PTO shaft broke

[trisr]

I have been shopping around in Panama and the cheapest complete PTO shaft that I have found is $360. In the USA, you can buy them for $100-150, but shipping would be around $70 and taxes another $50 and I would need to wait 3 weeks. These are the times I miss living in the USA!

EDIT: By the way, they don't sell just the tubing here. Just complete PTO shafts.

 

[trisr]

I understood your idea, Gary. The problem is finding a good machine shop here in Panama. I have yet to find someone who does acceptable work. The last time I had something welded I was not at all impressed!

 

[rambler]

I can't tell for sure from the pic, but often that type of shaft is pinned, or riveted into the universal joints at both ends. That is fairly easy to take apart & put together.... Even a poor machine shop should be able to get that right.

You would need to find a male and female tube of that size, and have both replaced. The expensive part of a pto shaft is the univeral joints - yours are probably good so no need to replace everything, just the tubes. The tubes come in standard lengths, you cut down to what size you need.

As mentioned, your problem could have come from a pto shaft too short. They need to overlap a fair amount, but not be so long as to bind up when lifting the implement. (That causes many expensive parts to break...) I would measure out if you can use a longer pto shaft.

Since the female tube is so wrecked, be sure to replace the male tube as well - it will be wobbled out & poor, and these shafts need to slip easily and not bind up at all.

--->Paul

 

[trisr]

That's true. A pin does hold the tubes to the u joints. If I can find the tubes somewhere, then I can replace them pretty easily. I will need the plastic shield too though....it broke at the same time the tube broke.

 

[RoyJackson]

I think you may have misread my post ROY, I was not suggesting that they cut the shaft and butweld it, but to remove the whole shaft and weld a new on to the U-joint yoke and make it longer and heavier in the process. It looks to me like that shaft is pretty weakly made from likely twin tubing pieces rather than a pieces of solid bar stock for the male and heavy tubing female section.
I'm sure the local shops can fix him up with a replacement shaft material welded on to his u-joints that will work. He just needs them to make it a bit longer this time so the overlap is more

Yeah, I probably did misinterpret your post (as far as the welding).
Considering the costs involved, even with the shipping costs, replacement of the entire PTO drive shaft may be most cost effective. There may not be much farming or tractor use in Panama, but I'm sure there is in neighboring countries. Import duties may just be a required cost, however.

 

[rambler]

Yup - those are pretty easy, punch pin out, hammer old shaft out, cut new shaft to length, hammer (gently so as not to deform tube) new shaft in, drill the hole, and put pin back in.

There are I think 3 common sizes (thicknesses, or hp ratings) of that type of tube, you need to get the right one.

I think only about 3 companies make shafts any more, so it will be one of 3 different designs, as well.

But should be a fairly common item.

The plastic covers shoulsd be available where the tubes are too.

--->Paul

 

[trisr]

I'm still searching for tubes + plastic covers. If I can't find any here, I'll probably buy the whole PTO shaft as Roy suggested. I hope I can find the tubes though.... the extra cost doesn't bother me quite as much as the long wait for parts to arrive.

 

[trisr]

OK, well, I just pulled the slip clutch off and realized that the nipple where you apply grease is missing and the u-joint is about to give out. The front u-joint isn't in great shape either. The previous owners of this thing really didn't take care - cut the PTO shaft too short and never applied grease. Also, I think this cutter is rated for a 40hp tractor, and mine is a 75hp. I need to just replace the whole PTO shaft with slip clutch.

Do you all know where the best place to buy shafts is? Is Agri supply OK?

 

[trisr]

This seems to be just like mine: Slip Clutch PTO Shaft for Most 5' and 6' Rotary Mowers

Is that price about right?

 

[trisr]

Is $160 more or less a normal price for a complete PTO shaft with slip clutch? I want to order ASAP, because it'll take a full 2-3 weeks to get here! Thanks