The thing I hate about greasing drive shafts is trying to slide back the PTO guard that’s over the joint. It’s not a simple push a button to disengage the cover, slide it down/up tge shaft, grease and slide it back “snap” into place again. It can involve screws or plastic push down tabs that are a pain in the face!
PTO guard rant
- Thread starter Dave W
- Start date
Shafts and UJ's far outlast the guards. Both greased at the same time. But they would do wouldn't they. One is made of metal, the other plastic. And a flimsey chain fitted through a feeble plastic loop on the guard ? Really ?
How the hell machinery manufacturers have got away with this type of guarding for 60 years is beyond me.
How the hell machinery manufacturers have got away with this type of guarding for 60 years is beyond me.
It’s now 2023. Fifty years ago when I first started operating machinery the guards were just the same, or in some cases slightly better, because some were made of metal and revolved with the shaft and had proper ball bearings in their collars.
A bloody plastic collar with a pathetic plastic grease nipple is frankly a joke in this day and age.
Plus the fact it’s nearly impossible to grease the UJs on some of them having to prisie plastic tabs without breaking them to dismantle the guard, so that you can grease the damned thing.
It’s a joke - and just another stick to beat the farmer with in my opinion.
Who the hell has the time to be fannying around greasing the guard every 5 hours?
If the HSE were serious about farm safety, they would have done something forcing firms to fit guards that were fit for purpose - and like Drillman says - standardising them.
Checking oil levels and greasing machine is part of driving tractor/machine. Never leave yard without doing it daily. My own machines or someone else's. It's a daily job that leads to less breakdowns. Been doing it since I was a kid, won't stop now. And when a job is done, everything is washed and greased and back undercover.
Are you seriously telling me you grease up 3* a day, or do you only go out for 5hrs at a time?
Once a day is fine, more frequently than that suggests a design needs improvement imo
Netherfield
Member
- Location
- West Yorkshire
Contractor here would grease round his forage harvester 2 or 3 times a day, not the PTO bits as such, but the rest of the machine.
He used to say his best friend was his grease gun.
He used to say his best friend was his grease gun.
Poor bugger needed to get out more!!
Everything greased once a day. Regardless of hrs. Only the hedgecutter head is greased twice a day.
Best up your schedule or you'll have guards flying to bits!
I'm staggered at how poor pto guards are tbh, particularly re facilitating maintenance and integrity of chain to guard attachment
Do you not use pto's much?Never had a PTO guard or PTO shaft to fail . Yet.
e5c0rt.mk1
Member
The contractors we hire muckspreaders from have come up with a easy way to grease the shaft and not having to replace the guard all the time. Simply don't fit one. As soon as the guard has self destructed they just get left without one, just a totally bare shaft spinning round and these are out nearly everyday on hire.
A pto shaft with broken guard is dangerous but really when a pto shaft is turning (guard or no guard) you shouldn't be anywhere near it. However they are no more dangerous than a lathe where you are constantly standing a foot away from something spinning ready to pull you in, and plenty of people on this forum love playing on a lathe.
A pto shaft with broken guard is dangerous but really when a pto shaft is turning (guard or no guard) you shouldn't be anywhere near it. However they are no more dangerous than a lathe where you are constantly standing a foot away from something spinning ready to pull you in, and plenty of people on this forum love playing on a lathe.
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Not many lathes with 200bhp behind them.
I’d strongly advise you find another contractor, or at least get your own shaft to fit when using their equipment as what you describe is not acceptable in a work situation.
e5c0rt.mk1
Member
When something spinning gets ahold of you and pulls you in, it doesn't matter if it has 5hp or 500hp the outcome is the same.
I've seen videos of the aftermath of both types and it certainly makes you think twice when you are anywhere near them. They should show what happens on health and safety courses and it might make people realise how dangerous they really are.
Seen videos on tiktok of lads standing on pto guards when the shaft is spinning. Just because it has a guard doesn't make it safe. Something spinning at 1000rpm if anything goes wrong a flimsy piece of plastic ain't going to save you if you're stood near it.
I can’t remember when I last looked at a dipstick! If machine leaks or is old I would but on new machines under warranty no way. Life’s to short.
What a terrible attitude!
Not at all man. Life’s to short for worrying about stuff like that. Bottom line is it can be replaced and as I keep new equipment and it’s dealer serviced I don’t worry.
No daily checks at all? Just ring the dealer when it grinds to a halt and demand they fix it? Do you not consider downtime a problem?
Expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for farmers published
Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer from July will give the sector a clear path forward and boost farm business resilience.
From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024
Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...
From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024
Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...