Rotary Cutter force to telescope PTO shaft

[BudinTenn]

I have a new PTO shaft for a rotary cutter and it takes a lot more force to make it telescope than others I have had. What is considered an acceptable amount of force to make the telescoping pieces move back and forth? If you were to hold the pieces vertical should the weight of the bottom piece make it come apart? Thanks for any information.

[bcp]

Probably stuck together with "new." Use it for a while and I'll bet it loosens up.

Bruce

[Hollow]

I have a new PTO shaft for a rotary cutter and it takes a lot more force to make it telescope than others I have had. What is considered an acceptable amount of force to make the telescoping pieces move back and forth? If you were to hold the pieces vertical should the weight of the bottom piece make it come apart? Thanks for any information.

Might be a silly question but did you pull it apart and check to see if the grease is dried up?

[grsthegreat]

ive never had one that has not been able to move in and out with very little effort. Every season i pull all mine apart, clean off all the old grease and re-grease them all.

Have for over 16 years.

[BudinTenn]

No dried up grease. It looks as though the tubes are out of round and may be causing the problem.

[Hollow]

Those things are made to go together one way, someone didn't force it together in the wrong position?

[bulldog69]

Might be a silly question but did you pull it apart and check to see if the grease is dried up?

May seem like a silly question to some of us but to others I don't think they ever heard of grease. I watched a guy beat his pto shaft on with a hammer. I suggested he should grease it and he looked at me like I was the dumb one.

[Hollow]

May seem like a silly question to some of us but to others I don't think they ever heard of grease. I watched a guy beat his pto shaft on with a hammer. I suggested he should grease it and he looked at me like I was the dumb one.

Well, my father in law ( who is a pharmacists but thinks he's Mr farmer on the weekends ) bought a new BH back in 1995 and the year before last he had me help him attach it to his tractor. Same thing, I couldn't get the shaft to slide out to attach it to the PTO. He then climbs off the tractor with a hammer and tells me to hold the shaft while he sticks a short piece of rebar through the U-joint grease hole in the shielding so he can beat it out. I ask him when was the last time he greased the shaft and his reply was "I thought I only had to grease the U-joints... 1995 to 2010 that shaft was never greased.

[BudinTenn]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like I shouldn't worry about it too much.

[RickB]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like I shouldn't worry about it too much.

You should worry. Binding PTO shafting can do major damage to implement gearboxes and tractor internal PTO components. Grease the telescoping parts of the driveshaft, and use silicone spray on the plastic safety shield tubing. The plastic shields on my old Bush Hog Squealer PTO shaft bind more than the actual shafting and require a dry lube once every year or so.