Attaching Implements to the Rear PTO. What am I doing wrong?

[Chaldaean]

I have a B3030HSDC. We got our first snow today and it took me half an hour to connect my rear mount snowblower to the rear PTO shaft. I cleaned/lubed the splines (twice), tried to use a crowbar to coax it and made sure to pull back on the "collar" to release the ball detent while installing.

It's an awkward spot with your arms stretched out and working sideways with limited hand access due to guarding.

I finally got it by laying on the ground and using my anger to push the shaft into place. I'd rather not get to the point of frustration every time.

Any suggestions for making this very simple process easier?

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

if snow blower pto +/or pto stub new or little used a good scrub with a wire brush on the spline mating faces (male and female) then clean well with rags, and a good coat of thin spray lube often helps.

when new often very tight.
when dirty or rusty it can cause this as well.

doesn't take much dirt or rust to make it difficult on especially new or pretty new stuff that's not broke in.

took me over an hour first time to get my new logging winch on but now after a years use and 1/2 dozen mounting can do it in a few minutes.

when you pull the pto collar back the little balls that hold it in place when the collar released sometimes need more care than you can easily first see. A lot of liquid cleaning spray and lube can blow out small sand that you can hardly see.

 

[bearskinner]

I have a front mount snowblower, but I ALWAYS put the drive shaft on Last. With the shaft attached to the blower, it can turn pretty easily by hand, then very last slip the fitting side on, and click in place.
When are you hooking up the shaft?

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Sometime it helps if you bump the 3PT arms up or down just a ever slight amount. Sort of depends on how you are holding the fitting vs the alignment of splines. Sometimes if you can get just a slightly better angle makes a huge difference.

 

[torch]

I find if I engage the PTO (engine off, of course!) so it won't turn as I rotate the shaft then I can feel when the splines are lined up. Once they are started, I push the release button or pull the collar and shove the shaft home.

I do prefer the button style rather than the collar. Any dirt or congealed grease can keep the balls stuck in place. A little penetrating oil may be worthwhile.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

When mounting the rototiller on my big tractor, I install the right lower link, then the top link, THEN the PTO shaft, finally the left lower link.
By leaving the left link last, I have more 'elbow room' to line up the PTO shaft.
This sequence may or may not work for you and as others have said everything HAS to be clean. A this film of penetrating oil( something thin...) even ATF will help things slide together easier.

 

[jimh406]

I don't use attachments that use the PTO very much, but it's finesse not force that makes a difference. I find the connection to be counterintuitive. It was useful for me to watch YouTube videos from Ask Tractor Mike and Messicks. Good luck.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I find if I engage the PTO (engine off, of course!) so it won't turn as I rotate the shaft then I can feel when the splines are lined up. Once they are started, I push the release button or pull the collar and shove the shaft home.

I do prefer the button style rather than the collar. Any dirt or congealed grease can keep the balls stuck in place. A little penetrating oil may be worthwhile.

I too prefer the button style.

Engine off w/ engaged pto is a great trick, I never thought of but for sure will help on the very tight couplings getting spline alignment right.

 

[Jchonline]

I ran through options with my Dad a month or so ago on his M7060. He was having a hard time getting the PTO shaft engaged with the tractor, and hooking up links.

1. You may need to grease the inner tube and sheath so they slide easier. Take that apart and check for anything that might catch (ie metal burrs, etc). YOu can add a bit of grease to help them slide before you put back together.

2. A quickhitch makes it easier to hook up the top and lower links to implements. Make sure you have appropriate bushings if you arent all CAT1. If you are, then a QH10 should do it.

3. We went with a PTOlink. https://tractorptolink.com/. Here is how I made it easier. I used a tie down strap that you wrap around the top link shaft and the PTO shaft. This will suspend the PTO shaft in the air so you dont have to hold it up yourself. Then you merry the male/female pto link pieces, rotate to lock into place, then add the 2nd pin. Honestly I dont think for me (im in 50s) the ptolink is easier. But for my 80+ year old Dad it is a game changer.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bmyers]

I use WD40 Dry Lube on the PTO shaft and connector. I keep both lubed well and it keeps things from rusting up and sticking.

 

[Russell King]

I can suggest a few things that could help:
Next time it is off learn the proper way to disconnect the plastic shield so it can be slid back out of the way. Then always slide it out of the way to connect the PTO to the tractor.

Leave the top link off until you have the PTO shaft connected so you can step into the area and get the shaft onto the tractor. Assuming the implement is stable without the top link)

Practice several times with the pto shaft not attached to the implement (or just use the front half of the pto shaft.

If you have enough overlap on the pto shaft, extend it and connect to tractor first then gently roll tractor back to the implement by hand.

 

[old and tired]

I would NOT recommend my way, I don't have PTO shields. Gives you plenty of room to hook things up. The very first thing I did to my tractor was to remove the PTO shield (even though it does flip up).

I always treat the PTO like it is out to kill me or others that I never let anyone to get close to it while it runs!

 

[twomany]

I cut the coupling shield cone back to the mold line.

It still keeps the safety sleeve on the shaft, just a bit more of the coupling shows.
Greatly increases the working room to handle the coupling.

Works for me.

 

[i7win7]

tried to use a crowbar to coax it and made sure to pull back on the "collar" to release the ball detent while installing.

Had simular issues, took one of my portable (1 gal) sprayers and put some diesel in it. sprayed into shaft and slid it in/out a few times. The easier it slides, the easier to connect. Also used sprayer to wash/clean pto shaft & coupler. You can start coupler on shaft without using release collar. You then have to use release to slide coupler fully on pto shaft.

 

[ctfjr]

A lot of good advice has been given. The things that have worked for me, in order of importance:
Clean the coupler balls and slide assembly very very well and lube it all. I can't emphasize the clean part enough.

Adjust the lower links' height to give you the best access (may have to have implement off the ground - use safety support under)

The best 'solution' for me was to have pin couplers instead of ring couplers. I still have 1 ring coupler on a shaft.

 

[NCL4701]

For me, seems to vary by implement. The only PTO implement that isn’t on a dolly in the concrete floor shop is the brush hog and it’s by far the easiest to hook to the PTO, possibly because it’s 40 years old so maybe a wee bit more slop in the splines than the newer stuff. It has the pushbutton retainer which I very much like.

The chipper and generator both have they retracting ball collar couplers and took some experimenting and practice to hook up. My current process is hook up the PTO first, then roll the implement and dolly into place to hook up the 3 point. That makes the whole process MUCH easier for me. If your implements aren’t on dollies, manually rolling the tractor with engine off (as previously suggested) may also work similarly.

 

[bcp]

Never had a problem hooking up a PTO shaft.

I do it as a two step process.

1. WITHOUT USING THE LOCK BUTTON OR COLLAR, turn and push the shaft until the splines align, then push on until the lock stops it.

2. THEN, while using the button or collar release, push it on the rest of the way, release the lock and pull back to test.

DON'T try to hold the release button or collar and try to align the splines at the same time.

Bruce

 

[mikester]

I find hooking up the PTO on the tractor side first makes life easier. Usually you have a little more space and wiggle room on the implement side.

The PTO shield on my tractor flips up making access better.

 

[torch]

I find hooking up the PTO on the tractor side first makes life easier. Usually you have a little more space and wiggle room on the implement side.

I don't think I have any implements were that is possible. They all are bolted or keyed to the implement. Is it common to have a quick-connect on the implement side?

 

[Belmoresr]

I use WD40 Dry Lube on the PTO shaft and connector. I keep both lubed well and it keeps things from rusting up and sticking.

I do same (WD-40) or any other oil that hides in the bottom of my oil bottles. I dump those remnants into a cheap oiler I got and use that every time I disconnect.
#1 is to NEVER let the implement side of the PTO coupler hit the ground or lay on the ground. Mine is a oily mess but I no longer have connectivity issues.
#2 is to always leave plenty of time to hook up implements. My history has shown that if you aren’t in a rush you can watch the implements almost jump on the tractor by themselves.