Very dumb pto drive shaft question

eljuncal

Member

Equipment
B2601HSD-1, LP Tiller, Maschio mower Titan Forks, Woods Box Blade, Herd Spreader
Oct 23, 2022
44
41
18
Colorado
Hello, First time I'm actually using an implement with a PTO drive shaft ...

I hooked up my rotary tiller, connect the drive shaft and went down to the garden to till it ...

Started up the rear pto shaft ... eased the tiller into the ground and went about ... 3 feet. And ... my drive shaft fell apart ... meaning, one end was still attached to the tractor rear pto ... and the other end was still attached to the rotary tiller ... but they were just hanging there as the shaft pulled apart.

Is my drive shaft too short?
 

GreensvilleJay

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Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
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Greensville,Ontario,Canada
yes, way too short !
One 'rule of thumb' is that the two sections of the PTO shaft should overlap at least 50% (1/2) of the over all length. You need to consult the tiller's manual for specific information though. If you bought new from dealer, they may have grabbed the wrong shaft for your tractor-tiller combination.
 

eljuncal

Member

Equipment
B2601HSD-1, LP Tiller, Maschio mower Titan Forks, Woods Box Blade, Herd Spreader
Oct 23, 2022
44
41
18
Colorado
yes, way too short !
One 'rule of thumb' is that the two sections of the PTO shaft should overlap at least 50% (1/2) of the over all length. You need to consult the tiller's manual for specific information though. If you bought new from dealer, they may have grabbed the wrong shaft for your tractor-tiller combination.
Thank you. Yes, the dealer cut the pto shaft to fit ... I guess they cut it too short? Will give them a call.
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
9,679
3,938
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Greensville,Ontario,Canada
they may have cut based on another tractor and not your B2601HSD-1. Seems the 3ph dimensions are not the same tractor to tractor.....
 

eljuncal

Member

Equipment
B2601HSD-1, LP Tiller, Maschio mower Titan Forks, Woods Box Blade, Herd Spreader
Oct 23, 2022
44
41
18
Colorado
Are you using a quick hitch?
Yes .. but ... the dealer agreed to cut the shafts with the quick hitch installed ... I had a package deal which included setup and pto shaft cutting to match the quick hitch ...

When they returned the tractor to me (along with the new implements including the tiller) they said they had hooked up and run everything with the quick hitch installed ... so, i'm a bit baffled but ...

Long story short, to make my wife happy, I removed the quick hitch, hooked up the tiller and did a first pass of things today ...

After talking to the dealer, they admit they should have cut the shaft with the quick hitch installed and they have offered to trade out my current PTO shaft for a new one.
 
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GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
9,679
3,938
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
so sounds like nearly everyone's happy...
you get a new PTO shaft:)
wife gets HER garden in:giggle::)

I'm getting 10" of white here as I type, with Spring 10 days away
no planting me anytime soon :(
 
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mcfarmall

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Kubota M5660SUHD, Farmall C
Sep 11, 2013
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Kalamazoo, MI
I trust no one but myself when cutting PTO shafts. There's too much at risk. The same holds true if buying a used attachment or borrowing one from a buddy or rental yard. Each tractor is different and the incorrect length can result in injury or serious damage.

Running a grain auger is pretty safe as you simply back up or pull ahead to get the distance right.
 
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North Idaho Wolfman

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Jun 9, 2013
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Sandpoint, ID
After talking to the dealer, they admit they should have cut the shaft with the quick hitch installed and they have offered to trade out my current PTO shaft for a new one.
Note: Just remember you will need to check and possibly cut the new shaft, as they almost never come in the proper length!
 

D2Cat

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Mar 27, 2014
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Be thankful it was too short. It's a nuisance and you have to wait to get another one fitted. If it was too long it could cause much more damage at some point.
 
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