Howse cutter issue

[okiecraig]

Have a light weight 5 ft Howse cutter that bangs loudly every time I engage PTO. Everything lubed, greased and oiled but this banging business cant be good for my PTO on Kubota L3940.

Any thoughts? IS iT just junk? Has done this since I got it.

Thanks

 

[cglaser104]

Have a light weight 5 ft Howse cutter that bangs loudly every time I engage PTO. Everything lubed, greased and oiled but this banging business cant be good for my PTO on Kubota L3940.

Any thoughts? IS iT just junk? Has done this since I got it.

Thanks

Can you post a video or sound clip of this?

 

[hosspuller]

Likely the noise is the blades swinging and impacting each other or the blade holder at start up. Try engaging the PTO more slowly.

 

[DK35vince]

Many independent PTO's turn on pretty hard (on/off switch).
Causes the swinging blades to impact on startup.
My tractor/brush mower does the same thing.

 

[airbiscuit]

Likely the noise is the blades swinging and impacting each other or the blade holder at start up. Try engaging the PTO more slowly.

Yep. I had a John Deere 850 that did the same thing. It was difficult to feather the PTO clutch. I would idle the tractor down, and then partially engage it, and then engage it fully. That did the trick.

It wasn't the mower, it was the abrupt PTO clutch.

 

[Liquidsilver]

I think it's pretty common when the PTO is engaged quickly. Hopefully that's all it is.

 

[okiecraig]

Have a light weight 5 ft Howse cutter that bangs loudly every time I engage PTO. Everything lubed, greased and oiled but this banging business cant be good for my PTO on Kubota L3940.

Any thoughts? IS iT just junk? Has done this since I got it.

Thanks

Think you guys have nailed it! I can't feather the PTO swtich like I can my MF 135; the Kubota is abrupt on and off and the clutch does not seem to interact with PTO. Maybe if I always reach under and spin the bowl a few times before I start cutting for the day.... or maybe need a better cutter.

Thanks much.

 

[TerryR]

... or maybe need a better cutter.

Or maybe a tractor with a better designed PTO? Sadly, they seem to few and far between now days.

I'm glad I still have my 20-year old JD 870 which has an actual clutch on the PTO that one can feather in easily for heavy loads.

 

[airbiscuit]

Idle down as low as you can when you engage the PTO switch. Maybe flick it on momentarily, then full on.

 

[DK35vince]

Think you guys have nailed it! I can't feather the PTO swtich like I can my MF 135; the Kubota is abrupt on and off and the clutch does not seem to interact with PTO. Maybe if I always reach under and spin the bowl a few times before I start cutting for the day.... or maybe need a better cutter.

I seriously doubt a different cutter would make a difference.
Its the abrupt startup of the PTO causing the blades to bang.
Just turn the PTO on at idle and you will be fine.