Red Triangle on the RPM guage (DK35)

[woodyacres]

OKay, I have had my DK35 for over a year now and I think I have been conservative in my operations. Exactly what does the red triangle on the RPM guage stand for? I was assuming it was the "red line" for the engine and won't run past it. Am i wrong?

 

[carpenter383]

That would be where you set the throttle to run the pto at 540 rpms

 

[Highbeam]

The engine is designed to run at that RPM (PTO540) for extended period of time. You'll get used to that roar.

 

[Dmace]

As said, that is where your rear PTO will be at 540 rpms which is recommended for most 3pt attachments. To add to that, it is not the redline and your engine will run above that. MY CK20 redlines at 3000 rpms and the 540rpms is at around 2700. I don't recommend running at redline for long but I did need it on two occassions where I was using the loader and driving while moving some very heavy stuff that was bogging down the motor and running at 2900-3000rpms worked great. That little 21hp engine is incredible!

 

[woodyacres]

As said, that is where your rear PTO will be at 540 rpms which is recommended for most 3pt attachments. To add to that, it is not the redline and your engine will run above that. MY CK20 redlines at 3000 rpms and the 540rpms is at around 2700. I don't recommend running at redline for long but I did need it on two occassions where I was using the loader and driving while moving some very heavy stuff that was bogging down the motor and running at 2900-3000rpms worked great. That little 21hp engine is incredible!

OKay, so please explain the whole 540 thing... the 2700 rpms is engine speed and 540rpms is the speed of the PTO at 2700 rpm (motor speed)?

 

[carpenter383]

OKay, so please explain the whole 540 thing... the 2700 rpms is engine speed and 540rpms is the speed of the PTO at 2700 rpm (motor speed)?

Your correct the pto is geared to turn 540 rpm with your tractor's engine at 2700 rpms. Not all tractor's engines use 2700 rpm to achieve 540 pto rpm. Some may be only 2200 rpm at pto speed. Also some tractors have 2 or 3 spd pto's 540, 720 (?), 1000 rpm for various impliments. But 540 is the norm and is what most impliments are designed to run at

 

[woodyacres]

Thanks for the help, guys. As always much appreciated!

One more PTO related question. I read alot about not engaging the PTO at high speed, but what about the automatic feature these babies have. I was using a tiller yesterday and I had it in auto (left rpm's at 540 mark). When I lowered the 3 pt down it started the tiller. That was a nice feature, but is that bad to use it without lowering the RPM's and what is a good "engaging" rpm level.

 

[MikeD74T]

Thanks for the help, guys. As always much appreciated!

One more PTO related question. I read alot about not engaging the PTO at high speed, but what about the automatic feature these babies have. I was using a tiller yesterday and I had it in auto (left rpm's at 540 mark). When I lowered the 3 pt down it started the tiller. That was a nice feature, but is that bad to use it without lowering the RPM's and what is a good "engaging" rpm level.

The bad is if your impliment doesn't have a slip clutch you'll be buying shear pins by the gross. Without a slip clutch, drop to idle, engage pto , bring to operating RPMs. MikeD74T

 

[Highbeam]

It's a bit like revving up your truck engine to redline and throwing the transmission into drive. Either the truck will take off like a bat out of heck or things will break. Most of us engage our transmissions and PTOs with the engine at idle.

 

[Dmace]

I don't have the automatic PTO switch but I bet you could lower the rpms before dropping the rear 3pt and then once it engages, raise the rpms again. This sounds like a pain, but it will drastically cut down on wear and tear on the PTO gear.

As stated above, when your engine is at that PTO mark and you have the PTO engaged it will run at exactly 540 rpms. You can vary the rpms has you wish depending on the attachment and use, 540rpms is a recommendation for maximum use.

For instance, when I have my rear mounted snowblower on I run it at around 2200rpms for typical snowfall of 6" plus and drop it to just 2000rpms for light fluffy snow of 6" or less. When I am tearing through the snow banks that I leave behind with the plow truck or that the highway trucks leave at the end of my road, I put it up to 2700 rpms and that snow flies a good 20-30ft depending on snow type.