Service Your PTO Clutch

[bsekf]

I accidently ran over a block of wood with our $7000 Landpride rotary mower, didn't see it in the grass. PTO clutch did not slip and I broke the blade carrier. If we ever get it apart, the part is $350. And, until we get it running we won't know if anything else is broken or bent. Just because I didn't read the owners manual and service the clutch annually! Loosen clutch bolts up 2 turns and engage mower, making sure the clutch slips, then tighten clutch bolts up 2 turns. Better to be too loose than too tight. Don't wait to read the manual till you break something. I am old enough to know better!!!!!

 

[WranglerX]

And there is this....

 

[bsekf]

Yep! Read your owner manual before you break something!

 

[CobyRupert]

With the clutch loose, it’s easiest to just grab the blades and turn them while having the tractor’s PTO locked (that is, tractor PTO is “on” with tractor engine turned off). You can then easily see it slipping at the clutch.

 

[Sportsman762]

My boss took out both outboard gear boxes on his Woods 8' rotary cutter because he did not service the slip clutch. My father broke a belt on the flail mower because he did not service the slip clutch. Its an important activity to slip the slip clutch of a machine that has sat for more than a few months. Just run a magic marker down the discs on the clutch and make sure they move when you slip them.

 

[sea2summit]

Shear pins are a pita to replace when you don’t want to but over all they sure seem to be less main required from my POV.

 

[ptsg]

Shear pins are a pita to replace when you don’t want to but over all they sure seem to be less main required from my POV.

Shear pins are a pain to replace because the implement manufacturers in the US insist in this absolute crap of a design for the shear pin that leaves the broken piece stuck in the input shaft.

There is this style of shear pin showed on the picture below that an absolute breeze to run. Easy to see if it broke, easy to replace without pulling anything apart and somewhat cheaper to run due to the use of smaller bolts (M8 or 5/16), although this is probably minor. One can simply pull both broken pieces by hand and slap a new one in.

 

[oosik]

That's the exact type on the end of my PTO shaft - ptsg. Every year I remove the shear bolt - rotate the two parts - spray a good grade of lube on the exposed surfaces and make sure it seeps down into the body of the fixture. Probably unnecessary but it's a part of my routine maintenance.

It's my PTO shaft for my Wally BX62S. I've sheared two pins/bolts. Both times chipping old, dry, rock hard apple wood. So ......I know it works.

 

[ptsg]

That's the exact type on the end of my PTO shaft - ptsg. Every year I remove the shear bolt - rotate the two parts - spray a good grade of lube on the exposed surfaces and make sure it seeps down into the body of the fixture. Probably unnecessary but it's a part of my routine maintenance.

It's my PTO shaft for my Wally BX62S. I've sheared two pins/bolts. Both times chipping old, dry, rock hard apple wood. So ......I know it works.

Mine have a grease fitting in the middle to lube the parts that rotate when the shear pin breaks, so I don't really bother to take it apart. Just grease it and let it run but it's definitely a good practice to go over it.

I think it's a good alternative for the people that don't use an implement with a PTO clutch enough during the year to prevent it from rusting and locking up. Or the ones that kind of neglect maintenance on implements.