6610 PTO question

[Arkansas]

I just bought a 6610. When I was looking at it to buy, the owner and I hooked it up to a bush hog, and I drove it around and hogged some heavy briar patch and smallish sappling trees. Everything sounded and seemed normal.
Nice tractor, and I bought it. I know the owner/seller, and have no reason to think he misrepresented the tractor in any way.
BUT, I got it home, and then being the "kid in a candy store", I was showing my wife how everything worked (you gotta do that to justify the expense :wink: ). Well, when I engaged the PTO, I could here a clattering sound. Maybe chattering sound depending on how you talk. This sound is only noticeable when NOTHING is attached to the PTO. The PTO brake works perfect; it's stops turning immediately when I disengage the PTO. I can't hear any unusual noises when the PTO is operating an attached implement, but a bush hog is pretty loud.
Does anybody have any experience with a 6610 or similar models? Any reason for concern? I am not familiar with this model. It's the biggest machine I've ever owned and just want to head off any potential problem, if there might be one. Thanks for all info/advise

 

[RodinNS]

The clatter is normal at idle when it's not under load. Sometimes it will be more noticable than other times... but it is normal. As long as the brake works and it doesn't slip under load... it's fine.

Rod

 

[David G]

I have a 6610, PTO is quiet as a mouse. The transmission does
clatter a little bit if I leave shuttle in gear and transmission in
neutral.

 

[Bern]

Agree with Rod - perfectly normal for those 4-cylinder engines. It should go away when you rev up the engine.

 

[Anonymous-0]

My 7600 clatters at idle with no load when engauged. It's been doing it for at lest 15 years, hope it ain't serious.

 

[Arkansas]

Thanks for all the replies. Everything about the PTO seems to work fine. Just the noise was a concern to me, because I haven't ever noticed a similar noise on other tractors. In addition to the hog, I have now operated a post hole auger and a spreader. I can't hear anything unusual when operating these attachments. I've only owned 2 others, both Fords, a Jubilee and a 1920 4wd. This 6610 is a big change for me.

 

[sotxbill]

6610s require special conditioner in the radiator to stop cavitation. Be sure to use the special condition. you can buy it from ford, or john deere or others but it is required in these engines or you will damage the block.

otherwise,, its a great tractor.

 

[Bern]

Something I just thought of regarding all this: A rollbar will defintely amplify the noise, big time. That might explain why some people don't notice the noise, and others seem to think it's so bad that something will soon fly apart.

 

[Arkansas]

(quoted from post at 17:31:24 03/20/12) Something I just thought of regarding all this: A rollbar will defintely amplify the noise, big time. That might explain why some people don't notice the noise, and others seem to think it's so bad that something will soon fly apart.

This might explain why I didn't notice a noise when I first looked at the tractor, when the owner was sitting in the seat showing me all the bells and whistles. Mine has the ROPS with canopy, and I can see how that would amplify and echo back any noise. Thanks Bern. Now you got me curious. Should I allow my wife to sit on my tractor :wink: , while I do a walk around and listen?

 

[Shetland Sheepdog]

"Should I allow my wife to sit on my tractor , while I do a walk around and listen?"

Be [u:439542ee06]very[/u:439542ee06] careful of that!! All of a sudden it will become [u:439542ee06]her[/u:439542ee06] tractor! LOL

 

[Brian in MA]

I have lost two so far to my bride.

 

[Arkansas]

OK, I have another question.....................
I just attached MY bush hog, and when I engaged the PTO, the shear bolt broke. I did this 3 times, same result. I guess that means I'm insane :shock:
The bush hog I had attached, when I was looking to buy, was the previous owners, and it had the slip clutch drive shaft. Mine has the shear bolt. When I engage the PTO with my hog, it snaps the shear bolt, all 3 times, except the last time...... I engaged the PTO lever slowly, which seems normal to me, and it spooled up and worked fine. BUT......The owner told me (cause I ask) that you just "flip the PTO lever up", and when I read my newly purchased I&T Shop Manual, it says...........

"can be engaged or disengaged anytime the tractor is running" AND "On all models, the PTO clutch is engaged by the control valve directing hydraulic pressure to the clutch piston which [b:762f79e2bf]GRADUALLY[/b:762f79e2bf] applies pressure to the clutch disc through the feathering spring"

So, when I just "flip the PTO lever up", my shear bolt breaks. When I engage it slowly like I would let out on a foot pedal type 2 stage clutch, everything is fine. Does this mean I'm not understanding the previous owner AND the I&T manual?????? It wouldn't be the first time

FYI, I have never broken a shear bolt while using this same bush hog on my old Jubilee. I guess I thought she didn't have enough horse power or torque. And that hog use on the Jub has been a couple hundred hours in the past 3 years. The hog gear box turns by hand, so there is not a problem with the hog, and the shear bolts are the same type and brand that the dealership gave me when I bought the hog new about 10 years ago. The hog I operated on the tractor when I was kicking tires was owners, and it worked fine. Both his and mine are Bush Hog brand hogs. The only difference is the drive shaft; his has the adjustable slip clutch, and mine has the shear bolt.

Sorry for the long post, but I'm curious if something with the PTO clutch "feathering spring", or something else may be wrong. The only other attachments I've operated with this tractor are a seed/fertilizer speader, and a post hole auger, but they don't have much "start-up mass", and therefore didn't have the problem with them.

Well, any technical help and/or advise would be appreciated. I'm going out now to do some hoggin, by more slowly engaging the PTO lever and see how things work. Thanks to you fellers that reply!!!! I'm just a country bumkin thats never owned a big tractor, and want to know how everything should work. I'm a bit disappointed in my I&T manual. I want a REAL SHOP MANUAL; this thing is about a quarter inch thick.