PTO Output Shaft Covers?

timb · Sep 3, 2004

My Deere was delivered 'fully assembled' including the rotary cutter (and PTO shaft) being mounted. So - with the cutter off - the tractors splined PTO shaft is 'naked'. The shaft is of course liberally coated with grease, but I'm thinking that if nothing is to be mounted for some time covering the shaft to keep dirt etc off wouldn't be a bad idea. I think Deere actually has a soft plastic slip cover somewhere in their parts directory (like an elongated trailer ball cover) - in fact I probably should have gotten one with the tractor but until I have a reason to swing by the dealer (30 miles away) I thought I'd look to see what else is out there. Maybe I'm searching for the wrong term - or maybe no one else thinks this is a good idea (?) but I'm not finding any aftermarket solutions. Since a 540 shaft is standard you'd think this would be a generic item. Anyone know of where any good PTO covers are available? Or is there a reason that would be detrimental?

sneaky_pete · Sep 3, 2004

Don't know about aftermarket ones, but my Orange tractor came with the factory palstic cover in the toolbox, since the dealer mounted my bush hog on the 3PH. I would check back with your dealer - I bet they have a bunch of them sitting around. Can't imagine any reason it would be detrimental to use one.

MaineGuy · Sep 3, 2004

Check on ebay. You will probably find one to fit JD. I saw a cover for a ford there for around $10.00. Of course that was after I paid quite a bit more at the dealers. I wonder if one size fits all and is not dependent upon color?

David

jrepp · Sep 3, 2004

If you have a Kubota dealer nearby you may want to look at their cover it seems to be well made.

timb · Sep 3, 2004

The only info I can find on the JD parts site is part # "LVU14781" which is described as simply a "CAP, VINYL MASKING". /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Makes it sound as if it is only used to keep the black spray paint off of the shaft during assembly.

The good part is that it lists for just $1.10! Coming from JD that tells you there's not much to it!

I would think there could be a universal cap - the diameter of the shaft, as well as the 'set back' of the retaining groove are standard. The overall projection length could vary some, I guess. If vinyl they certainly could make them long - and you could just shorten the open (tractor side) end as needed with a sharp knife.

I plan on ragging my salesman about it and getting one from them (if they exist) but just haven't had a need to head that direction lately.

Bird · Sep 3, 2004

All that cover is, at least on the Kubotas I had, is a piece of thick walled, clear vinyl tubing the same length as the PTO output shaft and an inside diameter that makes it fit snug.

beenthere · Sep 3, 2004

I don't think there is any practical use for it. The mid-PTO shaft has a metal cover that snaps on but I don't think I've seen or heard of anything that normally goes on the rear PTO stub.

Maybe there is room for in invention for you. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

MicroPilot · Sep 3, 2004

On my Century it was a hard plastic cover, but it was secured by 2 bolts on the PTO cover. I wasn't going to be removing bolts all the time so I pitched it!

timb · Sep 3, 2004

I don't have a mid-PTO on mine but I could see where that cover would be a lot more important to keep that shaft from harm from underbrush/rocks getting kicked up.

I'm just looking at all the chaff/dirt sticking to the grease on the exposed shaft and while that's not going to do any real harm to the shaft (or the female coupling on a PTO implement shaft) - the dirt makes getting a PTO implement on just that much more of a pain. I was thinking it wouldn't be awful of an idea to try to keep it clean. To be honest I haven't seen any covers on any other older tractors around the place.

I have to admit though - there was a downside to my insistence on the draft control option on my Deere. The slightly repositioned top link mount now interferes with the PTO shield just enough so that you can't really flip up the shield (it moves about 1/4" before it runs out of clearance). That's making getting into the shaft to connect/disconnect the PTO a bit of a knuckle-buster. I'll have to invent a better solution for that - I'm not going to remove the shield outright.

So - with access issue, a new output shaft and PTO shaft that probably have micro burrs on the splines - the PTO is a bit of a challenge to snap in. Any dirt just makes it more fun.

JerryG · Sep 3, 2004

<font color="blue">I don't think there is any practical use for it.</font>
For most here, that is probably correct. The cover keep grass from balling up on the shaft and taking out a seal. The cover is also, to keep dirt and grit from sticking to the shaft. It is a pain to clean that stuff from the splines. To bad all tractors don't have one like the larger MF's. They have a metal cap that has threads on the end that screw into the PTO housing. I hate the caps with a bolt on each side.