Hooking up PTO w/ Engine Running

[grsthegreat]

last time I was at the range, someone waved their gun down the entire row of people, and later on after we called cold range and half of us were putting targets up.. there this guy was on the end of the line and snapped off 5 rounds in fast succession, people dove for cover.. I think he almost got beat down over that one..

that's what scares me.. not my tractor pto magically activating ..... as much as I wouldn't mind having a key chain fob to remote start and drive and activate my tractors hyds and pto.. so far I havn't seen one yet..

soundguy

OH better yet. preprogramed to start up and drive down to the house in the winter so i wouldnt have to get snow wet/cold going to get her. All off of a key fob....hmmm

 

[SPYDERLK]

I've only had my tractor for a short time and I use to hook up the flail mower with the engine running. Then the tractor developed a problem where the pto would not shut off with the switch. The dealer promptly fixed it and said that it was an electrical solenoid that activates the pto was the problem. So if it can fail to turn off when commanded, could it not also fail by turning on when not commanded? Sorry guys but my arms and hands are too valuable to me to trust an electromechanical (big word aye) system. Look at how many guys on this forum have had problems with their gage clusters. Turn the engine off before hooking up the pto shaft:thumbsup:

Ill agree. Any electrical, and [perhaps] hydraulic activated pto is a danger with engine on. Mighty Mouse has a hyd engagement unfortunately. All my other tractors are purely mechancal and do not have PTO brakes. I consider that optimal. Why would anybody want to build an independent pto differently? ... Strikes me as a negative bell or whistle. :confused3:
larry

 

[wedge40]

The one thing I've notice here, there are those that do shut the tractor off and those who dont, but what I'd like to know is of those who dont shut the tractor off is your PTO manual or push button ie some sort of solenoid engagement.

I dont turn my tractor off, but I have a 42 year ford with a mechanical engagement lever tucked under the seat. Feel pretty safe with that, but I've been thinking of a new tractor and I'm pretty sure the new one will some sort of electronic PTO start. That tractor will get shut off.

Wedge

 

[aczlan]

Ill agree. Any electrical, and [perhaps] hydraulic activated pto is a danger with engine on. Mighty Mouse has a hyd engagement unfortunately. All my other tractors are purely mechancal and do not have PTO brakes. I consider that optimal. Why would anybody want to build an independent pto differently? ... Strikes me as a negative bell or whistle. :confused3:
larry

We had a rather hefty repair bill after someone tried to engage the mechanical PTO on the B7500 without using the clutch and broke the shifting fork. That will never be a problem on the BX2660 or L3830 as they have independent hydraulically controlled PTOs.

Aaron Z

 

[SPYDERLK]

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

So youre saying its dangerous to be around a spinning pto shaft. Surely ... but that is not part of the subject here.
larry

 

[SPYDERLK]

We had a rather hefty repair bill after someone tried to engage the mechanical PTO on the B7500 without using the clutch and broke the shifting fork. That will never be a problem on the BX2660 or L3830 as they have independent hydraulically controlled PTOs.

Aaron Z

Yes, but those may spontaneously energize. Altho the strictly mechanical systems are truly safe against spontaneous engagement, their health requires that the operator not assume they have been idiot proofed like the ones that may spontaneously engage without self damage via a hyd or electrical anomaly.
larry

 

[Soundguy]

The one thing I've notice here, there are those that do shut the tractor off and those who dont, but what I'd like to know is of those who dont shut the tractor off is your PTO manual or push button ie some sort of solenoid engagement.

I dont turn my tractor off, but I have a 42 year ford with a mechanical engagement lever tucked under the seat. Feel pretty safe with that, but I've been thinking of a new tractor and I'm pretty sure the new one will some sort of electronic PTO start. That tractor will get shut off.

Wedge

98% of my tractors are fords from 46-64 and all are mechanical engagement. all my NON fords ( oldies as well from mid 40's to early 50's ) are mechanical engagement as well.

I do have a couple with hyd clutch packs / independent pto... never have to worry about those as I leave their mowers on 100% of the time...

soundguy

 

[SPYDERLK]

so far.. at 1:3200 the threat of being hit by space debris is more likely than the finger infection OR the pto springing to life... and I'm not gonna walk around looking up..

soundguy

That is 1:3200 risk of a person among the entire earth population being hit. The odds for a specific person are several billion times more remote.
larry

 

[Soundguy]

and? I didn't claim otherwise... just threw the statistic out there. didn't misrepresent it or anything.

there's more chance of someone getting carpel tunnel reading and replying to this thread about possible pto issues than actually having the pto issue I bet.

soundguy

 

[Short Game]

My owner's manual sez I should put the plastic cover over the PTO anytime there is nothing connected. Never can tell what might happen.

 

[wedge40]

I wouldn't mind the plastic cover if I could find one and figure out how to easily store when not needed.. Not so much for safety, but to keep the pto shaft clean between uses.

Wedge

 

[Soundguy]

tool box?

 

[SPYDERLK]

i know a guy that fell in his kitchen from a standing position, and broke a leg.

lets ban kithens! they are unsafe..

please.. world is fraught with real danger.. and everything has odds.

I'll take my chances with equipment I know and maintain vs some other unknown.

i have a better chance of winning the lotto or getting hit by lightning.. or heck.. 1 in 3200 chance of getting hit by space debri.. go figure..

soundguy

so far.. at 1:3200 the threat of being hit by space debris is more likely than the finger infection OR the pto springing to life... and I'm not gonna walk around looking up..

soundguy

That is 1:3200 risk of a person among the entire earth population being hit. The odds for a specific person are several billion times more remote.
larry

and? I didn't claim otherwise... just threw the statistic out there. didn't misrepresent it or anything.

there's more chance of someone getting carpel tunnel reading and replying to this thread about possible pto issues than actually having the pto issue I bet.

soundguy

You, being a specific person, certainly did claim otherwise by the "i" in your posts. Your chance of getting hit by space debris is about 1: 19,000,000,000,000. ... approximately zero. And about the same chance of a mechanical pto engagement jumping into gear on its own.
larry

 

[Soundguy]

re read those posts. see that word 'or' it means a whole lot for sure breaks the sentence up into 2 different parts...

soundguy

 

[SPYDERLK]

re read those posts. see that word 'or' it means a whole lot for sure breaks the sentence up into 2 different parts...

soundguy

... A codeword for meaning anything you want? Bull.

 

[Soundguy]

point is.. I didn't throw the statistic out there to decieve grammer or otherwise aside. you are corret. it is a collective statistic.. not a per person. my appologies if I unintentionally posed it otherwise.

be right back. i need to go read sheildarcs latest avoidance of topic and personal attack against me in the welding forum.

so far I'm up to owing a POS welder, making a wrong purchase decision because it's a hobart.. um... I'm not qualified to discuss a welder with someone of shieldarcs great stature / prowess.. um .. I'm not qualified to own a welder,, and lets see.. I know I'm forgetting a few... oh yeah.. implication that i don't understand the inner workings of flowing electrons.. um.. assumptions about my education... probably more.. but without rereading his last 5 intentionally? vauge posts.. hard to keep track.

soundguy

... A codeword for meaning anything you want? Bull.

 

[SPYDERLK]

point is.. I didn't throw the statistic out there to decieve grammer or otherwise aside. you are corret. it is a collective statistic.. not a per person. my appologies if I unintentionally posed it otherwise.

be right back. i need to go read sheildarcs latest avoidance of topic and personal attack against me in the welding forum.
soundguy

Cool. ... Sometimes portioned statements of statistics will mislead and give everybody a wrong idea. Wont have everbody staying inside or running around looking up if I can help it.
larry

 

[Soundguy]

yeah.. I'm not doing the walk around looking up thing either. ..

soundguy

 

[MichKubota]

Just made it a habit to turn tractor off when attaching to PTO. Not sure why. Just have always done it that way.

But now that you have thinking bout it, here are some reasons I will continue this habit.

1. Not always working alone. Never know what mistake someone else will make.
2. Habits are those things you do without thinking. If not thinking clearly that day, this sounds like good idea.
3. In cold Michigan weather with engine running, the PTO is spinning regardless if it is engaged.

 

[Short Game]

...the PTO is spinning regardless if it is engaged.

Yeah, that could be an issue.