Hooking up PTO w/ Engine Running

[Short Game]

I skipped a lot of posts. Too many to catch up fast.

My old Cub Cadet needs the clutch pushed in to engage the PTO. I never thought twice about hooking up a shaft with it running. My 2010 LS has an electric engage. It worried me right off... I have my old habits and do it running, but now that I think about it, there is no way for a clutch to push itself, but a wire shorting out is very different. While it was just the fact of something else to fail that first concerned me, an electric clutch failure would be
dangerous.

 

[jenkinsph]

About all you can save in hooking it up with the tractor running is the time it takes to stop and start the tractor. That's not alot of time saved for the risk imo.

 

[Soundguy]

everything has risks

jumping out of a perfectly good plane with silk tied to your back? risk.. yet done every day

setting at a restaurant eating looking out the window at a street.. wonder if any cars will jump the curb? happens allthe time.


if i sat home all day and wrung my hands worrying about every single possible thaing that could hurt me day in and day out I'd be a wreck.

time to live and take (some) chances and roll with the cards dealt.

I've already got my important 'retirement' detials and plans made. anyway...

soundguy

 

[Jay4200]

I always shut everything down before mucking with my PTO. It's things like the infamous PTO shaft sticker (which I'll admit I think is hilarious) that sometimes make an impression.

JayC

 

[Short Game]

The international symbol for "I hate it when that happens."

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Heh. Don't get bent out of shape.

No question about it, the safest way is to shut down the engine, and pocket the key, when hooking up implements.

Is it over kill? Maybe, until some helpful other person hops in the seat while you're head down in the machinery.

Doctors can't really repair those kind of twisting, torsion, crushing damages; assuming your actually survive one.

 

[rtimgray]

So far, unless I've missed a post, I don't think that we've had confirmation of a PTO springing to life while someone is trying to hook up the coupler. Obviously the chances are greater that it could happen while the engine is running, but they are still miniscule.

I guess the question could come to this: which circumstance has the greatest chance of injury:

1. Hooking up the PTO shaft while the engine is running and the PTO springs to life and entangles an individual

or

2. Getting your fingernail hung on the keyring of your tractor key, creating hangnail that gets infected, goes septic, and you could die from gangrene

I suspect the odds are still longer on the latter, and it would always be safer to turn the engine off; but then again, there are hazards with starting the tractor each time (wear and tear on the starter and battery, on the key switch, carpal tunnel syndrome, leprechauns and gremlins, etc.).

I agree with Soundguy - everything has risks, and its up to each of us to determine our risk limit. ("Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" to paraphrase Harry Callahan.

 

[Short Game]

Makes me want to Photoshop a PTO shaft into Harry's hand where the .44 Mag was.

 

[rtimgray]

Makes me want to Photoshop a PTO shaft into Harry's hand where the .44 Mag was.

Now that would make a good PTO warning sticker!

 

[Short Game]

Now that would make a good PTO warning sticker!

One look at that sneer and I run and shut off the key!