The PTO Link adapter adds about four of inches in length to any attached PTO shaft.
If you use Pat's Easy Change 3-point Hitch System, the hooks add about four inches in length to the two lifting arms.
If you use *
both* the PTO Link and Pat's, the two effectively match lengths, negating any concerns of possibly needing to trim the length of a PTO shaft. Extend your top link a few inches (e.g. unscrew or hydro) to meet the implement, and you're good to go.
I believe my dealer did me a
favor by cutting the PTO shaft that came with a rotary cutter that I bought with the tractor. I asked for the slip clutch option on the cutter. The dealer may have thought the slip clutch inserted into the drive line required the total length to be reduced. In any event, the tractor and cutter worked great. A couple weeks later, I added the Pat's Easy Change system, and discovered the PTO shaft wasn't long enough. The extra four inches that Pat's added to the overall length was too far for the drive line at its longest point. Options were now to either replace the drive line and guard, or add several inches in length to the PTO connection. This helped my decision to buy the PTO Link, as it added a few inches to the PTO connection.
See attached photos.
Don't throws rocks, I'll add the plastic PTO guard before going back into operation. Photos were taken without the guard to show the PTO Link, Pat's Easy Change, and the drive line components. I've also ordered new drive line inside and outside tubes, and a longer PTO guard, to replace the cut items. I suspect there's only about 4-inches of tube overlap after the dealer cut the line, which is working thus far, but I'd prefer more overlap.
Additional comments:
The PTO Link has two pins, one on top of the disc, and one on the bottom of the disc. Using both pins, the coupling appears to be equally as tight compared to traditional PTO couplers. One pin is permanently attached (but replaceable) on the tractor-side disc. The second pin you insert at time of implement hook-up, from the tractor-side. Replacements for both pins are available (I ordered a set with the kit; stow those away in the tractor toolbox like shear pins, etc.).
Additionally, the PTO Link has four cut-outs and large metal tabs that inter-connect the two discs. These cut-outs and tabs are what handle the workload of the spinning PTO shaft. The two pins are safety devices to keep the discs tightly coupled, but the pins don't carry the full power of the PTO. If a PTO shaft is spinning, it's not going to come out of those cut-outs, even if both pins failed. The design looks relatively safe; belt-and-suspenders style protections. I suspect if both pins failed, and you stopped and restarted the PTO several times, and you were driving on rough terrain, the coupling could separate if bounced around just right, probably when the PTO was off or just starting, where the shaft would then drop into the dirt. That's a lot to break, not a single point of failure.
The PTO Link installs out of the box in less than a minute, as it attaches on top of your current PTO spindle at the tractor, and into the existing coller for your implement. Because the PTO Link attaches on top of the existing tractor and implement PTO connection points, it's a
universal adapter that can be used with just about any implement, made by any company.
The John Deere solution is different, as it
replaces the coupler on the implement PTO end, which is why the JD solution is limited to implements made by specific companies, and why the JD solution adds less length to the overall PTO connection.
The PTO Link connectors can be quickly changed, moving across multiple implements (e.g. cutter, tiller, post hole digger, etc.) and tractors, so you really don't need more than one pair of connectors. Buying extra connectors provides the luxury of keeping the connectors always-on the tractor and implements, allowing your lazy side to win.
The JD solution attaches to the implement as a new yoke, replacing the connection end. You are better off buying an adapter to connect each implement you own, otherwise you'll be doing a lot more work in swapping it around. I view buying extra connectors with the JD solution as mandatory for those with multiple PTO implements. This is best limited to tractor owners who have implements that are documented as compatible with the JD solution. Note, the JD solution works with any tractor, but it is limited in which implements are compatible because it replaces the implement-side coupler.
Price?
The PTO Link isn't cheap, starting at ~$400. If you
want an easier/alternative PTO hook-up process, and/or if you need to add a few inches in length to your PTO connection to ensure Pat's Easy Change doesn't require shortening drive lines, then the PTO Link is a good value. The JD solution costs about the same, starting at ~$465.
Final thoughts:
There's nothing wrong with using your tractor the way it's always been used. If you've got no issue with the standard PTO connection method, don't spend money on the new widgets.
The PTO Link is an interesting innovation, and it's priced about the same as the JD solution.
If you have JD-compatible implements, the JD solution provides similar improvements to the hook-up process, trading the need to buy multiple implement-side attachments to avoid adding a few inches to the overall length.
Where several companies are putting effort into a product area, there's a market need to fill.
PTO Link =
Products Archive - Tractor PTO Link
JD Quik-Knect =
John Deere Quik-Knect Tractor Receiver Kit - BLV1953
Another way to do it =
Pto Connect – Tractor Add Ons LLC
