PTO Operation

Since no one has replied, I can give you a general overview.

First your tractor may have a pto which will rotate at different speeds. Also pay strict attention to the later comments on pto rotation direction as model numbers that end 000 or 001 often represent models only sold in Japan or other Asian countries. I am not an expert in this area of Kubotas but know to be cautious.

Most North American small tractor rear 3pt hitch attachments are designed for a 540 rpm pto.

If you look closely, most tractor rpm meters will show the proper engine rpm to achieve a 540 rpm pto. If you paint a line on the pto shaft and engage the pto you should be able to see as the pto shaft rotates which levers select a second speed or even a third. Usually the lowest speed is 540 rpm.

Older tractors had pto's which only worked when the main clutch pedal was engaged. If you had a rear snow blower and wanted to pause the tractor movement while the blower cleared itself of snow and depressed the clutch to pause the movement, the blower would stop rotating which was most frustrating.

The big improvement in tractor design was "live pto" so the pto was engaged independently of the main transmission clutch. If you paused the tractor for the snow blower to clear, the blower kept rotating.

The second or pto clutch might be controlled with a second lever. Some tractors accomplished control of the two clutches with the one clutch pedal. Depress the pedal part way and the tractor stopped moving. Depress it all the way and the pto stopped rotating.

Ground speed pto's are foreign to my experience but I found this informative post from another forum:

they only turned when the rear wheels turned and did not change speed base on gears or rpm directly.. only on the turning of the rear wheels.. so the faster the wheels turned the faster the pto turned.. this is a GROUND SPEED pto.. if the tractor has the clutch in.. but it still rolling, the pto will turn.. if the trans is in netrual and the tractor is rolling with the engine cut off.. the pto will still turn on a ground speed pto..as its tied to the rear axles or output side of the trans.. so if the wheels turn, the pto turns...

I suspect the ground speed pto may have uses in seed planting where you want to space the seeds and doing it based upon rear wheel rotation would accomplish this.

Before you buy anything make certain your tractor's pto shaft turns in the correct direction. Grey market Kubotas from the 1980's like B6000, B7000 came with pto's which rotated in the opposite direction to North American tractors and their owners had endless grief. At one time you could buy a reversing gearbox for the pto but they are no longer easily found. You want CW rotation when standing behind the tractor and looking at the pto shaft.

Your need to identify the size of your pto shaft and the number of splines to make certain you order one that will fit.

When going to engage the pto, do so at low rpm's and then raise the engine speed to achieve the 540 rpm.

Dave M7040

I have a 1982 M4500, same PTO set-up. You will not use the "ground" pto. no reason to with any implement you'll buy in the US.
On the under seat lever the center position is neutral (no working PTO of any kind), pulled forward should be Ground, pushed backward should be Live.
To operate the PTO in Live mode: Start with the under seat lever in neutral. Raise the horizontal lever under the dash/along the left top of the transmission to the locked position, shift the under seat lever to the Live position (it will probably grind a little but shouldn't do so severely). You now have "live" PTO operation independent of the transmission clutch by lowering and raising the under dash lever (it has a spring loaded detent that you must release by pushing straight down on the end of the lever to lower it back down). The up position, is PTO off, the down position is PTO on (lower it smoothly & gently). The operators manual suggests keeping the under seat shifting lever in neutral and the lever down when the PTO is not to be used for long periods. You should have a dash light that is lit when the live top PTO lever is in its raised position to remind you the live PTO clutch is being used.