Cutting a PTO shaft

[Bird]

Go to Bushhog.com, click on "Manuals" and pick one, such as a manual for a tiller, and you'll find good, illustrated instructions (page 7 for the RTS tiller). And when I needed to cut the shaft for my tiller, I didn't have a power saw handy, so I just put it in the vise and cut it with a hacksaw, just as their illustration shows. It was much easier than I expected.

 

[Willl]

The only thing left to add is to measure twice, cut once.

 

[Sideways]

That's great information Bird!
Thanks

 

[Opti-Mist]

The only thing left to add is to measure twice, cut once.

Yup - Cut it off twice and it's still too short!

 

[Willl]

Yup - Cut it off twice and it's still too short!

One more time should make it perfect.

 

[dodge man]

I bought a used brush hog and had to shorten the PTO shaft about the same amount you do. A metal cutting band saw wouldn't hardly scratch it. That was with a brand new blade. This is the kind of band saw that you clamp something down in, set the amount of weight on the blade, and just let it go on its own. I ended up using a torch on it. It made the ends kind of rough, but they smoothed out with a grinder.

 

[Charlesaf3]

Also be sure to cut the same equal legnths from both shafts

Does this really matter?

I would have even said 10 inch overlap was generous. Not that that is a bad thing

 

[Opti-Mist]

Does this really matter?

I would have even said 10 inch overlap was generous. Not that that is a bad thing

It matters only in the extreme, like cutting all the excess length from the outer part thus leaving virtually no overlap. Otherwise, you're right, it is not crucial as long as sufficient overlap remains.

 

[Sideways]

Got the overrunning clutch today and cut the PTO shaft, everything works great.
Ended up cutting the PTO shaft twice since I was leary about taking to much off at one time.
Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Bird]

Ended up cutting the PTO shaft twice since I was leary about taking to much off at one time.

A man after my own heart. I've had to cut things sometimes 3 or 4 times for the same reason.