How do you protect your PTO shaft when it's not being used?

[TractorGuy]

I spray mine with dry moly. Dirt doesn't attract to or cling to it.

 

[Avenger]

When I purchased the tractor, it came with a rototiller. The dealer hooked up to the rototiller to deliver it, but left the plastic cover in the trash can. When I asked about it, he told me that I am possibly the first person to ask for it, that they throw those things away all the time.

I keep the cover in the cab when I am hooked up to the PTO. When not using the PTO, the cover is on the shaft. I dont use grease, just a bit of used motor oil every once in a while. I also wipe it off with a rag before (and after if I remember) hooking up.

I think the cover makes it look better back there too.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ive never used them for any of my tractors. I always just wilt pto clean before and after use.

 

[LD48750]

How many REAL farmers here have "worn out" the splined end of their PTO shaft or even seen a worn out one?

Do you believe a cover would have prevented that from happening?

 

[Avenger]

I have never worn out a PTO shaft, but I have snapped a few. Once, I twisted it so bad I couldnt remove the PTO shaft from the PTO!

Now, keep in mind that I am not a REAL farmer anymore. But I used to be. 480 acres of irrigated farm land in the Columbia Basin. Grew everything from mint to alfalfa. We ran older equipment, mostly from the 70's and almost all of it was New Holland or IH. Left the family farm to join the military shortly before 9/11. Father died, mother leased out the land since no one was around to farm it. Still own it, just have someone else to work the fields.

 

[LD48750]

I have never worn out a PTO shaft, but I have snapped a few. Once, I twisted it so bad I couldnt remove the PTO shaft from the PTO!

Now, keep in mind that I am not a REAL farmer anymore. But I used to be. 480 acres of irrigated farm land in the Columbia Basin. Grew everything from mint to alfalfa. We ran older equipment, mostly from the 70's and almost all of it was New Holland or IH. Left the family farm to join the military shortly before 9/11. Father died, mother leased out the land since no one was around to farm it. Still own it, just have someone else to work the fields.

Do you believe covering the shaft when not in use would have prevented them from snapping or was it something else that caused it?
Like maybe hitting something with the implement?

 

[Avenger]

The experiences I have with PTO shafts snapping were from bailing hay, and getting plugged up due to over speed. The New Holland bailers we used incorporated a large flywheel and ram that would over spin the PTO, and if the bailer came to a sudden stop, things broke... alot! The PTO covers would have been in the cab. We still kept the PTO shafts covered, just to keep grime and crap off the splines. We typically lightly oiled the splines to help with hooking or unhooking the implement. Most of the time, it was whatever we had on hand. All the tractors have grease guns, so grease was often used. Sometimes only WD-40, sometimes nothing at all. But we almost always wiped off the splines, just a quick wipe to remove anything yucky, before installing the shaft.

So to answer your question, no, the covers would not have prevented the shafts from snapping. But we never wore out a shaft either, mostly due to replacing them every 5 or so years due to snapping.

 

[ruffdog]

Some people are content on having a rusty dirty shaft while others like theirs clean and lubed. Life is good!

 

[Alan W.]

Some people are content on having a rusty dirty shaft while others like theirs clean and lubed. Life is good!

How doth I reply. No I shall not, but rest assured had I it would have been good

 

[Jstpssng]

How doth I reply��. No I shall not, but rest assured had I it would have been good ��

It most likely would have been the same as what I posted, then deleted... it would have been too ironic, getting kicked off my own thread.