PTO connection helper

[nickel plate]

My tractor's pto guard has a couple of factory holes in it so I use a short bungee cord to hold it up while on-offing an implement. When not in use, I wrap the bungee around the fuel cap for storage so it is right there when needed again.

 

[Patches]

I agree with Joel4330; having the shaft aligned in both axes with the PTO stub really helps with the engagement. Unlike most posters, I prefer the PTO engaged,(with the tractor OFF of course) so the stub cannot rotate with the shaft when attempting to mesh splines, as there is usually enough free play in the shaft to allow some rotation

 

[brandoro]

On the B3030 the PTO guard pivots upwards and is held there by friction so it is no problem. I had some trouble hooking up implements that were hard to turn until another B3030 owner told me how to release the tractor shaft so I could turn it to line up the splines. You put the PTO selector to the front (mid) PTO and the rear shaft is free, in case anyone else has this problem.
Other than that, a little light lube from time to time to keep things rust free and easy to move and it's all good.

 

[Green_in_Michigan]

Bungee cords for the PTO cover is the best way to do this especially if you are not the only person doing work on the tractor. On a Deere sliding the PTO lever to the halfway position allows the spindle to turn freely by hand. Tractor off of course.

 

[TomWhite]

I think the hardest part of hooking up implements is aligning the splines on the PTO shaft to the implement shaft (so that you can slide them together). An overrunning PTO adapter might make this easier (at least you can spin the splines backward to align them).

Peter

That, or a PTO extender, gets the connection back a bit further and could make it easier. The thing to remember is that now your PTO shaft may be too long.

 

[Stampeder]

For me it depends on the implement I'm connecting to. Square baler is a little difficult, so is the big shredder as both have very long implement shafts. The post hole digger is also somewhat of a pain because it is usually at an angle when it is on the 3 tp hitch. When I have my sprayer attached I need to have the guard attached so the pump chain that prevents rotation has a place to connect to. I had to modify the sides fo the guard to allow cleanance for the quick change hose adapters. BTW the tractor is ALWAYS turned off. Take PTO out of gear so it rotates freely.
I echo the cleaning of the shaft, a little light coating of WD40 on the PTO shaft and on it goes like butter.
I have several different varieties of implement shafts and I find the old pin type the worst to work with. The newer ones with the collar that slides back tend to be easier to put on.
We have very sandy soil here that gets into everything and dries hard as rock so preventive maintenance on PTO shaft and equipment shafts is a must.

Happy Easter all.