I've been getting a lot of questions lately about how fast to drive a tractor. I'll try to answer that today. First, we need to break down what we're talking about with tractor speed; do we mean engine RPM or how fast we're actually going across the field? Let's discuss both.
Every tractor has what's called a "rated engine speed". That's the RPM level that the tractor needs to be run in order to make the horsepower it's advertised for, at the PTO. In other words, if you have a 40 horsepower tractor that has a rated engine speed of 2500 RPM, you need to run the tractor at 2500 RPM to get full horsepower. So, if you're running a tillage tool, brush hogging tall stuff or using your loader to lift heavy items, run the engine up to that level. Usually it's marked on the tachometer, if not, look in the owner's manual or Google the specs of your particular tractor model...you'll find it.
If you're doing something that doesn't need a lot of power, it's okay to drop below rated engine speed, then it's a matter of just finding what "feels" right without bogging the engine. In my opinion you'll do more damage "babying" the tractor at low RPM's than revving it up and letting her rip.
As far as ground speed goes, most farm work happens between 4 and 8 miles an hour. The trick is finding the gear at PTO rated engine speed that's comfortable, not too fast or too slow.
If you have hydrostatic drive, you have infinite speeds, usually in either two or three ranges. You want to be in the lowest range possible and the pedal down as far as possible. That's because the hydro drives by the flow of oil and the more oil that goes through the system the cooler it will stay. Heat is the biggest danger to a hydro. So, given the choice between high range and low range, when working the tractor, choose the low range with the pedal down.
If you have a manual transmission, you need to find a gear that's the perfect speed at rated engine RPM. If you're shopping for a tractor, you might look in the brochure to make sure it has more than a couple of speeds in the 4-8 mph range. Most modern tractors have an abundance of working gears. If you have an older tractor that doesn't seem to have enough speeds, make sure there's not a linkage disconnected. That's not a common problem but I've seen it happen.
In the end, finding the right speed to run a tractor gets easier the more you run them. When you're starting out expect a lot of experimentation until you get comfortable.
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