Ford 2000 tractor help!!

Lucasschmiesing · Sep 7, 2016

I just got an old Ford 2000 tractor in a trade. I need to do bushhogging on my property. I had already acquired a bush hog. The Ford is too fast!! It has 4 forward gears and reverse. Plus it has the under-normal-overdrive option also. In underdrive 1st gear trying to run 1800 to 2000 rpm it is very quick. Even had a farmer neighbor come over to make sure I wasn't missing something. He agrees it's too fast. I live on hilly uneven ground so this equals dangerous lol. What can I do to slow it down and still use a bush hog? has anyone put on smaller tires, different transmission gears, or a different gearbox on the Bush hog so it will spin the rpms at a lower engine speed? Also, just going down the rpad in 4th overdrive my farmer friend was too scared to open the throttle clear up. Why is it so damn fast?

Fordfarmer · Sep 7, 2016

That's the nature of the beast, when it has a 4-speed.
Smaller tires will slow it down some. Swapping in a
different transmission (5-speed, if it's the older 4-
cylinder 2000, 8-speed if it's the newer 3-cylinder
2000) will give you more, and slower gears. (A
Select-O-Speed swap could be done too). A quicker,
easier way would be to trade it on a tractor better
suited to your needs.

robilmichael · Sep 8, 2016

I assume that you have a four cylinder Ford 2000, which is essentially a Ford 600. If you put the gear range shifter in the
normal range, and then put the transmission in first gear, that should be plenty slow enough to use your bush hog at the proper
PTO speed. If not, then there is something wrong with you under/normal/over transmission.

Lucasschmiesing · Sep 8, 2016

The tractor is a 3 cyl. Was told it is 36 hp. The normal 1st gear is higher than the under 1st gear. And under 1st gear at idle would be good speed but at 1800-2000rpm (pto speed) is too fast. It actually shifts smooth and all seems good. Just no way to drive slow enough. May need to just sell it. Thanks for the advice guys. Oh and I looked up a 48" tired turning at 5mph switched to a 40 inch tire turning the same revolutions would be like 4.2 Mph. So not a drastic speed drop

souNdguy · Sep 8, 2016

post a pic of the side of your transmission. 1st and low should be FINE to hog in.

sotxbill · Sep 8, 2016

problem is.. 1st gear and low...if a sherman, slows down the pto shaft as well.... so the rotary cutter will not perform well in thick material. the rotary cutter needs a 540 pto speed to cut correctly. You ALWAYS set the engine for 540 pto, and then pick the correct ground speed...

Tilting the cutter forwards will help when you dont have enough hp... Tilting the cutter backwards will cut it twice and make smaller cuttings. Running the cutter level is normal... Cutting at a higher level from ground, also reduces hp needs. Always cut at 540 pto rpm so the blades reach the desired speed for maximum and correct cutting. Adjust tractor speed by correct gear to cut safely, correctly, and fully.

per the brand name "Bush Hog" owners manual.

Fordfarmer · Sep 8, 2016

He mentions it having under, normal, and overdrive... sounds to me like a 4-speed with the Combo auxillary transmission. Putting it in low will slow the PTO as well...

Texasmark1 · Sep 8, 2016

I have a '63 4 cyl 2000 Diesel, original "Proofmeter"......tachometer/hour/ground/ speed meter in working order. PTO rpms are listed on the dial at
1500. 2000 rpm, per the dial is belt drive speed....like using a PTO pulley to drive a 20' belt to drive a hammer mill or such. I'm running 13.6x28
R1 (farm lug). Have basic 4 speed with 1 reverse and transmission PTO. 4th is a nice road gear at PTO rpm for me. 1st is ok for hogging, but too
fast for a 3 pt rotary tiller.

Smaller wheels/tires would slow you down as would reducing your rpms to recommended PTO velocity of 1500. On tires, measure the distance
around the outside of the tire (circumference) and the one you are anticipating. Speed reduction is merely the ratio of the two for a given rpm.

souNdguy · Sep 8, 2016

sure.. but then you run the rpms up to max, not just pto rpm.

thus 1, low and max rpm.. should get you a slower ground speed than 1/straight/pto speed, still get you good mower rpm, and be up on the power curve.

Tiger Joe · Sep 8, 2016

(quoted from post at 11:14:52 09/08/16) sure.. but then you run the rpms up to max, not just pto rpm.

thus 1, low and max rpm.. should get you a slower ground speed than 1/straight/pto speed, still get you good mower rpm, and be up on the power curve.

PTO speed and gear are always going to be the same relationship on a transmission driven PTO. shifting the auxiliary trans between direct/over/under only changes the engine rpm at which the 540 pto speed in achieved.

so, if you get 540 pto at 1500 rpms and you tractor traveled 2.5 mph in direct, if you shift into under drive, it now travels slower at 1500 rpms, BUT the PTO spins slower too. increasing throttle to 540 pto speed means the tractor ground speed increases as well.

The tractor is going to travel the same speed at 540 pto rpms in first gear regardless of what range the aux trans is in.

Ford 2000 tractor help!!

Lucasschmiesing

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Fordfarmer

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robilmichael

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Lucasschmiesing

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souNdguy

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sotxbill

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Fordfarmer

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souNdguy

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