Pto safty shields

[oldballs]

Thanks Scotty. That was helpful to a newbie....and maybe to some oldbies. It would have been if my dealer would have spent a little time explaining this when I bought my first PTO driven $2000 piece of equipment. He was the service manager and didn't know what the grease zerks were for.:thumbdown:

 

[k0ua]

I am not for any more regulations or anyone making me do anything, but a safety shield makes sense even for the experienced operator who trips and falls into a rotating shaft. I won't even discuss having kids around with their curious fingers.

I found this video - and I learned something from it and am now checking all of my covers:

How to install and maintain a shaft cover on a tractor PTO - YouTube

That was a good video for the La-Magdalena PTO shaft, but others work differently. Main differences is the latch mechanism..I don't care much for the Eurocardin, but I have one.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Maybe someone with tripping issues, should stay away from potentially dangerous equipment. I trip, I fall, but if my PTO is turning I won't even go near enough to it, that if I tripped I could fall into danger. Maybe it's just too much to ask people to think for themselves.

 

[Scotty Dive]

Yes....anyone who has ever tripped in their life or has the possibility of ever tripping should stay away from any and all equipment.

I use a pto shaft for my stationary wood chipper and sometimes there are tripping hazards. I guess what I can't understand is folks who actually go out of their way to remove safety devices. Well Darwin has a theory on that.

 

[Hamor]

Maybe someone with tripping issues, should stay away from potentially dangerous equipment. I trip, I fall, but if my PTO is turning I won't even go near enough to it, that if I tripped I could fall into danger. Maybe it's just too much to ask people to think for themselves.

No one with any issues of any kind, while working OFF the seat around a pto driven attachment whether a logging winch or a chipper ,a post hole digger, could still have a mishap . This is why they make the safety shields to help prevent such an accident, right?
I can see if you don't use anything that involved getting off the tractor, while the pto is still engaged you would assume you would never get hurt by coming in contact with the pto shaft.
You can run your tractor the way you want , but for guy's that are just trying to learn how to be safe around there equipment , take a look at what can happen to you on you-tube if you get into the pto when engaged. Most of the time people loss there life or a limb or two.
I think I'll run right out and take my safety shield off like Industrial toys , I think not! Be safe

 

[dave1949]

This is my pto shaft minus the stamped sheet metal flip up shield that I removed from the tractor. If the shield were installed, it would cover the gap between the tractor and the pto driveshaft shield. I have trouble understanding how I can trip/fall into and be captured by what is exposed. Anything is possible I guess, but the chances are very remote that my body can actually get to that position.

If I were inclined to do something stupid, there would be nothing from preventing me from flipping up the removed pto shield while the tractor is running and pto engaged.

I can't reach the pto from the seat. The tractor will not start with the pto clutch engaged. This is not an old tractor with a live pto that is mounted from the rear by stepping on the drawbar.







This is the plastic screw on pto output shaft cover that I always attach when the pto is not in use for safety and keeping the shaft clean. Note the standard, as-manufactured wide open chain and auger on the snowblower.

 

[pacerron]

This is my pto shaft minus the stamped sheet metal flip up shield that I removed from the tractor. If the shield were installed, it would cover the gap between the tractor and the pto driveshaft shield. I have trouble understanding how I can trip/fall into and be captured by what is exposed. Anything is possible I guess, but the chances are very remote that my body can actually get to that position.

If I were inclined to do something stupid, there would be nothing from preventing me from flipping up the removed pto shield while the tractor is running and pto engaged.

I can't reach the pto from the seat. The tractor will not start with the pto clutch engaged. This is not an old tractor with a live pto that is mounted from the rear by stepping on the drawbar.
This is the plastic screw on pto output shaft cover that I always attach when the pto is not in use for safety and keeping the shaft clean. Note the standard, as-manufactured wide open chain and auger on the snowblower.

Dave,
I think the flip cover is important, if and when, the U-Joint blows up while the implement is in operation.
If you have a mower or brush hog operating behind the tractor and the joint breaks at the tractor or the lock slips and the end works it's way back off the PTO ,the shaft will continue to turn from the momentum of the blades.
Even with the safety chain to keep the guard from rotating, which I'm glad to see you have attached, the front end of the shaft will go nuts and could do a lot of damage.
My original Ford tractor, meaning my first tractor, over 20 years ago has a brake on the PTO that stops the rotation
when the lever is disengaged. Being a first time farm tractor operator back then, I got wondering after a couple years why the PTO brake was not working very well. I asked the dealer, who was an old time farmer, and he said:
" I bet you don't bring the throttle back to idle before disengaging the PTO." Dah, he was right.
The knuckles on my old mower shafts are kept well greased, but I bet after thousands of hours of use, I could find some slop in the bearings.
Most implements that are new enough to have the plastic safety shields around the shafts also have a shield where the other end of the shaft attaches to the implement gearbox. PITA to get to the zerks sometimes but we paid for the safety that could cause damage to us or to our equipment based on the experience, history, and liabilities that those before us created.

 

[k0ua]

Dave,
I think the flip cover is important, if and when, the U-Joint blows up while the implement is in operation.
If you have a mower or brush hog operating behind the tractor and the joint breaks at the tractor or the lock slips and the end works it's way back off the PTO ,the shaft will continue to turn from the momentum of the blades.
Even with the safety chain to keep the guard from rotating, which I'm glad to see you have attached, the front end of the shaft will go nuts and could do a lot of damage.
My original Ford tractor, meaning my first tractor, over 20 years ago has a brake on the PTO that stops the rotation
when the lever is disengaged. Being a first time farm tractor operator back then, I got wondering after a couple years why the PTO brake was not working very well. I asked the dealer, who was an old time farmer, and he said:
" I bet you don't bring the throttle back to idle before disengaging the PTO." Dah, he was right.
The knuckles on my old mower shafts are kept well greased, but I bet after thousands of hours of use, I could find some slop in the bearings.
Most implements that are new enough to have the plastic safety shields around the shafts also have a shield where the other end of the shaft attaches to the implement gearbox. PITA to get to the zerks sometimes but we paid for the safety that could cause damage to us or to our equipment based on the experience, history, and liabilities that those before us created.

Yep, I agree. Mine are still on, and yes it is more work to get to the zerks to grease and get everything lined up, I believe having them on is safer than not having them. Those of you that know me, know I am not for a lot of Governmental interference in our lives, but I believe this is a matter of simple safety. I don't have any small children, and I have sense enough to stay away from any rotating shafts. But who might operate my equipment when I die? Will they have sense/experience enough.? Nope going to leave them on, and make sure both chains are fastened on each end too.

 

[dave1949]

Dave,
I think the flip cover is important, if and when, the U-Joint blows up while the implement is in operation.
If you have a mower or brush hog operating behind the tractor and the joint breaks at the tractor or the lock slips and the end works it's way back off the PTO ,the shaft will continue to turn from the momentum of the blades.
Even with the safety chain to keep the guard from rotating, which I'm glad to see you have attached, the front end of the shaft will go nuts and could do a lot of damage.
My original Ford tractor, meaning my first tractor, over 20 years ago has a brake on the PTO that stops the rotation
when the lever is disengaged. Being a first time farm tractor operator back then, I got wondering after a couple years why the PTO brake was not working very well. I asked the dealer, who was an old time farmer, and he said:
" I bet you don't bring the throttle back to idle before disengaging the PTO." Dah, he was right.
The knuckles on my old mower shafts are kept well greased, but I bet after thousands of hours of use, I could find some slop in the bearings.
Most implements that are new enough to have the plastic safety shields around the shafts also have a shield where the other end of the shaft attaches to the implement gearbox. PITA to get to the zerks sometimes but we paid for the safety that could cause damage to us or to our equipment based on the experience, history, and liabilities that those before us created.

Yep, I agree. Mine are still on, and yes it is more work to get to the zerks to grease and get everything lined up, I believe having them on is safer than not having them. Those of you that know me, know I am not for a lot of Governmental interference in our lives, but I believe this is a matter of simple safety. I don't have any small children, and I have sense enough to stay away from any rotating shafts. But who might operate my equipment when I die? Will they have sense/experience enough.? Nope going to leave them on, and make sure both chains are fastened on each end too.

Thank you for your concern and inputs.

The flip-up shield is maybe 12 gauge sheet metal held on by two ~1/4" bolts. It's u-shaped, when in its normal position it shields the top and both sides of the yoke. It does not lock into place by any means. I'm in trouble if that shield is going to protect me or the tractor from a separated driveshaft.

It isn't sturdy enough to stand on even. From the design, my guess is it is mostly intended to keep hands away from the rotating shaft.

I do have the safety chains at each end, a full pto driveshaft plastic shield end-to-end, and the shields at the implement end are in place. I do come to an idle and let the implement coast down before engaging/disengaging the pto, and it has a pto brake.

The problem that it causes is not greasing as much as the space it allows is so narrow, it makes connecting the shaft to the pto difficult. When it's flipped up, the side portions of the shield are tight right next to where my hands need to be when pulling back the lock ring, rotating for spline alignment and pushing onto the pto shaft. My fingers and hands aren't what they used to be strength-wise.

I can put it back on if it makes you all feel better, but I know who's gonna get cussed when I skin my knuckles. If you feel your ears burning someday, you'll know I was attaching a pto shaft. :laughing:

 

[pacerron]

Thank you for your concern and inputs.

The flip-up shield is maybe 12 gauge sheet metal held on by two ~1/4" bolts. It's u-shaped, when in its normal position it shields the top and both sides of the yoke. It does not lock into place by any means. I'm in trouble if that shield is going to protect me or the tractor from a separated driveshaft.

It isn't sturdy enough to stand on even. From the design, my guess is it is mostly intended to keep hands away from the rotating shaft.

I do have the safety chains at each end, a full pto driveshaft plastic shield end-to-end, and the shields at the implement end are in place. I do come to an idle and let the implement coast down before engaging/disengaging the pto, and it has a pto brake.

The problem that it causes is not greasing as much as the space it allows is so narrow, it makes connecting the shaft to the pto difficult. When it's flipped up, the side portions of the shield are tight right next to where my hands need to be when pulling back the lock ring, rotating for spline alignment and pushing onto the pto shaft. My fingers and hands aren't what they used to be strength-wise.

I can put it back on if it makes you all feel better, but I know who's gonna get cussed when I skin my knuckles. If you feel your ears burning someday, you'll know I was attaching a pto shaft. :laughing:

Cuss at us all you want Dave, it wouldn't be the first time.. :laughing:
Our old hands get skinned up too, even on a bigger tractor with a bigger shield.

The situation I described would break or pull apart the shaft safety chain links almost instantly.
They are only to keep the shields from turning.
In most cases the attachment end of the shaft is lower than the PTO end so the knuckles are cocked
and the tractor end will go crazy.
I had this happen on a roll baler and the loose end jammed in a lower link bar and made a mess. I like to think that the shield, similar to what you removed, which really got bent by the free shaft end kept the thing low and deflected it till it lodged instead of going through the back of my head or the aux fuel tank behind the seat.
The knuckles were not broken. I had not gotten the shaft on quite far enough for the lock pin to set. Going over
a ridge normally would have made the shaft get longer but since it was not locked properly it just pulled off.
The baler is pulled by the tractor drawbar so the tongue is below the shaft, so the shaft could only go down a little or sideways into the pinned out of the way lower link bars since the shield at the PTO diverted it enough.
So the only damage was a bent up shield, a crack and hole in the front plastic shaft shield and my ego..

Perhaps on a mower the front shaft would plow into the ground and only do possible damage to your mower gear box.

In any case, I am happy to fuss with the hinged shield. "Truth is stranger than fiction" and it all happened in an instant.

On a 3 pt implement I usually hook up the PTO shaft before swinging the lower arms in and attaching to the lift pins.
That gives me more leg and belly room to get to the PTO shaft on the tractor.
You mentioned having a lock on your PTO shaft and having to rotate the implement shaft for alignment. If you engage your PTO shaft, engine not running of course, you can rotate the shaft coming out of the tractor easier than trying to turn a gear box on the implement.

My newer CNH tractor doesn't have a shaft brake and I am glad. In fact the first thing the dealer said was these new ones don't have that PTO crazy brake.