PTO vs Engine speed thoughts for discussion

[BCfromVA]

I was just thinking a bit today about the engine speed on my MX5400 relative to PTO speed. If you look at the tach, the PTO speed arc marked in yellow lies directly between 2600 and 2700 RPM. Presumably the PTO speed would be in the middle which is 2650. I have read a lot of discussion on here and elsewhere about not running the engine at full speed during first 50 hours. I have also seen statistics that say the average annual hours on a compact tractor are less than 100. Therefore 50 hours would, for the average user, amount to a large part of a year's usage.
My tractor governs out at 2700 RPM, so when running a PTO implement at the proper 540 rpm, I am running essentially full throttle. So, does it seem reasonable that Kubota would sell a product that is not usable for PTO operations for the best part of the first year? I would think not. I would like to hear other thoughts about this.

 

[Biker1mike]

My owners manual says initial break in is 100 hours. It then list just 4 items.
1. Avoid fast starts and stops.
2. Do not run engine at high speeds any longer than necessary.
3. In winter insure tractor is warmed up before use.
4. Slow down on rough roads.

I am sure the original owner had the rpms right up to mark for the pto shortly after getting delivery to brush hog his back field. That was 36 years ago.

 

[RalphVa]

I run it like I would a new car or pickup: just don't keep it a high speed very long.

Start and immediately work it. Been doing this for 62 years. Ran one car to 25 years and 415k miles. On it (a Benz 240D with 65 hp), one had to essentially "red line" it to 4500 rpm in 1st and 2nd gears to get any kind of acceleration. It ran and looked like new inside and out at 26 years old. (Bought new at 22k miles at 1 year: obviously ran a lot that first year.)

 

[mcfarmall]

I highly doubt that real farmers baby their quadtracs for the first 50 hours. They pretty much put them right to work off the showroom floor, same with the landscape guys and their super duties, et al.

 

[number two]

Think about semi-tractors-all they do is pull hard a lot!
No worries.
Good Luck!

 

[BCfromVA]

Think about semi-tractors-all they do is pull hard a lot!
No worries.
Good Luck!

I agree. I made the post after reading a lot of threads where people were agonizing about full speed operation in the first 50 hours. I retired from a major class 8 truck manufacturer. After we built a truck the first thing we did with it after it came off the line, was run it up on the dyno to make sure it was making proper HP etc. In fact, in our engine building facility, the first thing they did after building the engine was run it hard on an engine dyno to check for HP, leaks, or other issues. When we put it in service with the customer they starting dragging trailers with it immediately.
When I took delivery of the Kubota, I took it easy for the first 5 hours or so, and after that I started working it as any other piece of equipment. No worries here, I really just thought it was ironic that some might think someone would build a product you couldn't use for months of break in.