YM2000 will not pull JD 261 5' finishing mower

[treedawg]

My YM2000 does a decent job pulling a JD 503 5' rotary mower.

Today I hooked up a JD 261 5' finishing mower I recently purchased. I greased it, replaced the blades ETC and the cut was amazing but it seemed to be putting a heck of a strain on my tractor although my grass is pretty splotchy and sad looking. After 15-20 minutes the temp dummy light came on and I parked my tractor under the pole barn.

Why is a finishing mower putting an incredible strain on my tractor running through splotchy grass but it does a decent job pulling a rotary mower through thick nasty stuff...???

I've been really frustrated with my YM2000 lately and I've started thinking about replacing it with a new Deere or Kubota.

td

 

[winston1]

Running at 540rpm? I can tell you from experience high lift blades require more hp. Still no reason the 2000 should not handle it if nothing wrong with the mower.

 

[normde2001]

Clean out your radiator fins and try it again. It should not overheat under hard use. A 5' finish mower is the correct size, a 5' rotary cutter is not. My YM2000B with factory gauge never runs over 1/4 hot under any circumstances, (hard use or ambient temp.) until the radiator plugs up with chaff.

 

[clemsonfor]

Were you in the correct PTO speed as Winston said?

In "splotchy" grass that thing should pull it all day long. But as you know we have no idea how down on power your tractor is. It may not make anywhere near 20HP at the PTO any more? All that oil it burns is blowby which as you know equals less power. Unless that grass is like shin to knee deep and THICK solid stand it should have no trouble.

I use a bush hog brand fth720 behind my 2000. This is a 6ft finish mower side discharge. It does not like thick long overgrown grass but if you mow every few weeks in not thick turf grass it does fine. Its a load but can do it. When its really thick I have to pinch in and only take a 4-5foot bite of uncut grass. But never do I over heat while doing this even when its 95F outside or hotter.

 

[careyo63]

Now I run 2nd. gear PTO with a 5Ft. JD/Frontier on grass I cut every 2 Wks. with a 2000. for literally the last 10 yrs.. I use to have trouble with it staying in 2nd. gear which it doesn't do anymore. Not a doubt it uses more power but that only seem to show at idle. Which I know to increase the speed when I start to mow. And I mean the keep up with the neighbors lawn has quit.
Try and narrow the problem. Will use the BH and not the FM would point to the FM having a problem IMO.. I would pull the cover/covers and check all the bearings... Look at the belt ETC...
I also use straight blades. The High lift may do that but your dig deep in the wallet having to replace them from wearing out every couple Yrs... The straight seem to cut better also which I only sharpen at the beginning of the season. I just looked at my Grn.South receipt and they do cost more but I've had them on since 6/12 and still they showed very little sign of wear this Yr..................

 

[treedawg]

I never could get the finish mower up to the proper operating speed.

I have a three speed PTO and I was running it in the #2 setting but I'm not 100% sure.

I'm running a brand new set of gator type blades on the finishing mower.

The tractor seemed to be lagging constantly then the temp dummy light came on.

I ran my 5' rotary mower for about 6 hours today in some pretty thick stuff without any issues.

I guess the tractor is doing OK so it must be an issue with the mower...???

td

 

[careyo63]

I use a 4'BH also without any issue's. I just don't mow much grass with it. I call it the "Beast" cause it will tear some stuff up. Easily!!!

 

[winston1]

I never could get the finish mower up to the proper operating speed.

I have a three speed PTO and I was running it in the #2 setting but I'm not 100% sure.

I'm running a brand new set of gator type blades on the finishing mower.

The tractor seemed to be lagging constantly then the temp dummy light came on.

I ran my 5' rotary mower for about 6 hours today in some pretty thick stuff without any issues.

I guess the tractor is doing OK so it must be an issue with the mower...???

td

If you are loaded down you should be running in #1 pto speed at about 2200 rpm. That will give you the rated mower speed. Don't know what rpm you are running in 2nd but you don't want to exceed 540 pto speed. Dangerous.

 

[California]

I think that's the problem. PTO 1 provides 540 rpm output, that's what you should use. PTO 2 and 3 are geared too 'tall' like starting your truck in high gear. They will stall the tractor as well as spinning the mower dangerously fast, way beyond its design specs.

 

[treedawg]

I'll try it in pos 1 this weekend....

Thx for the info..!!!!

td