[limey]

:shrug: I am tractor deficient and keep seeing references to a tractor's PTO to power things. I have no clue what this means. In my lexicon PTO means "Please turn over" - obviously not applicable to tractors :nono: Please enlighten me.

Limey

 

[tinknal]

Power Take Off. It's the splined shaft that runs out of the back of most tractors.

 

[bgraham]

PTO stands for Power Take Off. It is a shaft that transfers power from the tractor to the implement (bush hog, tiller, etc.) It makes them turn.

Beth

 

[Snakeoil]

Correct Tinknal, it's "Power take off".

 

[EDDIE BUCK]

POWER TAKE-OFF . It runs all pto equipment.

 

[Ole Man Legrand]

PTO runs practiallly every think Baler,Hayrake, Haybine.Tiller.Bush hog Mower and I am sure I missed something.Fertilizer spreader, post hole diger, and seed sower.My Manure spreader is ground driven.

 

[big rockpile]

Yes and make sure it is shut off when doing any maintenance anywhere around the shaft.It will take your arm off so fast.

big rockpile

 

[limey]

I am now enlightened (at least as far as PTO is concerned!).

Limey

 

[Jim-mi]

Another variation of PTO is;

When the light turns green and the jokers mash the throttle
---in a blaze of smoke and screaching tires----another street cowboy blazzes away. . . . . . .

LOL

another attachment for the pto is a buzz saw.

 

[tallpines]

Yes---it can be a dangerous thing.

About 15 years ago, a farmer near here got tangled in his power take off.
Ripped all of his clothes off and took the "family jewels" too.

He finished spreading his load of manure, put the tractor away, and went inside to take a shower.

Got mad at his wife for calling the ambulance!

 

[rambler]

Tractors to 65 hp or so have a standard 540 rpm pto, with 6 splines. However real old tractors might have a smaller diameter shaft than the 'norm' of today. Adaptors can be bought.

Tractors bigger than 65 hp or so probably have 2 options - 540 pto or 1000 rpm pto. These have 21 splines on a slightly bigger shaft.

Over 150 hp or so, the tracotr probably just has the 1000 pto shaft.

The reson for this is the 540 shaft isn't big enough to handle too much hp, so they went to a faster spinning shaft to transmit more power.

Typically everything you will be looking at will be 540 rpm 6-splined shaft.

To confuse issues, some small compact tractors come with multiple speed 6 spline pto shafts, 540/750/1000. Unless you know what you are doing, use the 540 option only on these.

--->Paul

 

[rambler]

Got mad at his wife for calling the ambulance!

Yikes. Thought I was tough for finishing up feeding the cattle before taking my shoe off when I stepped in a long rusty nail.....

--->Paul

 

[gilberte]

Yes---it can be a dangerous thing.

About 15 years ago, a farmer near here got tangled in his power take off.
Ripped all of his clothes off and took the "family jewels" too.

He finished spreading his load of manure, put the tractor away, and went inside to take a shower.

Got mad at his wife for calling the ambulance!

Now that is one tough son of a gun! They just don't make many like that anymore, farmers that is.

 

[Windy in Kansas]

To expand a tad more on what Rambler said---

With the larger and newer tractors many have both the 540 and the 1000 rpm shafts. To change from one to the other you remove a snap ring holding the shaft in place, withdraw it from the tractor, turn it end for end, insert back into the tractor and replace the snap ring. One end is 540 and the other 1000.

PTO also means Parent Teacher Organization and a bunch of other things, but not when referring to a tractor.

 

[farmergirl]

Now that is one tough son of a gun! They just don't make many like that anymore, farmers that is.

Heck, that poor guy definitely won't be making anymore!

 

[travlnusa]

If you are looking at older tractors, you want to look for a "live" PTO.

On older tractors (1960 and older for debate), you would push the clutch in to change gears to stop the tractor, and you would also remove power from the PTO. For example, you are pulling a baler. You get into some heavy hay and need to stop the tractor to let the baler catch up. If you do not have a "Live" PTO, the tractor will stop along with the PTO.

I can not think of any modern tractor without a live PTO. During the time before they figured out the LIVE part, many tractors added a hand clutch in addition to the foot clutch. In this set up (which my tractor has) I would use the hand truck to stop power going to the wheels, while the PTO will keep spinning.

As others have said, there is NOTHING (debatable) more dangerous on any farm than a PTO.

As others have said, there is NOTHING (debatable) more useful on any farm than a PTO.

 

[65284]

Another variation of PTO is;

When the light turns green and the jokers mash the throttle
---in a blaze of smoke and screaching tires----another street cowboy blazzes away. . . . . . .

LOL

another attachment for the pto is a buzz saw.

Nah...that's a GTO your thinking about.

 

[EDDIE BUCK]

Yes---it can be a dangerous thing.

About 15 years ago, a farmer near here got tangled in his power take off.
Ripped all of his clothes off and took the "family jewels" too.

He finished spreading his load of manure, put the tractor away, and went inside to take a shower.

Got mad at his wife for calling the ambulance!

If those were my" family jewels"she would not have had to call the ambulance, I would have got them there by "HOLLERING" :Bawling: :stars:

 

[Jim S.]

We got 18 replies to "what is PTO"???

I thought everyone knew that's what ya say when a bug flies in your mouth when yer bush-hoggin!

 

[Farmerwilly2]

Power Take Off - thats what I call the sound Cabin Fever makes when he stands up from his easy chair after he's had too many beans...its either his PTO or he's "back firiin'". hee hee

No darlin, you're confusing power take off with pooter take off.