3-Point Hitch Hooking up PTO

[Industrial Toys]

I never considered the bunjie Idea. I will have to try that.

Spraying a light lubricant on the shaft and yoke that breaks down the grease often helps immensly. The tolerances are tight and with stiff grease in there makes it hard to push on or get off. Same with the release, whether it be pin or collar.

Of course I cheat, and the sheilds are all gone day one.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I get rid of the shields too, if someone is stupid enough to get caught up in the PTO shaft, it's called cleaning up the gene pool!!

SR

 

[Thall303]

Children? Old Folks? Those gene pools?

 

[lman]

I have a tiller that is tight when putting the pto shaft on after the tiller is mounted. The pto shaft is long enough that now I connect the pto when I am about a foot from the tiller and then back up to finish mounting the tiller. It's much easier to hook up the pto this way with more room to get the job done.

 

[mikester]

Wait until you get a CV shaft with the same sliding collar and a small tractor shield. You will hate life!

All seriousness, keep male and female ends lubricated and clean, shut tractor off if needed (some tractor shafts can turn part turn by hand when off, but not when engine running) Wear good gloves if you don't want greasy hands, line things up, move locking collar once shaft is started.

When I first read this thread I thought "doesn't seem that difficult to hook up a PTO" but I remember that I have several PTO implements and not all are as easy to connect. I have push button style ones I like and ones I hate. Same goes for the sliding collar.

Some of my PTO shaft lengths are the same and I was lucky enough that I could shelf the PTO shafts I don't like.

Don't rule out replacing troublesome yolks.

 

[mcfarmall]

I get rid of the shields too, if someone is stupid enough to get caught up in the PTO shaft, it's called cleaning up the gene pool!!

SR

Can someone explain to me why children or old folks would be in the vicinity of a rotating driveline that's buried so deep inside a three point hitch that there is at least one thread on every forum regarding how to hook it up? I can understand a grain auger, silage wagon, silage blower, feed grinder/mixer and other towed machinery with easily accessible drivelines or the temptation to cross over a shaft instead of walking all the way around. I also understand that you can't fix stupid, having worked in industry all my life, I have pretty much seen people get recordable injuries on the most benign things. Sorry to digress.

 

[mikester]

Can someone explain to me why children or old folks would be in the vicinity of a rotating driveline that's buried so deep inside a three point hitch that there is at least one thread on every forum regarding how to hook it up? I can understand a grain auger, silage wagon, silage blower, feed grinder/mixer and other towed machinery with easily accessible drivelines or the temptation to cross over a shaft instead of walking all the way around. I also understand that you can't fix stupid, having worked in industry all my life, I have pretty much seen people get recordable injuries on the most benign things. Sorry to digress.

Have you seen this thread?
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/432514-anyone-done.html

 

[oosik]

I have only one PTO implement - Wallenstein chipper. Things I've found that help with the hook up. Spray WD-40 on the PTO stub and inside the U-joint connection. Wipe clean with shop rag. Even in storage - I will get wind blown volcanic ash build up that can make connection difficult. Lift the PTO shield on the tractor. I wear leather gloves - a little grease on bare hands can make keeping the button pushed in - difficult. If possible - wait for a warm day - - "things" slide better when warm. Keep all moving/sliding parts clean and properly lubricated. Start with a positive attitude - !!!!!

 

[hube2]

The way I understand it, that shield is to deflect shrapnel should the shaft break on that end, not to prevent you from getting at the PTO.

It also has those two hole in it that are meant to attach the shield chain to, although I don't have a shield chain on that end, from my understanding manufacturers have stopped putting chains on that end because some fool forgot to hook it up, it slapped around broke and they were hit by the chain shrapnel and sued.

At any rate, if something were to happen, not that I think it would in my case, but if it did, and some insurance adjuster could find a way to not pay up because I had defeated a safety device, since I will likely be dead or crippled if something did happen, then it would be my family that would suffer because of it. Shot happens all the time to people that think it cannot happen to them. Yes, you have to be smarter then the equipment, but even the smartest people screw up from time to time.

Anyway, my difficulty was with being bent in half and couched down and holding up the weight of the shaft in that position. I would never have thought of using a bungee to hold the weight without reading it and I would have never thought this simple thing would make it so much easier to accomplish until I experienced it myself. Sometimes we can overlook the simple things. I just wanted to give a shout out to anyone that might have suggested it in the past so that I could read it and try it. I don't remember who they were but they will know if they read my OP that their simple suggestion helped remove a little hassle from someone's life.

 

[oosik]

I always hook up the "tractor end" of the PTO first. I have all my strength and a better frame of mind. This coming spring I will DEFINITELY be trying the bungee method. I don't even want to think about being bent in half - holding up the weight of the PTO shaft - trying to get the shaft/stub in alignment. Then PUSH .........

At times I'm totally surprised that the State Police haven't come to visit. Surely they can hear me screaming and my abuse of the English language. They pass by quite often. The county road is only a mile away.

 

[PILOON]

Those shields were designed to prevent the spinning shafts from grabbing your scarfs or other loose garments and strangling U.
The upside is that the shields do shed water, grit and grime.

In the old days a properly dressed mechanic would always be portrayed wearing a tie.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Children? Old Folks? Those gene pools?

No children or old folks around my equipment, and if their was, they would be told/taught to stay away from the pto shaft, JUST LIKE I was when I was a kid...

SR

 

[Industrial Toys]

If the kiddies are that attracted to the driveline, then the back of a snowblower or manure spreader must be irresistable.

Let me qualify though. I always remove the steel pto sheilds as soon as I get a tractor. And the plastic pto sheilds can stay on up until they cause any added difficulty in installing/removing or greasing. I don't suggest anyone does the same, but it has made my life a lot easier.

 

[Smokeydog]

A product called CorrosionX has made my life easier. Spray lubricant. Spray to clean and lube before connecting pto. Doesn’t attract dirt like grease. Keeps the locking pins free.

 

[K5lwq]

A product called CorrosionX has made my life easier. Spray lubricant. Spray to clean and lube before connecting pto. Doesn’t attract dirt like grease. Keeps the locking pins free.

That is a great product! I use it sparingly due to the cost!

 

[Smokeydog]

Aerospace performance product. Big can lasts a long time. I’ll wait till it’s under $20 a can on Amazon or ZORO tool. Go to lube protection juice on the farm, RV, boat, shop, mechanic.

 

[workinonit]

I use Kearney Rust Cutter. Buy it by the case in 5 oz cans. It's magic.

 

[Peter 315]

I use Kearney Rust Cutter. Buy it by the case in 5 oz cans. It's magic.

Two cans for 22.00 on flea bay kind of pricey........

 

[TheMan419]

I WD40 the splines and the push pin before hooking up. The shaft gets a dab of oil to slide apart easier. All my PTO shafts are the push pin type not the collar. I do not understand who thought the collar was good. Is it safer somehow? For me the tiller is the thing that is a pain to hook the pto shaft up. The tiller is so close to the tractor there is no room to get in there. I have to hook up the top link because I have to lift the tiller to get the shaft to line up correctly. Thankfully I do not use it too much as a tiller. I use it a lot as a counter weight but dont have to hook the pto shaft up, I just remove it.

 

[hube2]

...I do not understand who thought the collar was good. Is it safer somehow? ...

I have no idea, I imagine that someone thought it would be easier to hold back a collar that hold out a pin. Basically because you can pull the collar back between your fingers and palms on both hands while still being able to push with your palms of both hands to slide it on.

I think that this was the case at one time. I can remember actually being able to do this on some of the shafts I needed to put on 25+ years ago. If the cover was not there I would be able to still do this.

What I think has happened is that the size of the covers over the joints have grown over time and even my larger than normal hands cannot perform this feat any more and I must pull the collar back with one hand while I push with the other, which makes it more awkward and harder to push it on straight.

So over time we're back to the original problem on not being able to use both hands to push it on and we need what we need to do is grow a couple more arms.