PTO shaft Length

[BCNU]

Could someone please explain to me the correct way to measure a PTO shaft to see if it needs to be cut off or not. How much travel in and out should it have when it is at its shortest length straight across? Thanks in advance for any info!

 

[greg_g]

How much travel in and out should it have when it is at its shortest length straight across?

Depends. Will the PTO shaft in question be dedicated one implement only? Or will you be using it on more than one?

Assuming dedicated, one inch at horizontal is sufficient. By horizontal, I mean when the implement is lifted by the TPH to a height where the tractor PTO spline is on a horizontal plane with the implements transmission input spline. This is when the PTO shaft will be compressed to its minimum length. You take a spline to spline measurement here. Adjust your actual cut by one inch (measurement +1").

This is a generic guideline. Your PTO shaft manufacturer should have included instructions on how to cut to fit. If not, some manufacturers also post the instructions on their websites.

//greg//

 

[blueberryman]

Here's a link that you can try . It will give you the general idea


New Page 60


good luck


Rick

 

[Jimmyp5]

The guys at Nothern Tools are great to deal with...they even call you instead of you calling them to make sure you have the right product for the application... unlike our TC clothing clerks they do know their business.

 

[JB4310]

To expand on pto shaft length, what is the minimum amount of over lap or insertion or what ever you call the amount of shaft that is still doubled when you slide the two splines on?

I have a PTO generator and I had to cut a lot off of the supplied shaft as the gen is mounted on a carrier and is pretty close, I only cut the minimum so one side could be slid on the spline and the other just clears the end of the other spline, then I have to pull it out the 4-5 inches to engage the spline. It only leaves about 6 or 8 inches of over lapped shaft, is that OK? This is the first pto implement I ever owned and now I think I should have left the shaft longer and connected it a different way.

 

[Jimmyp5]

I have been told to try and keep at least 6 inches in the overlap, that is why they tell you to cut both sides of the shaft. That said, it really depends on how much stress your putting on the shaft. I have seen some and ran them where the overlap was 3 inches max...

 

[Bird]

I'm not sure a link to a .pdf file will work, but maybe this link will work. If not, go to bushhog.com, then to the Bush Hog products and open the manual for their rotary tillers and on page 7 is the best instructions I've seen for cutting a PTO shaft to the proper length.

Yep, the link worked for me anyway to go directly to that page.

 

[greg_g]

To expand on pto shaft length, what is the minimum amount of over lap or insertion or what ever you call the amount of shaft that is still doubled when you slide the two splines on?

I never viewed the concept from the concept of "minimum ". The process I described leaves you with maximum overlap. The more double wall that remains when you're done cutting to fit, the more protection you leave yourself against bending the shaft during operation.

I want all my PTO shafts to have as much metal as possible left on them when I'm done cutting to fit - removing only the minimum amount necessary to prevent binding when the tractor output spline is horizontally aligned with the implement input shaft. That is when the PTO shaft will be the shortest it will ever be throughout the entire range of motion of the three point hitch. Raising/lowering the TPH from that point, necessarily makes the PTO shaft longer.

//greg//

 

[Bird]

Greg, I agree, in that I would want as much overlap as possible, but as a practical matter, I can understand the question as to the minimum safe amount of overlap. And in the link I provided, Bush Hog says:

F. Hold driveline sections parallel to each other
and check for minimum 6 inches (15cm) overlap.
(Figure 2-2) If driveline has been marked for cutting,
overlap will be the distance between two marks. If​

driveline has less than minimum overlap, do not use.

Both the question and the answer make sense to me.

 

[CFHartman]

BCNU
A word of CAUTION before you cut anything. Hook up the tractor end of the PTO do not hook up or else unhook the implement end. Hook the implement to the TPH and raise and CK at Level And on up. I have a JD 2210 and just bought a Herd M96 spreader. Wile checking it for the I-Match descovered that the shortest distance was when it was raised all the way up.

 

[JB4310]

Greg, I agree, in that I would want as much overlap as possible, but as a practical matter, I can understand the question as to the minimum safe amount of overlap. And in the link I provided, Bush Hog says:

Both the question and the answer make sense to me.

Bird,
Thanks for the link, I think I have at least the 6" minimum on this short shaft, I agree I would want as much overlap as possible, and on those longer shafts I would not be comfortable with only 6 inches, I cut the min off, leaving the max on but that was with the 3 pt hooked up (the shaft could be put on and removed when hooked to 3pt), I could have left more overlap by connecting the shaft first then pulling the carrier in to connect the 3pt. (leaving the max insert, unable to collapse shaft unless 3pt unhooked) my gen is set up almost parallel with pto so there is not much deviation of drive shaft alignment.

You can't see the shaft clearly but can get an idea what I'm dealing with.

 

[greg_g]

Both the question and the answer make sense to me.

Well, I guess both of us could have been more specific. I totally agree that 6 inches should be an absolute minimum, with an attempt to leave as much overlap as possible - up to the point of perhaps 1" away from binding.

When I read your response, I envisioned somebody buying an aftermarket replacement and figuring out how much to cut it down to fit safely. I based my response on adjusting an OE shaft to fit a specific tractor-implement combination.

Another consideration that neither of us mentioned is the operator that elects to use the same PTO driven implement behind more than one tractor. He has to cut the shaft to a non-binding length for the tractor with the shortest lower lift arms. I can envision cases where that might make that same shaft unsafe to use (extended past the 6" safety margin) on the larger tractor.

//greg//

 

[Kendrick]

CF is right my blower was the same way. one suggestion is to hook both ends up to the respective pieces seperatly and then find the closest point they reach. you will then be able to hold the pieces up to gether and mark them. after marking drop the impliment to the maximum distance and see how much overlap you have. my blower requires 8" minimum i believe. also depending on the housing you may have to take it appart to line the cuts up better. it was my first pto shortining to. has worked quite well so far thorugh the winter

 

[greg_g]

Wile checking it for the I-Match descovered that the shortest distance was when it was raised all the way up.

my blower was the same way.

I'm wading into uncharted territory here, never actually having owned a snow blower myself. Nor an i-Match either for that matter (although I've seldom read anything good ever posted about them).

But something doesn't sound right about the geometry you're describing. Unless I'm missing something very obvious, the PTO shaft should not continue to collapse above horizontal - UNLESS the toplink is pinned to the wrong hole(s) and/or adjusted to the wrong length.

//greg//

 

[elalexander]

I just bought a King Kutter tiller. The web site has manuals and the manuals show how to cut a PTO shaft in detail. Raised lowered etc. I have a HF quick hitch but do not use it on anything with a shaft mainly due to the weight sticking out 5-6 inches further behind my tractor. Also, remember the wood shop rule from school: Measure twice, cut once

EL

 

[Jimmyp5]

I just bought a King Kutter tiller. The web site has manuals and the manuals show how to cut a PTO shaft in detail. Raised lowered etc. I have a HF quick hitch but do not use it on anything with a shaft mainly due to the weight sticking out 5-6 inches further behind my tractor. Also, remember the wood shop rule from school: Measure twice, cut once

EL

Heck I measure twice then call for another person to do it! I swear my eyes cross and I will cut 1/8 short all the darn time!

 

[Kendrick]

But something doesn't sound right about the geometry you're describing. Unless I'm missing something very obvious, the PTO shaft should not continue to collapse above horizontal - UNLESS the toplink is pinned to the wrong hole(s) and/or adjusted to the wrong length.
//greg//

Beats me to the best i can come up with is that the arms are just below horrisontal when the atachment is down as the arms rais up it goes past level of the attachment point and starts bringing the setup closer to the machine. kinda like a folding char and how depending on the design the front and back leggs are still parell with eachother even though the chair collapses flat

 

[greg_g]

the arms are just below horrisontal when the atachment is down as the arms rais up it goes past level of the attachment point and starts bringing the setup closer to the machine.

And unless I'm still missing something, that shouldn't happen. Ideally, the toplink should be as parallel as possible to the lower lift arms when the implement is at operating height. Most tractors have more than one set of toplink holes, some implements do as well. Pick the combination of holes (on both ends) that aligns the toplink as close to parallel with the lower lift arms as possible. See if that makes any difference to how/where the PTO shaft extends/retracts.

//greg//

 

[CFHartman]

Greag G
I don't want to jump on this man's post. I went out tonight and took some pictures of the I match at different hights. The first is all the way at the top. the second would be about where the broadcaster will be operated form at level PTO shaft. The third one is at bottom. It's dark and cold and raining. I didn't want to go back and get the spreader and put on. At no time is the top lind and the bottom links parallel. I have never owned a larger tractor. this JD 2210 is in the sub compact class. I do love the I-Match.
Charlie

 

[greg_g]

I'm sorry Charlie, but I'm not grasping what you're trying to depict with those photos. The test of fire is simply to connect the implement to your i-Match, and raise/lower the TPH to what you consider operating height for that particular implement. Then stand off to the side and eyeball the toplink and the lower lift arms. From this vantage point, then decide which pin holes (tractor end and/or implement end) will render the toplink as parallel as possible to the lower lift arms.

This is where a lot of folks take issue with the i-Match, but obviously it depends a lot on what tractor it's mounted on. Those that take issue have reported better lift geometry (and therefore PTO shaft angle) by removing the i-Match and connecting the implement directly to the tractor.

I think I could get a better idea of what you were trying to demonstrate if you'd post a couple of side-view photos.

//greg//