Hooking up PTO w/ Engine Running

[SLHawkins]

I'll admit that have I hooked up the the pto with the engine running. However, it is not very often. I would say the odds of a 'self-start' increase with the age (and degraded mechanical condition) of the tractor. Some tractor models have known defects - The Old Case 70 series for instance. If you ever want a good read on why to shut the tractor off when dealing with the pto and pto driven equipment pick up 'A Measure of Endurance: The Unlikely Triumph of Steven Sharp'. On my JD 5403 when I have the pto lever in the off position, I find that the shaft still rotates.

Hawk

 

[North West Farmer]

Forum contributors,

I am a retired fireman with 35 years of service in a large department, with much of that time being a member of the departments Technical Rescue Team.

Unfortunately, over that time I responded to a number of P.T.O. or power shaft emergencies. These were some of the most horrific emergencies dealt with. All it takes is to have a small portion of clothing, hair, anything that is attached to you to contact the turning shaft. If the shaft makes one revolution the person may be dead or maimed in a matter of seconds.

Slow turning shafts can be just as problematic as high speed shafts. I have arrived on scenes where you see only a bundle of clothing wrapped around a shaft. The clothing would be so tightly wound on the shaft it may not be possible to physically unwind the clothing material. You find it necessary to cut the bundle from the shaft and after a few moments you realize that was not just a bundle of clothing, there was a person or an extremity in that clothing.

A very high percentage of these accidents are fatal, but some people do survive, usually facing a very long hospital stay and many surgeries to repair and/or graft back lost skin or body parts. If the patient survives they usually face an entirely different life with artificial limbs, or possibly extremely disfiguring injuries.

When a person is in a hurry, or tired we are inclined to take short cuts and take chances that we know is not good practice. After thinking back about some of my experiences, it is very important that I recommend shutting off P.T.O. shafts and better yet, turning off the engine or a machines power source prior to hooking up or working around these dangerous shafts that look safe and not likely to be an object that can change you or your loved ones life forever.

Nick, North West Farmer

 

[Rancher Ed]

I always hook up our PTO with the tractor running. Our blue tractor, which is the one that gets used for these tasks, has a transmission driven PTO. The PTO is always turned off when I get off the tractor, but the engine is always running. Once I start up the tractor, it stays running till I am done with what even I was doing and have parked it.

Ed

 

[bigbull338]

i think we are forgetting 1 thing.on my new kubota i cant get off the tractor with the pto running.if i do itll kill the tractor right off.

 

[RoyJackson]

i think we are forgetting 1 thing.on my new kubota i cant get off the tractor with the pto running.if i do itll kill the tractor right off.

I believe the OP's post asked about hooking up the PTO drive shaft with the tractor engine runing...not the tractor's PTO running (you'd have to be a lot quicker then I am to hook one up while running!!)

 

[bigbull338]

your right roy,but then it got spun into the pto shaft coming on is why i said that.

 

[RoyJackson]

your right roy,but then it got spun into the pto shaft coming on is why i said that.

OK...

 

[MoKelly]

This is so interesting.

As a relatively new tractor owner (115 hours), when I first read the headline of this thread, I thought EVERYONE would be screaming never get near (much less touch) the PTO while the engine was running.

I am still very wary of that PTO so I will continue to shut off the tractor before getting near that thing. Plus, I've drilled this concept into my 15 year old's head and don't want him to see me do the opposite.

MoKelly

 

[RoyJackson]

This is so interesting.

As a relatively new tractor owner (115 hours), when I first read the headline of this thread, I thought EVERYONE would be screaming never get near (much less touch) the PTO while the engine was running.

I am still very wary of that PTO so I will continue to shut off the tractor before getting near that thing. Plus, I've drilled this concept into my 15 year old's head and don't want him to see me do the opposite.

MoKelly

Good idea!! In fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea to teach yourself and especially your son to have the tractor's key in a pants pocket when hooking up.
I'm sure none of YOUR friends would do anything stupid, but 15 year old boys do things that are meant to be funny, but can have serious consequences...your son's friends are of that age.

Even now, I frequently have the key in my pocket when hooking up the PTO drive shaft.

 

[rtimgray]

Are there any documented cases of a PTO starting (assuming tractor is running, but PTO is off) while someone was hooking up an implement? Are there models of tractors that are known or notorious for this behavior?

Not disputing, just curious.

 

[RoyJackson]

Are there any documented cases of a PTO starting (assuming tractor is running, but PTO is off) while someone was hooking up an implement? Are there models of tractors that are known or notorious for this behavior?

Not disputing, just curious.

Not to my knowledge...let's see how others respond.
In my case, I give PTOs wide berth whether running or not...makes it a habit.

 

[joemd11]

I posted earlier about my problem where the pto would not shut off with the switch. Dealer fixed it and said it was a sticky solenoid. Evidently on my tractor the pto is activated electrically. So it seems to me that if its possible for this set up to fail to turn off when commanded, it could also fail by turning on when not commanded. Switches and wiring short out on occasion If this happened when trying to attach the pto shaft, then. Then again, I could be totally out to lunch on this theory so do whatever your comfortable with.

 

[Rancher Ed]

i think we are forgetting 1 thing.on my new kubota i cant get off the tractor with the pto running.if i do itll kill the tractor right off.

I believe most newer CUTs are this way, but once you get to the full size utility tractors, like our M7040, it just has an alarm that beeps to remind you that it is on if you get out of the seat, but both the engine and the PTO keep running.

I have no idea how easily it would be for the newer PTOs to come on on there own. I am pretty sure that there is no way for our transmission driven PTO to come on though.

Ed

Edit - Our D2600 has the transmission driven PTO, and has no safety "features". You could start it in gear, with the PTO in gear, without the clutch depressed, from the ground if you wanted to. Our M7040 has a lever that pulls a cable that does something to engage the PTO, and it is independent of the transmission and clutch.

 

[MoKelly]

I'm sure none of YOUR friends would do anything stupid, but 15 year old boys do things that are meant to be funny, but can have serious consequences...your son's friends are of that age.

Even now, I frequently have the key in my pocket when hooking up the PTO drive shaft.

Good tip.

Sounds like you have some hands-on experience with 15 year old boys! He is my oldest so he is my first real experience. He is a good kid and reliable but, sometimes, he can shoot first and think second. Plus, it seems, teenagers truly believe they are invincible.

MoKelly

 

[TripleR]

I grew up farming and you can get away with something thousands of times, but sometimes, just sometimes, you won't. I have friends with missing fingers and in one case a missing arm from "just that one time".

I can't say the people hooking up while the engine is running are wrong as they probably have more experience and are better operators than I, I just don't do it.

A good point was brought up about the ever increasing use of electrical PTO engagement and a faulty switch, I much prefer the lever system. A few years ago, someone "discovered" the safety switch which prevented one of our tractors from starting while in gear was no longer working.

 

[77bronco]

I back up to the implement and get the arms as near in position as I can, then shut off the engine to hook up. I have extending arms on my Ford, so perfect alignment isn't critical, and I'm not fond of breathing diesel exhaust while I hook everything up.
One of these days I'm going to convert to a stack, but I will still hook up with the engine off. It's just one of those things I do, but to each his own.

 

[JDgreen227]

Always when running, with no one in the drivers seat, also my PTO will not work if no one sitting in seat.

"My PTO will not work if no one is sitting in seat....." Yeah, same with mine, but I shut the engine OFF, period.

Even heard this one:

"The odds of getting attacked and eaten by a lion on Main Street, downtown, are not very high, but it only has to happen to you once, to ruin your entire day....."

 

[RoyJackson]

Good tip.

Sounds like you have some hands-on experience with 15 year old boys!
MoKelly

Yep...I was 15 once...

 

[CompactTractorFan]

WHAT:::: how can yo let that happen...NOOOOOO you must buy some more implements of the PTO persuasion.

:laughing::laughing::laughing: :thumbsup:

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Yep...I was 15 once...

So was I...Like last year...