Montana 4944

[Capt Windmill]

This is my first time using my tractor with a 6 foot field mower. I have gone through 4 shear pins in one afternoon. As I let the clutch out to engage the pto I hear a bang and shortly there after the pin is broke. Could someone tell me what speed and gear to use to rectify this problem. Yea I'm a rookie.
Thanks.
Rob

 

[JDeerekid]

This is my first time using my tractor with a 6 foot field mower. I have gone through 4 shear pins in one afternoon. As I let the clutch out to engage the pto I hear a bang and shortly there after the pin is broke. Could someone tell me what speed and gear to use to rectify this problem. Yea I'm a rookie.
Thanks.
Rob

make sure you are starting the pto at low rpm. If you start it at to high rpm you put much stress on your pto and other parts and that leads them to break. Once you get it going at lower rpm you should run the brush hog at whatever rpm you get 540pto speed. I usually run my slightly lower around 2100-2200rpm. As for gear use what ever you feel safe. You can go faster in shorter grass slower in tall grass. Just pick a gear that doesn't bog down the tractor to much. If this does not help I am not sure what the problem is. Also you might want to invest in a slip clutch if your mower doesn't have one it will save you money in the long run as you will not damage your tractor if it works correctly.

 

[Capt Windmill]

JDEEREKID

Thank you for the info.

 

[Gavman]

I am not familiar with the 4944, however, I have a 4940. On my machine there are two choices for pto engagement; independent and manual. I think that the manual setting engages or disengages as you engage or disengage the clutch, where the independent setting is independent of the clutch. I personally have approximately 1000 hours on my machine, and a lot of those hours have been brush hogging with my 6' mower. I always choose the independent setting, and engage the pto at idling rpm's. This should alleviate your problem. I would look into getting a slip clutch if I were you. It protects your machine without having to climb off and install another shear pin.

 

[Maka]

I bet you have grade 2 shear bolts. Use grade 5 and you will be good. Don't use any more than grade 5.

Maka

 

[MLES]

We have a customer with a 5740 who had the same problem. Turns out that there was an update for the tractor (covered by warranty) to engage the pto a bit slower. Some don't need the update, depending on what they're doing with the tractor. Not sure how this would compare to a 4944

 

[Capt Windmill]

Thank you all for your input.
capt windmill

 

[Maka]

We have a customer with a 5740 who had the same problem. Turns out that there was an update for the tractor (covered by warranty) to engage the pto a bit slower. Some don't need the update, depending on what they're doing with the tractor. Not sure how this would compare to a 4944

Yes, but that is not applicable to the 4944. It is simply to soft a shear pin using a grade 2 bolt. Grade 5 will fix this I am confident as we see this all the time with customers who buy a new mower. Factory sends grade 2.

When we sell a mower we send with grade 5 (we sell mostly slip clutch anyway) to avoid this for our customers.

Thanks,
Maka

 

[JimmyBean]

Hi Maka, Is it true about an update on the 5740C PTO? I have complained for years about the force that my tractor engages. The only way I guit shearing pins was to dump the loader valve into bypass while engaging the PTO. I did trade up to a six foot brush hog with slip clutch. It will even mark and dent the grade 8 bolts the clutch is mounted with. I just had another discussion with my dealer several weeks before my tractor went out of warrenty about this subject. That was in early May and still have not heard anything back as yet. Now my machine is off the warrenty, I suppose that will be the end of it. I am not knocking the tractor. This is one awesome machine for the size of it. I use it mostly for bringing logs out of the woods. I do a firewood business on the side. With a 2000 lb. plus counterweight on the 3 pt., I carry 3 - 4 12' logs at a time. I mow and bale hay on about 7 acres also. I dig shale out of my woods to maintain my drive too. Let me know about the PTO issue.
Thanks,
Jim T.

 

[MLES]

YES there is an update for the PTO. We are a Montana dealer as well and we've crossed that bridge already. Numerous times.

 

[MontanaJames]

Not trying to start something here.....what about the 4940, is there an update for that also?

 

[jc7622]

I'm interested in finding out about the PTO upgrade. What exactly is it? My PTO engages so hard with my 7' cutter that I'm scared that something is eventually going to break. I have tried every trick I can think of to lessen the shock load.

 

[JimmyBean]

Hi,
I have found a little trick mentioned on here. Take the loader joy stick and roll the bucket back until it bottoms out. Now hold the valve there and engage the pto at an idle. That seems to soften the start because you are already taxing the hydraulic pump. Won't hurt anything either, because the pump is just pumping by the bypass valve at that point. I too am very interested in the pto update. I have put up with this for three years now! Any dealers out there willing to share the procedure or how to get the company to fix this? My dealer just seems to ignore my complaints.
Jim

 

[Capt Windmill]

I have been using grade 5 shear pins. The JD dealer told me that the field mower I have is rated up to 40 horse power. The R4944 is 47 Horse. Thought
about getting a slip clutch, instead I will just use my 8n for the field.
Problem solved. Received a package from Montana the other day. I did not expect that. It is appreciated. Thanks for all the input.

Capt Windmill

 

[Stampeder]

I have a 4940C and have used it with both my 5 foot King Kutter and a 8 foot bush hog my neighbour owns. Both work great off the pto. The 8 foot has a slip clutch and when I start it there is no bang or sound except for it winding up.
When I use my 5 footer with the grade 5 sheer bolt set up it bangs a little but because I start it from idle then throttle up from there.
I am planning on adding a slip clutch to it as well as it's really cheap insurance and I have a bunch of trees on my property that have a habit of dropping limbs occassionally which can be hard on the grade 5 bolts and the pto.

Cheers.
Glenn.