Bought a used finish mower, but 3-pt shaft is too short..

[Domush]

Thanks for the recommendations and ideas everyone.

I've been going through this finish mower, painting it, checking belts, greasing, etc and had some time to really look at the shaft. It appears to be a standard solid square shaft (which, btw, does appear cut.. good call greg_g!). I have access to a metal shop and raw steel.. is there any reason to not just cut off the inner shaft and weld a new, longer one onto the universal joint?

I realize an 11" extension would be plenty long enough, but when we tested this on the seller's tractor the PTO shaft wobbled already (possibly because the shaft was too short for his tractor, too), and I don't want to exacerbate the problem. I think a new inner shaft may do the trick.

Good idea or apocalypse waiting to happen?

 

[greg_g]

Can't give you a good response without evaluating the U-joints and couplers. Remember the old finger-in-the-dike thing; strengthen one place, and it will break at another. The inner and outer tubes are available at most farm stores, and online farm supply places like AgriSupply. But around here it costs you at least $65 to get anything welded (minimum 1 hour charge). Add a pair of tubes to the local minimum welding charge, and you may as well just buy a new shaft.

//greg//

 

[nikdfish]

You might also look for a complete half shaft assembly with cover (probably the drive side) of the same type as you have (just longer). Roughly half the cost of a complete shaft if you can find it. A yoke & shaft assembly might work as well, if you can locate one with the right yoke dimensions, but you'd have to disassemble/reassemble the universal on one end & would need a longer shaft cover.

Nick

 

[kebo]

I had the same problem when I added Pat's easyhitch and wanted more than 4 inches of overlap on the shaft, so I got one from Agrisupply.com. I have no wobble at all on mine. It has the slide lock instead of the pin. It gave me the extra 4 inches I wanted and I am happy with it. There is one that extends 11" out there that I looked at but felt it was too long and might create too much stress to trust.

I had the same problem when I put the PEC system on my 790, so I had to add a 4" extension as well. Just about 5 months ago, I bought a used KKII 5ft rototiller and the guy had cut the shaft down to use on a 8N. It will just barely reach now on my tractor, but it tends to jump out in use because there is not enough overlap. This one has a slipclutch on the implement end, so I haven't yet figured out what I'm going to do about it.

 

[mogwai]

My NH dealer rebuilt the drive shaft for my roto tiller when I upgraded from an old Case 311 to the Workmaster 55. Installed a new longer 1/2 shaft for about $35.

 

[Kioti Tom]

Here is a link to an ebay pto shaft. you can just google pto shafts also.
35 HP Series 4 PTO Shaft 1 3/8" 6 Spline and Shear Pin Clutch - 30 in | eBay

 

[MarshSt]

Have you tried a driveline shop as a resource? We have Drivelines NW here in the Seattle area and they can provide these components as well as making complete 3pt shafts. Their prices are very reasonable.

Steve

 

[vjcoppola]

Yes, all my older implements have shafts a little too short. The older Fords are 18 1/2 inches to the draw bar and the newer tractors are 22 1/2 inches. My solution was, as the other replier said, to buy an extension. This is alot less expensive than new shafts. I just leave it on the tractor all the time. Another surprise is that the newer tractors do not have a hole in the PTO shaft so you'll have get a quick disconnect extension if your's does'nt.