Brand New MF 583 PTO Quit working!

Well, my brand new 583 has let me down. I was mowing some pretty light stuff with a 7' rotary cutter on the pipeline. Dis-engaged the PTO to get through a small creek, tried to engage it again, nothing. It has live PTO. Lever is turning the shaft going into the side of the tractor. I'm pretty sure it's internal. Any guesses or experience with this model and problem? Hope the warranty will cover it!

Does it feel normal, trying to put it into gear? Might have slipped a shifter fork off of the engagement end. Either that or you wore it out!

Try the Todays Tractors forum

I tried to be as nice as I could when you made the original post about what you intended to do with your tractor. I belive I told you then you would be very lucky if it held up in that application. The reason I spoke I have had a LOT of experience with people that got those pipe line mowing contracts. As a rule they wear out and tear up before the money catches up. Again I wish you the best and sure hope you make it work.
As to the pto I am thinking pto clutch pack.

JM,

Your advice was well taken. My crew had three tractors: A JD 5420 with a Brown 7' tree-cutter, A JD 5425 with a 16' Woods Batwing, and my MF583 with a 7' Bushhog 287. Each tractor had it's uses. My 583 was used mainly for cutting grassey, weedy areas and between creeks and hillsides the other tractors couldnt traverse. We put the tree cutter on any areas that had heavy sapling growth. The batwing made up time for us on flat areas. The two JD's had similar HP as the Massey, but had zero problems, even pulling a batwing (which was really too heavy for that tractor) Granted they couldnt cross creeks or climb hillsides, the didnt have PTO failures. I find it hard to believe that a 7' bushhog with a properly set slipclutch could ruin the PTO driveline on a 82 hp tractor, the heaviest things I mowed was heavy weeds and small saplings. I didnt hit any engine blocks or tires, we had the hand crew march ahead to cut creek banks and remove potential obstacles.I will say, this project has been very profitable us. Even if this ends up being a $1500 repair, thats only a couple of hours mowing for the crew, I'm actively seeking all this type of work I can find. I'm just real disappointed in the Massey. Thats what I grew up with, theve always been simple, hard working machines, maybe this is a fluke.

I think you have a deeper problem and it starts with the hydraulic system. Better check your pressures.

Larry, would the hydrualic system affect a live PTO? I thought the hydrualics were only involved in independent PTO set-ups? It something the dealer can figure out at this point, thanks for the input.

John

hydraulically-actuated clutch...

This sounds to me like you may have a problem with the nut behind the wheel! Remove it!
As you say these are tough tractors, surely this is a clutch issue, perhaps a slipping clutch when the driver has rode the pedal or a sheared drive plate where the clutch has been released too sharp. I have even seen drivers shear the internal drive-shafts by abuse of the clutch. Very often it is the operator of another tractor make not familiar with his 'new' tractor.