PTO shaft with shear pins for snowblowers....

[Buckgnarly]

I just got to use my 68" Metero for a little bit this past weekend, and have question for those that have run a snowblower with shear pin shaft.....

I got the blower with an aftermarket shaft, so after consulting with the local JD dealer we went with a whole new shaft that they use for their JD blowers.....was cheaper than getting a new shear pin yoke beleive it or not! The shaft itself is smaller than the one I got with the blower, I beleive it is a Class 3 while the other one was a 4.

So when I let off the clutch (gear Kioti DS3510) I sheared the PTO pin. I think I let it out a little fast, but now I am worried that the shear pin size may not match the blower and/or tractor HP. I did run it a few times after that and no problems with the pin, but did not really load up the blower as there was not nearly enough snow.

Sooooo....anyone want to chime in? Oh yeah, the shear pin is an M6.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Well, talked to MK Martin,a 68" should have an M8 shear pin......now I have to look into getting it reamed out to an M8. This will never end.......:confused2:

 

[moship]

buckgnarly,

I had an older JD 750 w/standard transmission. When using a 60" rear snow blower if I let the clutch out too quickly the shear pin would go. I was using a 5/16" grade 5 bolt on that particular unit. If I eased the clutch no problems. Never a problem with heavy snow either.

 

[joeyd]

I usually go through 2-3 shear pins a season. I have a HST so I do not have to worry about letting the clutch out too fast. I also have a 68" Meteor and I just use regular grade bolts for the shear pin on the shaft. It is easier to change that one than the one on the auger. I keep 6-8 spares in my tool box on the tractor with a couple of wrenches, I am usually back up and running in less than 5 mins.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Talked to teh JD dealer, they are going to get me the next size up shaft....MK Martin advised that after talking ot them again. I got a Comer T20, when that blower should have a T40 with M8 shear pin. Good thing too, the shear pin I replaced the broken one with was already a little tweaked, looks like the M6 is way too small for that application.

 

[JerryK]

Another thing, when everything is new... things are a little tight and you tend to break the pins once and awhile. She will be more forgiving once the blower gets used a little....

 

[lakeside]

I'm running a rear mounted Pronovost Puma 54" off my B26 and I'm looking for advice on the PTO shaft. I have 100' of gravel driveway and I regularly break the shear bolts, especially at the start of the season when the gravel is exposed. Now, I'd rather break a shear bolt than a gearbox but would replacing the shear bolt PTO with one with a clutch be a good idea?

 

[Phil48]

Usually it's the shear pin for the snow blower that should break off. I have a gravel driveway (half a mile), and it's always the Meteor shear pin that let goes?

For gravel road I found out those round skid plate: real improvement! 1.5 inche high,

Phil

 

[lakeside]

Those are really nice pads, did they come with the blower, did you buy them or make them?

 

[Phil48]

It's an option... They were available thought my dealer, for about 100$. They were made of thick steel plate. Instead of your regular directional front runner, you, we will be able to make a sharp turn without having to raise your blower or to drag a lot of gravel.

 

[ruffdog]

but would replacing the shear bolt PTO with one with a clutch be a good idea?

The problem with running a clutch is snow turns to water on the clutch. Your clutch could be dry, wet, rusting, or froze solid with ice.

 

[Buckgnarly]

I made my own for both Meteors that I have owned. Get a set of Fisher plow shoes, some 2" square tube, and go from there. Here's the two I made, I refined the mounting method on the red one, used a hitch pin instead of the round washers normally found on Fishers.

 

[Buckgnarly]

I'm running a rear mounted Pronovost Puma 54" off my B26 and I'm looking for advice on the PTO shaft. I have 100' of gravel driveway and I regularly break the shear bolts, especially at the start of the season when the gravel is exposed. Now, I'd rather break a shear bolt than a gearbox but would replacing the shear bolt PTO with one with a clutch be a good idea?

MK Martin said no, too many chances that it will not slip.

To follow up, I wound up getting a T50 shaft with M10 shear bolt. Should hold up to the tractor, as the other shaft I had only had an M6....broke that starting the blower with no snow!

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

To my understanding, clutch pto shafts are mostly for things like rototillers, bush hogs etc -- things that take a constant beating. With a snow blower you shouldn't be breaking shear pins that often.

As someone already said, too much issue with water/ice/rust etc on a clutch shaft on a snow blower. In fact, I've never seen a snow blower with a clutch shaft and I couldn't even count how many different models/manufacturers that has been

Also, for those that aren't aware, shear bolts are a special kind of metal that breaks clean without the bolt stretching. If you use a standard bolt (grade 3/5/8 are the common) they will stretch first before they break making them a pita to change and you risk damaging the shaft

 

[Buckgnarly]

Also, for those that aren't aware, shear bolts are a special kind of metal that breaks clean without the bolt stretching. If you use a standard bolt (grade 3/5/8 are the common) they will stretch first before they break making them a pita to change and you risk damaging the shaft

That may be true for some small snowblowers, but all shear pins used on the two Meteors I have owned are normal grade 2/5/8 bolts. Even my Ford brush hog uses grade 2 1/2" bolts for the shear pin. That is straight from the manual in both cases.

 

[flyingcow]

Whether you have an HST or a standard shift tractor, lowest RPM's when engaging pto. Also blower should be free of snow before engaging. Some are a little sensitive when engaging. Also, I break 2 or 3 a season.

 

[Looking4new]

I've broken one on the pto and one on the auger so far this season. For the pto I use 5/16 bolts 2.5" long with a nut. I get 'em from the hardware store, so they are probably grade 5.