The First Step Toward Equipment Safety (Installing PTO Shields)

[@kvpce6313]

No other video on this issue that I was able to find but yours, so Thank you!! this is exactly what I needed to repair my PTO

[@diamondharp]

Thank you for this video! I have damaged my shield by getting it into the rotary cutter deck. I went to my dealer to see what his suggestion was. His answer was to just do away with the shield, witch I am not comfortable with, or he could sell me a whole new shaft. I like your solution the most. I’m going to order the replacement shield kit right now.

[@Doc832]

Thanks Mike, My GF had a Eurocardan safety shield on her PTO, They asked for the Series of PTO, which my measurments is a series 3-4. The old shield did not want to come apart any way shape or form. I had to cut it out noting that the internal damage done to the bearing and cover it never would have come apart. Just looked at Shields at Tractor supply and they started at $104. Ordered a Bare Co guard and hope it goes on like you showed. Always appreciate the videos and trial by error. I needed to by an extened guard for the Gear box side since the previous one is 8" long. Bare co is simple for sure. Thanks again.

[@georgewilliams2718]

I had an old shaft shield with no flared end Guard to cover the spinning yoke part... I cut our the bottom out of a Folgers Coffee plastic can, cut the whole can up the side so it would open and close around the yoke, then drilled a hole in the original shield part and one in the plastic coffee can and cabe tied them together... works like a charm. The shaft and yoke spin inside the coffee can totally protected. You may try this on one of your videos.

[@dtman66]

Love the videos Mike. Always helpful to a new tractor owner like myself. Thoughtful advice. I especially like your video on loading and tieing down tractors to the trailer. Good stuff!

[@jasonsmith8388]

I have this exact setup. Do you have a video that shows the removal of the PTO from the tractor and bush hog? My dad recently passed and I am trying to catch up on tractor maintenance and bush hogging?

[@norakroese4633]

Mike you are so incredible....you actually take us through all the steps, sure wish I had been able to watch your videos much earlier but appreciate you now.

[@bpccDCin2020]

Great info. One safety point on attaching the safety chain to the equipment and tractor: use the clip to shorten the safety chain so its full length doesn't dangle between the equipment (or tractor) frame and the PTO shield.

[@travisricks3436]

I bought a new finishing mower about a month ago. I’ve cut with it 4 times, including this morning. I thought about your videos and checked the PTO driveline. The shaft was on backwards the whole time. I didn’t know the guard shows which end belongs on the tractor’s PTO shaft until I watched your videos. The driveline on my finishing mower has NO shear pin or slip clutch. It’s a push pin with spring on each end of the yokes and that’s it. I guess the belt will slip for PTO protection. What are your thoughts, Mike?

[@TractorMike]

Almost all finish mowers use the belt for shock protection. They won't have either a slip clutch or shear bolt. If you're only mowing grass they shouldn't need either :).

[@travisricks3436]

@@TractorMike thanks. That’s exactly what I was thinking.

[@TexasHarleyBoy65]

I'm mowing for a ranch with the Mahindra and 15' Titan batwing, and those OEM shield release buttons on the driveshaft shields SUCK!!! It's nearly impossible to get them off, without breaking one of the little push-in release tabs. It looks like this shield retention system would be much better.

[@edspencer7121]

Mike, I'm replacing a pto shaft on my snowblower. 7 foot New Idea model 571. The gear box input is straight shaft, 3/8" square key, 5/16" through bolt. The pto shaft has the shear pin on the shaft tractor side. Shield is missing and the shear joint is sloppy worn. I'm replacing it with a new shaft with series 6 Yokes. Being the original shear pin location was towards the tractor I'm replacing the tractor side yoke with a shear style yoke like on the shaft in your video. Do you see any discrepancy in putting the shear on the tractor side?

[@tomkearns6830]

Where did you find the sleeve? It seems to be so much simpler than ones sold in local stores. I live in WA and no one has heard of them. Only online store I found was the manufacturer in Australia

[@TractorMike]

Tom, the local dealer had it. If you'll shoot me an e-mail at [e-mail], I'll try to get you the brand name.

[@victorcastle1840]

Thanks Mike this video, I just bought a new 60" Woods boss rotary cutter, that was suppose to be ready for my Cat. 1 Woods Quick hitch :-) of coarse it wasn't and had to get the bushings and grind down to length for lower lift arms. I saw that plastic looking zert by the cutter end and wondered what it was for . So when I put grease through that zert, what am I greasing ?

[@TractorMike]

There's a little plastic sleeve in there that functions as a bearing to allow the outside to stay in a fixed position while everything inside is rotating. That's where the grease is going. Most people miss that, or don't believe there could be a plastic grease fitting and end up failing the shield.

[@daveknowshow]

where did you get your safety cover?

[@TractorMike]

At S & H Farm Supply, the old dealership I used to work at. Just about any decent-sized farm supply store or dealership will have those. . It's a whole bunch easier to get the right one if you take the old PTO shaft with you when you get it.

[@daveknowshow]

@@TractorMike thanks Mike!

[@me1assassin]

I know its been awhile, but please could you add, what used cutter? How long is your PTO? What and where did you get for the replacement? What local store? Lets say I want one, just how do I get it?

[@davidharris3823]

My pto shields are nothing like that (belly pto that powers a front end implement) there are two shafts, a very long one that's run to the quick hitch and a short one that runs from the quick hitch to the implement . I cant figure for love nor money how to take the shields off so I can hook my bucket up. I'm just about ready to cut the plastic shields off. Dave

[@myzlyn56]

Thank you Mike. Now I have a question. How do I know what size shield to buy? I recently got a used Beaumont 5 ft rough cut hog but it is missing that shield. After seeing how easy it is to replace it I think 60 bucks is cheap insurance.

[@TractorMike]

myzlyn56 My best advice is to take the whole shaft off and take it to your local dealer and let him figure that out. I think the one I got would probably fit your PTO because it's supposedly a universal fit. But literally there are hundreds of different PTO designs so I'd be hesitant about trusting that a universal fit would go on. But it's a short job to pull that shaft off and besides, there's something kinda fun about dropping an old greasy PTO shaft on the clean parts counter at the dealership :). When I took my PTO in to the old dealership where I used to work they were nice enough to put the shield on for me. I was too embarrassed to tell them I'd have to take it back off to shoot the video. It took me longer to get it off than it did for them to install it.

[@TractorMike]

myzlyn56 Also, I really appreciate you sharing the link to that video. Guys tend to take safety shortcuts and you can get in trouble in a split second. Hopefully that helps to save someone from going through what that man went through. How awful.

[@randybright6146]

Hi Mike, Thanks for all this great information! I have a question about safety chains on a PTO shaft shield. Almost everything I see shows chains attached to the guards at both the tractor and implement ends, but my new Kubota L3301 and LandPride mower deck didn't come with chains. Have the safety standards changed? Which is safer - a freely rotating shaft cover or one that's retained by a chain at each end? Normally I would call the dealer, but it's Friday night and I have nothing better to do than to watch tractor videos on KZbin! Cheers!

[@dynamicresistance]

Howdy Mike, new subscriber so you may have answered this in another vid that i haven't found yet. but can i just ask, what is the use-case for the notch in the top of a master shield pto cover? we got 2 tractors with this notch but i haven't found a vid yet explaining what in the world its for. it almost seems to be a chain catch, but none of our shafts have chains much like yours here in this vid. Thanks!

[@TractorMike]

I think you're referring to the little hoop on the cover...that is to hook a chain to, the other end goes to a stationery point on the tractor to keep the PTO shield from spinning.

[@roadwarrior8560]

Brilliant, thanks.

[@NichollsSense]

Growing up, I watched a lot of tractor work. Never once did I see anyone ever use one of these covers. I guess times have changed. Or, everyone I knew just had old equipment with no concern for the safety aspect.

[@TractorMike]

Nicholls & Sense Yeah, I came from the same background. You just knew to stay away from dangers like that on the farm. I sometimes wonder if the covers really are safer because they hide what's going on inside and might give someone a false sense of security and allow them get up close to the cutter with the PTO going, which is definitely a bad idea. But, without getting into a debate about OSHA requirements, I like those shields because they keep tall grass from wrapping around the PTO shaft and that's important as well.

[@jmstrsn5148]

no dogs?

[@chevyon37s]

Those shields are dirt cheap! Ever look up what one costs for a Deere HX rotary cutter? Nearly $1000 just for the shield that goes on the shaft between tractor and main gear box! We just said screw it and bought a whole new rotary cutter! The come with all new shields and a fresh set of blades! 😂

[@Drew6709]

New shields for my 20 year old Woods rotary mower costs upwards $130.

[@TractorMike]

Yeah, they're insanely expensive and they shouldn't be. It's just some plastic.

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

Yeah, they ought to be as cheap as the OE manufacturer can possibly make them, but it you want to see insanely expensive, go to the emergency room with your arm ripped off at the shoulder.

[@mr.redneck2715]

Every pto shaft is different!!! Pain in the a$$!!!

[@tomkearns6830]

Mike sent you a PM Thanks for responding

[@user-rs1990]

I suggest you use rubber gloves so that you don't get your hands covered in grease!

[@TractorMike]

I agree, its hard to change old habits. I watch "Wheeler Dealers" on TV and the guy doing the mechanical work always has those gloves on. Good suggestion.

[@Xtinnoker]

thanks milke

[@TractorMike]

Xtinnoker Thanks for watching!

[@ThePlowGuys]

Uhmm 60$ for a new PTO drive shield or my life? Just a sec. and let me get my wallet. Mike Thanks for the great safety videos. They really help noobs like myself out.' So if the little chain break there is a problem.....Thanks Mike!

[@TractorMike]

The Plow Guys $60 isn't that much but it's still a big piece of plastic! I'd bet at least half of the $60 goes to product liability insurance. They probably don't make that much on safety components if the truth were known.

[@ThePlowGuys]

I like the fact that you address the safety of the equipment. It is a VERY important for everyone to be aware of the hazards that hide out there when it comes to these things.

[@ThePlowGuys]

***** Just wanted to say I have added your channel to my channel's "featured channels" in a hopes to draw more people to your channel. I really think you have something here. Thanks for the trouble and effort in making these videos.

[@TractorMike]

WOW, THANKS!!! I do it because I love passing the knowledge I've accumulated on and trying to keep people safe, but web traffic pays the bills. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT!!!

[@tumblevidz]

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