Kioti DK4710SE HST

[thewoodlands]

Lots of snow today. I broke the shear pin on the blower and there's a foot of snow on the roads. I called the dealer to see if they could bring me one but they are snowed in too. They forgot to bring the extra shear pins with them when the tractor was delivered.

I meant to ask you, did your dealer have to cut the PTO shaft for length?

 

[SpaceBus]

I meant to ask you, did your dealer have to cut the PTO shaft for length?

I don't think so?They did everything there and delivered it to me. I think the shaft is specific to the blower, but that's just a guess, I'm still new at this

 

[thewoodlands]

I don't think so?They did everything there and delivered it to me. I think the shaft is specific to the blower, but that's just a guess, I'm still new at this

Here's a good video on how to measure the pto shaft, maybe it doesn't or it might so you don't damage the pto on your tractor.

 

[Ashful]

I meant to ask you, did your dealer have to cut the PTO shaft for length?

I haven’t really come across any modern implements that required shaft length adjustments on my tractor. I could be wrong, but I think it’s more a think of the past, before three point link distances became as standardized as they seem to be, today.

It’s good to check it on each implement you get, but on the four I’ve bought and used, they all landed in the acceptable zone without cutting.

 

[thewoodlands]

I haven’t really come across any modern implements that required shaft length adjustments on my tractor. I could be wrong, but I think it’s more a think of the past, before three point link distances became as standardized as they seem to be, today.

It’s good to check it on each implement you get, but on the four I’ve bought and used, they all landed in the acceptable zone without cutting.

I never thought much about it until we started talking about buying the spreader/sander, our pto shaft is fine at the level position or just above but above a certain height it's close. I'll be cutting ours down after we're down using it.

I did show my wife so if she has to sand then everything should be fine.

I think that it's 18.5 inches from the back of the spline to the center of where the bar was but I'll need the measurements off the sander.

 

[maple1]

Lots of shear bolts on hand is a must have running a blower.

We just use ordinary bolts of proper size. A lot less expensive than 'real' ones and any metal grade differences have never caused any issues. Except maybe they don't last quite as long. I'd likely use nylock nuts also.

Couple other things to lessen bolt breakage or weakening, are engage PTO at idle then slowly bring up to speed, before you hit the snow. And once there, leave it at speed while it's working - the momentum of all the spinning metal will lessen the shock to the bolt a bit if you hit a piece of ice or something.

I'd definitely double check PTO shaft length before using an implement the first time. Don't think it would affect shear bolts, but one a little too long could blow apart a U joint when you raise it up. Chances are likely very good it is good coming installed from the dealer - but you never know sometimes....

 

[Bad LP]

My 84" Normand blower uses 5/16 and 3/8 grade 5 bolts. There is a bag of them in the cab with me. Ny locks are a must.

Also keep some calcium chloride around. The melting and freezing of snow WILL freeze the impeller to the housing and no amount of force that I could muster would free it up. Couple of small plastic cups worth and a few minutes had that issue resolved.

You also want to keep a close eye on your wear pads and cutting edge. At the end of this season I'll get the shoes hard faced at the welding shop.

 

[Ashful]

My Woods blower (SB64S) actually spec’d standard hardware for the shear bolts:

Auger = 1/4” NC Grade 5
PTO = M6 x 40 Grade 10.9

This is nice, because a box of 25 or 50 of them cost me less thru McMaster-Carr, than a 3-pack of Ariens shear bolts for my little walk-behind machine.

 

[SpaceBus]

I have a bunch of shear bolts for the walk behind, but they forgot to give me the bolts for the pto blower. No big deal, I cleared the drive with the bucket and the wife used the walk behind. The auto float feature is great for back dragging. My hill is so steep it does like pushing, especially up. Once I have chains this will be much easier.

 

[SpaceBus]

I'll check the pto shaft, but it seems all good to me. I used the blower yesterday on some old crusty snow and it was fine. I think I just tried to feed too much at one time.

 

[maple1]

I'll check the pto shaft, but it seems all good to me. I used the blower yesterday on some old crusty snow and it was fine. I think I just tried to feed too much at one time.

That can happen too. When the snow is really deep and heavy even a 100hp tractor with a big blower on it can outfeed itself in low gear. If it can't keep RPMs up, hit the clutch for a few moments. That can get hard on the clutching too, so careful on the release. Takes a lot of power to move a lot of snow.

 

[SpaceBus]

That can happen too. When the snow is really deep and heavy even a 100hp tractor with a big blower on it can outfeed itself in low gear. If it can't keep RPMs up, hit the clutch for a few moments. That can get hard on the clutching too, so careful on the release. Takes a lot of power to move a lot of snow.

I learned today! We got 12"+ of wet heavy snow.

 

[Bad LP]

Always run the machine at a speed in which the RPM's are maintained or slightly lower at the rated 540 PTO speed. If you are using the clutch (I forget if you got a manual or hydro trans) to build up RPM's your gear selection is too high.

 

[Ashful]

Can’t imagine buying a loader machine with a manual trans. Please say you didn’t!

 

[maple1]

Can’t imagine buying a loader machine with a manual trans. Please say you didn’t!

True, could be a hydro drive at play here.

 

[SpaceBus]

It's a hydro, sorry, I thought I specified. I wanted the hydro shuttle, but they don't offer it. The pto is at 540 when the engine is at 2600. I had it around 2100 RPM and I think I was just going too fast. I'm still new at this.

 

[thewoodlands]

It's a hydro, sorry, I thought I specified. I wanted the hydro shuttle, but they don't offer it. The pto is at 540 when the engine is at 2600. I had it around 2100 RPM and I think I was just going too fast. I'm still new at this.

It's in your very first post, nothing to be sorry about.

 

[maple1]

You likely did, and I didn't see it. Ours are manual so that's just what I was imagining.

 

[SpaceBus]

When I test drove it around the lot I had zero doubts on the HST. My tractor does have the PTO cruise which I love. Let off the brake, push the cruise button, and then the RPM goes to the setting I picked. Pus the brake and it goes back to idle. I'll probably have the link pedal installed when it gets serviced.

 

[Ashful]

Cool. I assume it engages / disengages the PTO down at idle, and not at PTO speed, when using that PTO cruise function? Mine is old-skool / manual control.

Yes, HST is where it’s at. You can use a loader or snowblower on a MT tractor, I’ve done it, but it’s not fun.

 

[SpaceBus]

Cool. I assume it engages / disengages the PTO down at idle, and not at PTO speed, when using that PTO cruise function? Mine is old-skool / manual control.

Yes, HST is where it’s at. You can use a loader or snowblower on a MT tractor, I’ve done it, but it’s not fun.

It won't diesnegage the pto on its own, you still have to do that. It's more of a hand throttle with a memory function. It still has a regular throttle.

 

[Bad LP]

With the hydro just set the RPM's and adjust your speed accordingly. I never use the cruise function when blowing snow as the conditions change too much. I have used it once in a while with the brush cutter.

Gear machines have a place. I have one of them as well but snow blowing is a PITA but doable. 20+ years ago the hydros were a toy in a larger frame machine and I was not willing to go that route. Of course back then the machine was bought for heavy field mowing and fancy electronics were not around.
The use has changed for that machine dramatically over time and I would much rather have my smaller framed JD with the same 56PTOHP rating but there is no way a boom flail mower would ever work on the JD.

 

[SpaceBus]

With the hydro just set the RPM's and adjust your speed accordingly. I never use the cruise function when blowing snow as the conditions change too much. I have used it once in a while with the brush cutter.

Gear machines have a place. I have one of them as well but snow blowing is a PITA but doable. 20+ years ago the hydros were a toy in a larger frame machine and I was not willing to go that route. Of course back then the machine was bought for heavy field mowing and fancy electronics were not around.
The use has changed for that machine dramatically over time and I would much rather have my smaller framed JD with the same 56PTOHP rating but there is no way a boom flail mower would ever work on the JD.

The cruise isn't for vehicle speed, it's for pto/engine speed. I still control speed with my foot, which is apparently too fast for 12"+ of snow. The PTO cruise is just nice for going from PTO operating speed to idle and back again.

 

[Ashful]

The cruise isn't for vehicle speed, it's for pto/engine speed. I still control speed with my foot, which is apparently too fast for 12"+ of snow. The PTO cruise is just nice for going from PTO operating speed to idle and back again.

That's interesting. As Bad LP was suggesting, most hydro machines (even my 33 year old example) have some sort of rudimentary cruise control to govern ground speed. A lot of tractoring tasks, such as seeding or spraying, require a controlled ground speed. The manual gear machines are better here, since they have a published list of ground speeds at PTO RPM for each gear, often listed on a plate on the fender or console. You can calculate your ground coverage for a given sprayer GPM or broadcast lb/minute rate, and then just choose the gear that hits it, whereas you're always guessing on a hydro machine.

If I had the barn space, I'd own one of each. But since I only want to store one tractor, it's gotta be a hydro, since most of my use is the loader. If I were doing more broadcasting and spraying work, then I'd probably find the manual more appealing, but I only do that six or eight times per year.

I've never seen a "cruise" for the PTO RPM, I just manually throttle up according to the tach on each of my tractors. JD always puts a yellow line on the tach, indicating the engine RPM at which PTO = 540 RPM is achieved.

 

[Bad LP]

I've also never heard of cruise for a PTO.