pump right here on the farm last winter and I could tell he was rushing the job toward the end). So throwing caution into the wind, I put THD into the filler tube on the right. It drank, and drank, and drank, until finally it registered on the stick (maybe a gallon?). I only got about 20 minutes on it before running out of fuel (and getting called in for dinner), but it hadn't shown signs yet of slowing down PTO-wise.

I'll go at it again today and report back.