"Powersafe" clutch on BCS

   / "Powersafe" clutch on BCS #121  
You are the man oldmech. I'm looking at those four springs in the service procedure on the BCS website. Removing those would stop that annoying braking. A bit of work to get in there though.

I still don't see the point of the brake. If the implement has a lot of inertia, then it seems like it would have to have an overrunning clutch or it would self destruct. At least my bush hog does. But if it doesn't have much inertia, like a tiller, it should stop quickly without a brake.

Again, I'm not really trying to complain too much. The machine is great as is, but it would be better without the brake.
 
   / "Powersafe" clutch on BCS #122  
Hi David :)

As NibbanaFarm rightly says, the tractor can be moved in neutral, with or without the engine running. I find with relative ease, as the wheels simply freewheel with only minor resistance from the drivetrain. When the tractor is in gear - and the clutch disengaged, I can't move it either - engine running or not. I used to think that this was only due to the high gear reduction ratio through the gearbox, but after having read Maxxjods description of the PowerSafe clutch in this thread, it might perhaps be a bit of both.

As you have probably seen already in this thread, the PowerSafe clutch has its advantages and disadvantages compared to the traditional cone clutch. I run my BCS 740 in the 3rd gear most of the time with a lawnmower or a sweeper, and I find it very handy, that the tractor is automatically braked when I empty the bag on the mower, or otherwise leave the tractor on a slope for a few seconds with the engine running.

Another issue is the use of trailers or sulkies on the tractors with the PowerSafe clutch. This is not recommended by BCS, as the tractor comes to a very abrupt stop in the 3 working gears, when the clutch is disengaged (the clutch lever is pulled).

We have had this issue a few years ago, and based on the new information on the hydraulic clutch, I decided to do my little test from 2013 concerning the transport gear once again.

According to Maxxjod, the 4th worm gear is no longer in the gearbox at all, which means that the transport gear is gone for good on the new models. On the early BCS models with PowerSafe - like my 2011 model - it has just been blocked, as described earlier. Yesterday I did test it again, and as expected, the 4th gear does not have the "quick-stop" feature as the other gears, but freewheels to a comfortable stop, as with a conventional clutch. Depending on speed, slope and tractor weight, my tractor could easily freewheel 8-10 feet after the clutch was disengaged. Therefore, owners of early PowerSafe models might be able to enjoy the benefits of a fast - and safe - transport gear with a trailer or sulky, but be aware, that the 3 working gears are a different story!


Best regards

Jens
 
   / "Powersafe" clutch on BCS #123  
Hi! Sorry ! Jens Clutch brakes or block the transmission input shaft at any or all gears as PTO. Because power are from same shaft.
May be! You can when travelling push gear lever in neutral before pull clutch lever. So clutch brakes or blocks the input shaft but dont stop the tractor. You must stop the tractor by hand brakes.
PowerSafe clutch is a good safety device and protect the operator. It is forbidden to modify or remove a safety device by laws
Personnal. I thinks Stops or brakes transmission input shaft as PowewrSafe makes is not very good for shafts and gears. Good luck ! Oldmech
 
   / "Powersafe" clutch on BCS #125  
Hi, jens ,i have a bcs 740 (im french ,sorry for bad english,im from alsace area)
i have found the 4 gear transport on my 740 , the big question is : can i buy a trailer ,and drive with it in the gear transport ,it is so much convenient with all my tools, should i buy another gear selector like you ?
thanks for reply.
Hi David :)

As NibbanaFarm rightly says, the tractor can be moved in neutral, with or without the engine running. I find with relative ease, as the wheels simply freewheel with only minor resistance from the drivetrain. When the tractor is in gear - and the clutch disengaged, I can't move it either - engine running or not. I used to think that this was only due to the high gear reduction ratio through the gearbox, but after having read Maxxjods description of the PowerSafe clutch in this thread, it might perhaps be a bit of both.

As you have probably seen already in this thread, the PowerSafe clutch has its advantages and disadvantages compared to the traditional cone clutch. I run my BCS 740 in the 3rd gear most of the time with a lawnmower or a sweeper, and I find it very handy, that the tractor is automatically braked when I empty the bag on the mower, or otherwise leave the tractor on a slope for a few seconds with the engine running.

Another issue is the use of trailers or sulkies on the tractors with the PowerSafe clutch. This is not recommended by BCS, as the tractor comes to a very abrupt stop in the 3 working gears, when the clutch is disengaged (the clutch lever is pulled).

We have had this issue a few years ago, and based on the new information on the hydraulic clutch, I decided to do my little test from 2013 concerning the transport gear once again.

According to Maxxjod, the 4th worm gear is no longer in the gearbox at all, which means that the transport gear is gone for good on the new models. On the early BCS models with PowerSafe - like my 2011 model - it has just been blocked, as described earlier. Yesterday I did test it again, and as expected, the 4th gear does not have the "quick-stop" feature as the other gears, but freewheels to a comfortable stop, as with a conventional clutch. Depending on speed, slope and tractor weight, my tractor could easily freewheel 8-10 feet after the clutch was disengaged. Therefore, owners of early PowerSafe models might be able to enjoy the benefits of a fast - and safe - transport gear with a trailer or sulky, but be aware, that the 3 working gears are a different story!


Best regards

Jens
 
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   / "Powersafe" clutch on BCS #126  
Hi Stormrider :)

Congratulation with your BCS 740, and welcome to this great forum, where I am sure you will find a lot of useful information, provided by many experienced users.

You are of course aware, that BCS does not recommend the use of trailers and sulkies with their PowerSafe models, as they come to a very abrupt stop when the clutch is disengaged in the 3 working gears! The 4th transport gear seems to work a bit different, and either does not have this braking feature - or it is just less aggressive. The transport gear has probably been blocked due to EU regulations, limiting the speed of 2-wheel tractors to the walking speed "of a driver on foot". I fully understand the concerns that BCS and their layers have, as the tractors have to be safe also in the hands of the "average" - less experienced - user, who perhaps rents a 2-wheel tractor for the first time. On the other hand, in the hands of an experienced owner, who knows his tractor, the transport gear can be very useful with a trailer or sulky.

Your tractor can actually drive without the gear quadrant at all - it is just more difficult for you as a driver to find the proper gear. As you can see on my pictures on page 7 in this thread, the 2 gear quadrants are identical, except that the slot is longer on the one with the transport gear. You can either run your tractor without the gear quadrant, or make the slot a little longer yourself, to enable you to select the transport gear. I got the gear quadrant for 6,87 Euro (7.71 dollar) at my local dealer. If you only use your tractor in the rear-PTO (tiller) mode and you only use it yourself, you can do without the joint. Should you by accident select the 4th gear instead of the 3th, you will drive faster, but in the expected direction at least. But if you also uses the tractor in the front-PTO (mowing) mode, I will highly recommend that you spend 4,07 Euro (4.57 dollar) on the proper joint as well, as it mechanically prevents you from selecting the transport gear when you are in the front-PTO mode (see left picture on page 7). Please remember that the worm transport gear is not influenced by the position of the red reverse lever on the right hand side of the handlebar, but will always drive backwards when you are in the front-PTO mode! That might come as a big surprise to the less experienced user!

As safety should be our top priority when working with a potentially dangerous tool like a tractor, I recommend you to buy these 2 parts. They are so easily changed, and they might save you or someone else a lot of bruises and pain one day!

If you feel comfortable with the speed of the transport gear, I would go for a trailer if I were you.

I am sure a lot of us here in this forum will also look forward to hear about your experiences towing a trailer after a BCS PowerSafe tractor.


Best regards

Jens
 
   / "Powersafe" clutch on BCS #127  
I have a 739, and it has the 3 workings speeds but no transport speed. Does anyone know if it would have a transport speed if I removed the gear quadrant? It seems like the 739 is similar to the 732 just with an extra working speed rather than the transport speed. I'm wondering if they based the 739 off the 732 and just added another working speed and left the transport speed there but just blocked, or if there were more changes than that.

It would be nice to have a transport speed not for using a trailer but walking the tilling to the garden at a good walking speed with the engine at idle rather than at full throttle in 3rd gear.
 
   / "Powersafe" clutch on BCS #128  
I removed my quadrant and couldn't find another gear. Not saying that it isn't there, just couldn't find it.
 
   / "Powersafe" clutch on BCS #129  
Last week I ended up removing my quadrant and I couldn't find another gear either.
 
   / "Powersafe" clutch on BCS #130  
Hi :)

This thread was started in early 2012, as the first BCS 2-wheel tractors with the PowerSafe clutch came to North America. Over the next more than 4 years, a number of members offered their thoughts and opinions on this new clutch. Some were concerned, that the new clutch would be less reliable than the traditional cone clutch, and that if repairs were necessary, they would be more complicated and therefor more expensive. Some saw no need to chance a clutch that had served its duty with few problems for many years, and at time, some members got very emotional when discussing the PowerSafe clutch.

BCS tractors with the new clutch were sold in Europe a year earlier than in the US and Canada, and as I got my BCS 740 in the summer of 2011, I read all posts in this thread with great interest. Sadly, the thread has been very quiet for more than 3 years now.

As there are probably a lot more tractors with the PowerSafe clutch around now, it could be interesting to get an update on this topic - especially for new members, who consider purchasing a tractor with this clutch. I would find it especially interesting to hear from some of our members who are selling and servicing these tractors, as they have a much bigger picture, as most of us "normal" users.

To start with myself, I am approaching 250 hours on my BCS 740, and I have had no issues or problems with the clutch - or with the tractor itself for that matter. At the beginning I found it difficult to find the "sweet spot" were the clutch would engage, but after perhaps 30-50 hours, it became much easier. I guess this was partly due to the brake-in procedure of the new clutch, and probably also the fact that I as the operator, got more familiar with the tractor. Today I have no problem engaging the clutch as smoothly as a standard clutch. I primarily use my tractor for mowing, and I have had a few incidents where the mower got jammed. In those cases the clutch released enough to allow the engine to continue to run, thereby protecting the entire powertrain until I could release the clutch.


Best regards

Jens
 
 
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