# engine speed on tractor



## rrranch (Oct 15, 2009)

Does it hurt anything running a mower conditioner at a slower rpm or should I run it up to 540 at the pto as it says in the manual all the time?

My mower is a 16 foot new holland. swivel tongue mower conditioner. It's a sickle bar type. I actually have been running it with the entire conditioner off of it and just laying out a really wide row instead. 3 days to dry instead of 5 even at the widest setting on the chute!

I was just wondering about the speed though. My tractor is a 100 horse and can handle it just fine but last year I tore up that swather too many times and I maintain it really well. 3 times I had to rebuild a wobble joint. Those things really run hot at 540. twice the bushings on the end of the sicklebar went out too. If slowing it down can help I'll sure do it.


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## jhag (Dec 25, 2009)

It would seem to me that your knives must be really tight in the guards. Unless you are cutting several 100 acres, it seems excessive to have to change that many bushings and also the wobble box. I had a New Holland for a long time and it was very rare to have to change the knife bushing unless something got out of line in the knife-guard area. We were doing about 225 acres/year.

Jim


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## crash22 (Apr 15, 2010)

I agree with jhag somethings got to be out of wack somewhere to cause that much problems.


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## rrranch (Oct 15, 2009)

I can't explain the bushings but the wobble box maybe from the last knucklehead tha did it not shimming the bearings right. I did when I did it on both of them and one went out a month later again. The bearings just ate themselves up. It's been great since I took the conditioner off though. That thing had huge chunks of rubber missing on the rolls. Maybe it was just the vibration tearing it up.

The guards and cutters are all great, nothing bent on it.


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## jhag (Dec 25, 2009)

I suppose if there was enough vibration in the wobble box , it would be real hard on that knife bushing too. After what you have said, I think if the wobble box is running right, the bushing should take care of itself. The machine is made to run at 540 and should be o.k. there all day long. Also, maybe if there were chunks out of the rollers, it may have been out of balance.

Jim


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