Is it bad for the engine to lug too much???

[Soundguy]

so then you had throttle at max, and it lost rpm or could make no more than 1600 out of max?

then ya.. it was lugging..

 

[DT86]

So is lugging his engine for just a few seconds a big deal?

 

[Gale Hawkins]

i think we are mixing 'lugging' difference between gas and diesel engine.

 

[sixdogs]

so then you had throttle at max, and it lost rpm or could make no more than 1600 out of max?

then ya.. it was lugging..

So how bad of a thing is that lugging?

 

[rambler]

You don't want to run it like that for real long, but 10-15 seconds is not a problem.

Just running a tractor put wear on them.

Lugging them a lot puts lot of wear on them.

Lugging them 10-15 seconds well yea, you put 101% wear on it instead of 100% wear on it for those few seconds, but - is that bad for the tractor??? No, it's just using the machine.

Now, if you were stalling it out a few times, and lugging it that bad for 30-60 seconds at a time, then you need to come up with a different solution......

Not sure what answer you are looking for. I'd be more concerened about the poor mowing that would result from such low lugging, than about ruining the engine from it, if it were me. Does that answer it for you?

If the engine were running warmer than normal from frequent or longer periods of lugging, then I'd worry about it more....

--->Paul

--->Paul

 

[shortthrow50]

shorrthrow50pfffttt

 

[Soundguy]

if i consistantly lost that much rpm in a certain size / thickness material, then I'd for sure be taking a smaller bit on those passes and / or catching a lower gear / groundspeed.

that would be the answer i think..
as it is a totally preventable situation.

soundguy

 

[90cummins]

Lugging is not being able to accelerate or maintain engine speed but it is the time duration and severity of the speed droop that can cause issues. Going thru a tough section which may take a minute or so with a speed droop of 500 rpm not a big deal, but if it dropped speed by 50% for a prolonged time that is not where you want to be.
Compact tractor engines are not highly stressed and are quite oversized for the power generated, what you are doing is typical. And as you mentioned you still had 1st gear.
Think about how you drive your truck with a manual transmission. Most people technically lug their manually shifted vehicles and don't even realize it. I have lugged my 1990 Dodge Cummins to 1200 rpm when grabbing the next gear loaded to 20k. Still have the truck with 300k & going strong.

 

[john_bud]

Just hitting a thick patch and the engine slowing for a few seconds isn't a big deal. Now if you are at 3/4 to full throttle and the engine drops down to 7-800 rpm and black smoke is billowing out... then i'd be stomping the clutch to unload the engine.

 

[Opti-Mist]

You really want to keep the engine rpm's up to maintain the PTO speed at, or near, 540 to allow the equipment to process the material. If this means down shifting, so be it. It's really less about loading the engine than it is about having the equipment do the work as well as it can.