PTO shaft safety project

Agri Spec Solicitor

Member
Livestock Farmer
I agree standard PTO shafts are delicate items which have a very limited lifespan.
I think the biggest problem arises out of the distance between the output on the tractor and the input on the machine, and the changes when a trailed machine turns or lifts on the hitch.
The telescoping tubes have only a limited range.
There can be massive differences between tractor A and tractor B.
The pto shaft can too easily be compressed so that it damages something or extended too long so that it is unsafe.
I think the basic geometry should be standardised to some extent.
It is not going to be an instant solution though we have to start somewhere.
 

Netherfield

Member
Location
West Yorkshire
We tried one of those, had it on a Taarup 307 mower.

In some ways it was very good, made it quite easy to get to grease the shaft.

Bad points,
It meant removing the guard over the tractor pto to fit the new mounting.

Not easy to swap tractors on the mower.

Not easy to use the tractor on another job between mowing duties.

Awkward to store when not in use.

And quite expensive to buy.
 

Sharpy

Member
Livestock Farmer
I think it was Bare-co who had a go at making a pto shaft cover that would slide back so your could grease them in place. The trouble was that a guard for an existing shaft was similar to a complete new shaft and guard.

Make the guards much cheaper and readily available, whilst not being made of chocolate and farmers might be a lot more inclined to fit fresh guards to good shafts with damaged guards. I highly doubt that will ever happen though.
Bareco guard is around £80, you don't get a heavy duty shaft for that do you?
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Lack of lubrication, or fouling by link arms
The stupid design of link arms that just flop about from side to side is the cause of damage to a lot of PTO guards and shafts, I have put springs on all my tractors link arms to pull them outwards away from the shaft, cheap to do and also stops the damed annoying noise as they swing from side to side
 

335d

Member
It's definitely an option to explore if it isn't too expensive to implement - buying new machinery vs. buying a safer PTO/ guard
Not sure if you’ve seen this


Some people don’t spec it on new tankers as they are unsure that their tractor will be able to supply enough oil for the pump and the macerator on a dribble bar.
Could be something you can investigate?
I think farmer Phil maybe had a video where he used a tanker with both and said it was no problem. I think the manufacturers are probably being cautious when selling them, as there are probably no figures readily available.
 

puppet

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
sw scotland
The stupid design of link arms that just flop about from side to side is the cause of damage to a lot of PTO guards and shafts, I have put springs on all my tractors link arms to pull them outwards away from the shaft, cheap to do and also stops the damed annoying noise as they swing from side to side
If people didn't catch them with tyres and arms they last for years. Screw the arms right up and adjust the stabilizers and hard to damage anything. The shaft has to be cut to suit your tractor as needed too.
Access to greasing is an issue but pulling a shaft apart and pouring some waste oil on it helps.
Of course I usually forget to do it often enough too :banghead:
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
The tractor/machinery manufacturers should have their heads knocked together and agree on a standard PTO guard design, supply only those with their machinery, and make the parts to fix them universally available. There's far too many designs, you end up with a a box of bits from about half a dozen different types of PTO guard, you need a PhD to know which type is which, and where you can find parts.

The Bare-co design is pretty good, simple, and allows easy access to grease the UJ, it would be helpful if they sold the components so you could repair what you have rather than have to throw away a 75% good guard because its cheaper and easier to buy a new one.
 

Turnip

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Aberdeenshire
Best thing to do is eliminate the risk, not faf about with it trying to mitigate the risk. Nice suggestions by @335d with regards to Safe Shaft, hadn’t seen that before. Electric motors like @Drillman mentions is a good plan as well.

The one variant I would propose is having a hydraulic pump attached to the PTO shaft on the tractor and a hydraulic motor on the implement connected to the implement. Electrics are a hazard on their own but then again so are hydraulics. Just need to balance if the risk is lower than a spinning shaft.
 

cousinjack

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Cornwall
Those are ok, but a pain if swapping to tractors without the weld on brackets that are required (ie, if you borrow a tractor )

They may have improved the system by now, but the extra section to cover a big wide-angle pto was rubbish ! Kept having to tie it up with rope or it would rub through on the spinning shaft inside !!
 

cousinjack

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Cornwall
Best thing to do is eliminate the risk, not faf about with it trying to mitigate the risk. Nice suggestions by @335d with regards to Safe Shaft, hadn’t seen that before. Electric motors like @Drillman mentions is a good plan as well.

The one variant I would propose is having a hydraulic pump attached to the PTO shaft on the tractor and a hydraulic motor on the implement connected to the implement. Electrics are a hazard on their own but then again so are hydraulics. Just need to balance if the risk is lower than a spinning shaft.
Can’t see the electric motor option being much safer….. just a new way to kill people !
What happens if you catch the connecting wires with the arms ??
Farmers are notorious for bridging trip switches if they keep tripping out ! 🥴
 

stevedave

Member
One of the problems we find is that when they are greased, grease ends up on the tube goes hard and then doesn't slide and then pulls the shaft apart.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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