Attaching pto implements

[bigtiller]

The collars that you have to pull back to slide on are difficult with arthritic thumbs so I made a lever to help out. It is a 1x4x20" pine board with a 2½" hole in one end. Works great going on and off.

 

[Runner]

This is probably super-obvious and I'm sure you've tried it already, but for me, I can only make the connection to the PTO when I am standing on the left side of the machine, holding the drive shaft with my right hand and operating the collar/button with my left hand. If the splines aren't lining up, I shift the PTO control (which is on the left side of my tractor) to the mid PTO position, which allows the rear PTO shaft to spin freely. Then, I can rotate the PTO stub with my left hand while pushing the drive shaft on with the right.

I guess this is because I'm right-handed, maybe I have more strength in my right arm to hold up the drive shaft, or whatever. If it is extremely hard to do from one side, you might try experimenting with doing it from the other side.

Another thing that can be helpful is to have a bungee cord stretched across the A-frame of the implement under the drive shaft so it takes some of the weight of the driveshaft while you are aligning the splines.

 

[WinterDeere]

Don't most tractors have a lever to take rear pto out of service ( eg change from rear pto to mid pto) my Kubota I just put lever out of rear pto position and then I can spin it by hand to line up with driveshaft spline and click in driveshaft, then board the tractor and put lever into rear pto position....away we go, until I realized this implements like rototiller or brushhog were a bear !

I'm going to have to try this. I was going to say "turn off the tractor", as the PTO's on at least some of my tractors have been stiff when the tractor is running, but go into neutral once the tractor is shut off.

Of course, turning the tractor off is probably never a bad idea when working between a rear tire and an implement.

 

[chim]

Many years ago I saw a picture of what happened when a guy got wrapped up in a lathe. I've seen a lot but that was the most awful thing I can remember. It isn't impossible to have a similar accident with a PTO. People have done it. Seeing that picture convinced me to never be around a PTO with the tractor running - whether the PTO is engaged or not.

 

[Farmer495]

With engine off you should be able to turn the tractor shaft 1/4 turn.

Keep tractor end greased and same with implement end.

I wear gloves when hitching so hands stay greaseless.

I have everything from light 3pt implement shafts that can be turned by hand to heavy and long CV Shafts that required two hands to manage.

 

[bdhsfz6]

My PTO shaft will not turn by hand unless the engine is off and the PTO disengaged.
I keep the stub lightly greased and use a spline cap to keep it clean when not in use.

 

[neilpaku]

Consult the operator's manual - it will give instructions. For all the tractors I've ever operated with PTOs (just about everything that JD sells plus a few other brands), the manual states to turn the tractor engine off. The main reason is safety but it also (typically) releases any braking or locking mechanism on the tractor's PTO shaft. If your tractor does not behave this way, then still turn the tractor engine off, but get a long screwdriver, put it through the implement universal joint, and use that for leverage to turn the implement shaft. You might have to have the implement a couple of inches off the ground if it's something like a tilller.

 

[dstriplett]

I saw a trick on "Ask Tractor Mike" about using a paint pin to mark the splines on your implement so it's easier to line up. Holding your mouth right is the solution I generally use.

 

[tjandrews]

It was mentioned before on a few posts before this one. Does your tractor not free spin when the pto isn't engaged?

Depends on the tractor. We have three, a John Deere, an IH, and an old 1952 Case.
On the JD, the tractor PTO can be moved if the engine is off.
On the IH, the tractor PTO can be moved if disengaged, regardless of engine status.

The old Case is the most dangerous. That PTO "coasts" with no implement attached if the engine is running, PTO clutch engaged or not. You MUST shut the engine off to attach the PTO. With the engine off, the tractor PTO will turn by hand rather easily.
And no, the clutch is not adjusted too tight. It's set to the service manual spec. If it's loosened to the point where it doesn't "coast" it just slips when engaged. It's dangerous, as I said. To compound the danger, you mount that tractor from the rear, not the side. But, all it takes is a little attention from the operator to avoid the hazard.

 

[nacl9163]

I have a bush hog with a midsized Kubota L3400. I have the bush hog on dollies so it rolls easily into position at just about the right height. I suspend the PTO from above (attached to the tractor) with an appropriately sized bungee cord. This way the bungee carries almost all the weight of the PTO shaft, and the shaft can be adjusted a few inches in any direction with minimum effort. Turning and pulling on the collar is then very easy.

 

[Runner]

I find the PTO connections with the little "pushbuttons" to be the most difficult. Not because they are any harder to line up, but because the sadists who designed the buttons made them pointed on the end so they hurt your finger when trying to push it. I have to wear gloves to push the button on my Woodland Mills grinder, plus the splines are new and it is very tricky to line up.

 

[WinterDeere]

Holding your mouth right is the solution I generally use.

That is important. Closing or squinting one eye and making the right sequence of grunts seems to help in some cases, as well.

I find the PTO connections with the little "pushbuttons" to be the most difficult.

That’s funny, I hate the pull-collar types! If I had huge hands, I’d probably prefer the pull collar, but I can never seem to keep the collar pulled and push the stub on with one hand at the same time, and getting two hands thru the linkage and under the stupid shield they put on modern tractors requires a level of balance and contortion only available to teenage gymnasts.

The push-button types at least allow me to get the stub started, then hit the button and slide the thing home. Much easier, at least for my “medium” glove-sized hands.

 

[Runner]

The push-button types at least allow me to get the stub started, then hit the button and slide the thing home. Much easier, at least for my “medium” glove-sized hands.

The pull collar works the same way: once you get the splines lined up, you can push it on far enough that it will hang there, then give the collar a pull while pushing the shaft past the "breakover point", then you can let it go and slide it on until it clicks. The pulling and pushing at the same time IS an unnatural movement for sure....

All this talk about pulling the collar and sliding the shaft may get us banned...

 

[RjCorazza]

That is important. Closing or squinting one eye and making the right sequence of grunts seems to help in some cases, as well.


That’s funny, I hate the pull-collar types! If I had huge hands, I’d probably prefer the pull collar, but I can never seem to keep the collar pulled and push the stub on with one hand at the same time, and getting two hands thru the linkage and under the stupid shield they put on modern tractors requires a level of balance and contortion only available to teenage gymnasts.

The push-button types at least allow me to get the stub started, then hit the button and slide the thing home. Much easier, at least for my “medium” glove-sized hands.

I also prefer the push button types over collared shafts. It hasn't come up yet, but a bunjee cord or rubber strap holding the shaft up makes it easier to align and install either type.

 

[LouNY]

Well heck, I been sitting here quietly just reading all these comments and I'm finally going to have to speak up.
I've been attaching and detaching pto shafts since I was 8-9 years old. The only time I've ever shut off a tractor was when it wouldn't stay in place when the brakes were released and it needed to be stuck in gear and the clutch released to hold the tractor in place.
When we started using the self unloading wagons instead of the older false front wagons which would have been in the early 60's. The tractor unloading the wagons would have the pto connected and disconnected at least 10 times in a short day. And the tractor on the forage blower would get the pto speed up and slowed down the same numbers of times.
As time progressed and the number of cows and the tonnage of silage increased it also increased the number of loads unloaded daily. In the early years with the wagons unloading on the front left corner and the tractors pto lever being on the right side (Farmall 400 and 560's) we often reach across the rear of the tractor to engage the pto after connecting it from the rear of the tractor standing on the drawbar next to or even straddling the pto shaft (NOT a recommended manner).
This was done as you had to ease the pto on and off repeatedly untill the front cross conveyor was emptied slowly as not to plug the blower. Once the front apron was emptied the pto would be latched on and the rest of the load unloaded using the wagon controls mounted on the front of the wagon, then the pto shaft would be disconnected and hung on the hook on the wagon and the wagon hauled back to the field, were you would pick up a loaded wagon and haul it back to the silo and repeat.

In the later years with bigger wagons and tractors many of the tractors had a pto start switch mounted on the left rear fender that made the unloading a smoother and safer process. You would pull up to the forage blower or bagger, stop in the correct location , get out and connect the pto shaft, speed up the blower or bagger tractor, press the fender button for the pto ( a short press would just bump it a bit, hold it on for 3-5 seconds and it would continue to run till shut of from the tractor switch) It was common to unload 15-20 loads per day so a multitude of connecting and disconnect a pto shaft in a day, so no we did not shut down the tractor every time.

In the last few years I have been involved less and less but I do know that the procedure and steps have not changed.
In this picture the referenced pto shaft can be seen with the free end hanging from it's support in front of the discharge chute.

So no I do not shut of a tractor normally to attach a pto shaft, I also do not see the danger in not doing so when reasonable precautions are observed.

 

[Walter L]

With engine off you should be able to turn the tractor shaft 1/4 turn.

Keep tractor end greased and same with implement end.

I wear gloves when hitching so hands stay greaseless.

I have everything from light 3pt implement shafts that can be turned by hand to heavy and long CV Shafts that required two hands to manage.

You should be able but on some of the newer tractors with electric PTO you cant move the input shaft (2017 LS tractor i have wont move) a 2022 Mahandra built by tym will move both have the electric type PTO System.

 

[eco88]

Thanks for the suggeations. It's a kioti DK4210SE. Couple of years old.
Everything is always lubed up and I keep the dust cap on it when not in use.
I'll try the shutting off the engine and see if that disengages the pto and let's me spin it freely. Or like others said lift the implement to free it a bit so I can spin it instead.

 

[Runner]

Thanks for the suggeations. It's a kioti DK4210SE. Couple of years old.
Everything is always lubed up and I keep the dust cap on it when not in use.
I'll try the shutting off the engine and see if that disengages the pto and let's me spin it freely. Or like others said lift the implement to free it a bit so I can spin it instead.

I looked on Tractor Data but can't tell if your machine has a mid PTO or not? My JD 2520 has a mid PTO and the lever has 3 settings: Rear/Both/Front. The only way to get my rear PTO shaft to spin freely is by moving the lever to the "Front" position because this is the only position where the rear shaft is isolated. There is no "neutral" PTO lever position on my machine.

 

[tjandrews]

I find the PTO connections with the little "pushbuttons" to be the most difficult. Not because they are any harder to line up, but because the sadists who designed the buttons made them pointed on the end so they hurt your finger when trying to push it. I have to wear gloves to push the button on my Woodland Mills chipper, plus the splines are new and it is very tricky to line up.

You'd love the PTO shaft on our pull-type hay tedder. Built by Kuhn many years ago, it's painted in New Holland colors. The PTO shaft is very long as these shafts go, and very heavy, and has TWO push buttons that need to be pressed simultaneously to connect it. Loads of fun.

 

[LouNY]

You'd love the PTO shaft on our pull-type hay tedder. Built by Kuhn many years ago, it's painted in New Holland colors. The PTO shaft is very long as these shafts go, and very heavy, and has TWO push buttons that need to be pressed simultaneously to connect it. Loads of fun.

My snow blower has that type of coupler on it, and they have to be pushed in opposite directions. I think it actually had one of the old rotate to release collars that got removed.