Has anyone made a pto detacher gadget?

[sheepfarmer]

Thought I'd ask here, since many handy folks read this forum. I have a new flail mower and the collar of the pto shaft attaches and detaches from the pto of the tractor by pushing down on a spring loaded button. Or it would if my thumb were stronger. One hand is needed to pull or push on the shaft, so this is clearly a one thumb operation. I have been trying to figure out what I could improvise to get more leverage on that spring. Something that puts force on the exact opposite side of the collar has to avoid the back side of the button which is really columnar in shape.

Has such a gadget been invented already?

 

[skeets]

I know shes new, but maybe some wd 40 to wash it out, there maybe crud in there and that makes it hard to push them in too and the a light oil to keep it lubed,, just a thought

 

[sheepfarmer]

Looked pretty clean and oily, but more won't hurt. Think it is mostly an issue of thumb strength versus spring strength

 

[coachgeo]

how about placing something like a nut just smaller than the button ontop of it, might need to temporary tape it in place...... then wrap it with a strap, belt, cloth strip or similar and pull taught. As it is pulled taught it will force the nut to push the button. Something with a D Ring buckle comes to mind. Dog collar maybe?

 

[bmblank]

I think I've seen collar type connects, sort of like an air hose quick connect. Basically you either pull or push on the collar and pull the shaft off.
This doesn't look familiar, but sounds like something you might be interested in.
http://www.grainger.com/product/GRAINGER-APPROVED-Pto-Quick-Coupling-3YB45

 

[ShaunRH]

The spring/piston can get bound up easy. Keep some canned air or an air compressor hose handy and blow out the spring/piston. Hit it with some Silicone lube. I'd stay away from oils/greases as they attract dirt and junk. The Silicone dries and stays slickish with repeated applications.

You may have to wiggle/jiggle the PTO shaft as you try to push in that button to get it to cut loose. When my mower was first attached, I had to take a small hammer to the button to free it the first time as it had bound up. I have not had the problem since but I used silicone on it and it just takes pretty light pressure (maybe 5-10lbs of force) to get it to open up, but I also giggle the PTO shaft at the same time.

 

[Diydave]

I always carry a small ball peen hammer in the toolbox to tap on stubborn PTO connector buttons. Once you get it moving, it's generally easy to push down on it enough, to get the shaft sliding. A coat of never seize on the inside of the PTO connector really helps to keep things moving as they should...

 

[ShaunBlake]

sheepfarmer, my heart goes out to you! I'm blessed with arthritis in my right thumb that sometimes won't permit signing my name, so I appreciate being unable to press a button that must be done with only one thumb.

Before we invent something to release your mower, please try tapping the button with something to loosen it up and see if it's any easier to press. I'm imagining that the spring is just too strong for your thumb, but if it's just dust or gunk, the suggestions about tapping and spraying are the best solution.

Please let us know your results!

 

[Tooljunkie]

I could picture a set of pliers -a tube for other end to go into,a small socket to rest pin so it wont slip.

A small hammer, and a pry bar to get it moving. A gentle tap on pin while pulling or prying yoke back will get shaft moving. A little practice and it will become an easy task.

I didnt pay much attention to model of your tractor,but if you can put pto in gear with engine off,will also give you a better mechanical advantage. Carpal tunnel will get to me from time to time, i need to find ways around it.

 

[coachgeo]

Just had a brain fart that might help you.

Welders Vicegrips

 

[sheepfarmer]

Hi guys, ok progress so far on this "learning issue" is that I've experienced this button's two states today: completely frozen feeling, and depressable although perhaps not as far as needed.

The posters suggesting some kind of jiggling tapping etc were right, although what I did to get it out of the frozen state was accidental. I pulled on the flail blades to rotate the drum to try to turn the shaft enough so the button was where I could see it better. Oddly I could see something inside the pto shaft rotating but the pto on the tractor didn't turn much if at all???? In any case it got the button out of the frozen state. Good thing, I couldn't find a way of getting a hammer or other metal object in under the cover to hit it very well. So it is out of the frozen state, and has had the socks sprayed off it with silicon lube.

When the tractor is off and the pto is disengaged, should I be able to turn the pto shaft with the implement? In both directions? I thought I remembered being able to turn it by hand before I attached this thing the first time but the dealer tech was patiently showing me (blessings on him) and I might have missed something. I have a 3560HST. There is a yellow knob that you push down and turn to engage the pto, but I don't know if it works when the engine is off.

So now it is on to the spring thing. I didn't want to try too hard to remove it all the way tonight in case I couldn't get it back on I am not done mowing. On my list of things to try to depress that button if my thumb is still inadequate, and hold it long enough to move the collar things is a C clamp. I had imagined a fancy plier gadget, maybe with two jaws on one side and one opposite, but I don't know where I'd find one.

Bmblank, do you know if you have to replace the whole pto shaft to use those collar connectors?

Thanks everyone!

 

[sheepfarmer]

Just had a brain fart that might help you.

Welders Vicegrips

Thanks coach, just saw your post, those might work.

 

[Russell King]

There is not a great/easy way to get these off and it is not just you that struggle with disengaging the PTO shaft.

Be careful with the c-clamp approach. I think the pin may extend out the other side when you push down on it. The c-clamp may just clamp both ends of the pin. You could use some type of spacer (a nut, short pipe) on the far side if that is needed. It has been too long since I paid much attention to it on mine to be sure.

There are two things that I know make it easier for me to get the PTO shaft off the tractor.
1) Loosen the plastic shield and pull it back out of the way so you can get your hands in there.
2) put the pin toward the top by rotating the shaft. This may be difficult due to the inertia of the mower not wanting to rotate or stop where you want it to. Often you can use a lever (screwdriver, steel bar...) into the PTO joint and use that to turn it. Like you tried, turning the flail drum will rotate the shaft but will be difficult to see the tractor end of the shaft. If you get it that direction you may be able to use a hammer handle to push the pin, but you will still need to be pulling on the PTO shaft to get it off.

You say "something inside the shaft rotated" - there is a plastic shield on the outside of the shaft that should not rotate. At each end it should be chained to keep it from rotating. Inside the ends you will be able to see the actual ends of the PTO shaft rotating as you turn the implement.

You could probably just replace the end of the PTO shaft but will end up spending just about the same as a whole new shaft. The rotating collar ones are harder for me to disengage than the pin style. The collar is just a tad too large to grab easily. I have not tried the pull/push version but be sure you know which direction to move the collar to get it off , I have heard you have to push the collar forward and pull the shaft back. Seems goofy to me but I don't know if that is true.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Russell, you are correct, the button is actually cylindrical and goes all the way through, so if the C clamp or other pinching device can't grab off center it won't work. I have not looked yet to see what I can do with the plastic shield to give myself more room, so that's a good thought. The plastic cover over the shaft is chained at both ends. So to turn the shaft you just stick a lever through the hole in the piece that is between the shaft and the collar and twist? Clockwise or counterclockwise or does it matter?

Thanks for your patience everyone, my first pto implement so starting at the ground up.

 

[Russell King]

I think you have it right.

There are two "yokes" with a "cross" connecting them. The yokes are "Y" shapes and turned 90 degrees to each other. There is some open space in there and just put the tool in there and lever it around. I don't think it matters which way to turn but it should not take too much force to turn so try the other direction if it does not turn easy. Just don't get your hand mashed between the tool and the stationary tractor parts, once you get it started turning it wants to keep turning - those darn laws of physics!

Take some pictures and post them and we may be able to give other suggestions.

 

[koja]

Not sure how much room you have ,but maybe welding vise grips with a socket tack welded on one jaw and a pin welded to the other ?

 

[Tooljunkie]

I thought the metal pto guard folded up for access to remove/install pto shafts, perhaps a photo to see what kind of space you have to work with.

 

[bmblank]

A mid to large set of channel locks works alright too.
I don't know anything about that collar that I attached, just found it online. The one that I'm imagining would basically replace the yoke that's on there. Maybe it's on my dad's snowblower or something. I'm losing my mind here.