When to shift from Range A to B

[LHS Inc]

Been bushhogging a field once a month since May of this year behind a commercial property I manage. First time I cut it I ran it in the A range pto speed. No saplings just the usual grass and weeds about 3' to 4' high. I kept running it the A range once a month with the grass/weeds about 1' to 1 1/2' tall. Cutting to about 6 inches tall on average.

Been using a Frontier RC 1060.

As the summer wore on it wasn't a heavy growth but tall enough that it still needed to be cut and I continued to run in the A range.

It wasn't until I read on here where someone stated that they always bushhog in the B range that I tried it next time I cut. It worked good and was able to cut a little faster.

My question is did I do any damage to the hydro by running it in a lower range? I think I was going about 3 mph in A range. About 3.5-4.0 mph in B range.

Besides losing engine rpm while running equipment whats a good rule of thumb for ground speed for hydros.

Been running tractors all my life but this is my first hydro.

Thanks

 

[JD 4520]

My question is did I do any damage to the hydro by running it in a lower range?

To the best of my knowledge, not at all. You have done the right think and yes may not hurt to run in B range with shorter grass. The stress is on the engine not the transmission by running in low gear. Keep the RPMs to the proper level and your machine will be doing exactly as designed.

 

[jenkinsph]

Been bushhogging a field once a month since May of this year behind a commercial property I manage. First time I cut it I ran it in the A range pto speed. No saplings just the usual grass and weeds about 3' to 4' high. I kept running it the A range once a month with the grass/weeds about 1' to 1 1/2' tall. Cutting to about 6 inches tall on average.

Been using a Frontier RC 1060.

As the summer wore on it wasn't a heavy growth but tall enough that it still needed to be cut and I continued to run in the A range.

It wasn't until I read on here where someone stated that they always bushhog in the B range that I tried it next time I cut. It worked good and was able to cut a little faster.

My question is did I do any damage to the hydro by running it in a lower range? I think I was going about 3 mph in A range. About 3.5-4.0 mph in B range.

Besides losing engine rpm while running equipment whats a good rule of thumb for ground speed for hydros.

Been running tractors all my life but this is my first hydro.

Thanks

Using a 3520 witha 5' cutter I would likely be running in the B range. How fast you can move in mph would depend on how thick the grass and weeds are and how rough the ground is. I would not be concerned about the transmission as it would have a light load. How the engine keeps up with the cutting is the more important consideration. You can go as fast as you wan't as long as your rpms' can keep up and the cut is good.

 

[stingray1]

I'd say your o.k.

 

[greg_g]

B First time I cut it I ran it in the A range pto speed.

Don't confuse PTO speed with range selection. You've actually only got one PTO speed. But you've got 3 transmission range selects; A=creeper, B=low, C=high. I only use C on the highway, traveling between fields/farms. For nearly everything I do with MY machine, I use B-range. If I had to break ground, perhaps I'd drop down to A-range. But so far, I've never had a use for it.

//greg//

 

[Spindifferent]

Don't confuse PTO speed with range selection. You've actually only got one PTO speed. But you've got 3 transmission range selects; A=creeper, B=low, C=high. I only use C on the highway, traveling between fields/farms. For nearly everything I do with MY machine, I use B-range. If I had to break ground, perhaps I'd drop down to A-range. But so far, I've never had a use for it.

//greg//

Totally agree with greg.

I typically only use A-range for something in the ground like a subsoiler or breaking new ground with a disc. I always use B-range for shredding/bushhogging with the Frontier RC 1072 attached to my JD 3520 on flat ground. C-range is for travel on roads.

I could see using A-range for shredding/bushhogging on really difficult or unknown terrain where you needed to go cautiously slow.

- Spindifferent

 

[LHS Inc]

Totally agree with greg.

I typically only use A-range for something in the ground like a subsoiler or breaking new ground with a disc. I always use B-range for shredding/bushhogging with the Frontier RC 1072 attached to my JD 3520 on flat ground. C-range is for travel on roads.

I could see using A-range for shredding/bushhogging on really difficult or unknown terrain where you needed to go cautiously slow.

- Spindifferent

Thanks for all the advice. I always thought of the gear range to be Low Medium High but I think greg_g's description of the A B C range might be more accurate. Either way I think I'll be using the B range more now with an eye on keeping the rpm's up.