13/02/2018 Power Take Off School

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Power Take Off School

The biggest advantage that a tractor has over a team of horses, (or mules, or oxen, or whatever you
great-grandpa used) is it's ability to transmit power to an implement. This is accomplished by way of
the Power Take-Off shaft, or PTO. There are different types of PTO systems in use today, and it is
important that you select the correct type to accomplish the tasks you need to do, in the most efficient,
safe manner. Keep in mind that there is no perfect PTO system. Each has its advantages and
disadvantages. We will now look at each type, from the simplest to the most complex discussing the
virtues (and drawbacks) of each.

"Transmission Driven" PTO. This is the simplest form of PTO design, in that it is driven (as the
name implies) directly off a gear in the transmission. It is generally found in smaller, "straight-shift"
tractors, which use a single clutch disc to transmit engine power to the drive train. The PTO is either
fully OFF, or fully ON, as determined by the position of the PTO control lever. In order to select the ON
position, it is necessary to completely depress the clutch pedal, bringing all rotation of the
transmission to a stop, before engaging the ON position. Re-engaging the clutch couples the engine
back to the transmission, causing the PTO shaft to rotate, and also causing the tractor to move; if you
have selected a "gear" other than neutral. This "everything-happens-all-at-once" type of PTO can be a
nuisance, especially if you are working in close quarters with a rear mower or tiller. In the early days,
this type PTO was the only game in town. As implements evolved, there arose a problem, in that the
rotating mass of certain implements, such as rotary cutters, with their heavy blades and blade carriers,
had a tendency to push the tractor, even though the clutch was released. This was due to the
momentum that had built up in the blades/blade carrier assembly. That momentum simply transferred
its energy, via the PTO shaft, into the transmission, and back out of the transmission to the drive
wheels of the tractor. That made for some exciting rides! (Many times through a fence, or over an
embankment.) On older vintage tractors, this is a dangerous set-up. There is, however, a safety
device, which is built-in on newer tractors, and available as an accessory for older tractors. This is
known as the over-running clutch, or one-way clutch. Imagine that your PTO shaft is actually
composed of a front, engine side (input) shaft, and a rear, implement side (output) shaft. The output
shaft can only transmit power as long as the input shaft is driving it. As soon as you cease to impart a
driving force to the output shaft, i.e. release the tractor's clutch, the output shaft is allowed to freely
over-run the input shaft, thanks to the one-way clutch. In other words, this one-way transmission of
PTO power makes it impossible for the implement to push the tractor. The engine/transmission can
rotate the implement, but not vice-versa. If you want to know whether your tractor has this feature,
place the PTO control lever in the ON position, stop the engine (put the key in your pocket) and with
your hand, reach down and try to turn the PTO shaft in a clockwise direction. If you have a "one-way"
clutch, you will be able to rotate the shaft, encountering only a slight resistance from the one-way
clutch. Conversely, you should not be able to turn the shaft counter-clockwise (without also turning the
engine).

Advantages of this type of PTO are simple design, low initial cost and less expense to maintain.
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Disadvantages are the inability to fully control tractor direction and speed without disrupting implement
power. In the case of a "straight shift" tractor with a mid mount mower deck that is driven by a "mid"
PTO, you would be well advised to investigate thoroughly, the operational characteristics. You DO
NOT want the mower to stop every time you change directions!

"Live" PTO. While still maintaining a relatively simple design, the usability of Live PTO is far ahead of
the transmission driven variety. Nowadays, Live PTO refers more to operational characteristics than it
does a configuration of specific parts. There was a time, not so long ago, that if you had a live PTO
tractor, it meant that you had a dual clutch system. Dual clutch simply means that there are two clutch
discs involved; one to engage/disengage the tractor's transmission, and one to engage/disengage the
PTO. Depressing the clutch pedal approximately half way down would disengage the transmission
clutch, while depressing it all the way down would also disengage the PTO clutch. This allows you to
control the direction and speed of the tractor, without disturbing power to the implement. There is also
the ability to feather the engagement of the PTO shaft, allowing a smooth start up of the implement
before pulling out with the transmission. It only takes a few minutes in a tight field, with a mower
mounted, to convince yourself that this is a much better set-up than the transmission driven PTO. This
dual clutch arrangement is the most common, and best known style of live PTO. The advent of the
hydrostatic transmission in recent years has given us another style of live PTO. While the parts list
would more resemble that of transmission driven PTO, the functionality is the same as that of a dual
clutch live PTO, in that tractor speed and direction can be variable, while PTO output remains
constant.

Advantages are; relatively simple design, operator friendly in function, and safety. Safe, because, with
the tractor movement and implement power dependent upon the position of the clutch pedal, you have
a built-in panic button (the clutch pedal) that you can instantly depress to bring everything to a halt
should things go awry.

Disadvantages are; more expensive to repair, extra routine adjustments (on dual clutches) to maintain
proper operation, and a little more leg muscle is required to depress the clutch through both stages of
the clutch.

"Independent" PTO. Available in two flavors; mechanical independent, and hydraulic independent.

Mechanical independent is essentially identical to a dual clutch live PTO, except that there is a
separate hand lever to control the engage/release of the PTO clutch disc. Really, there are two
controls for the PTO. In addition to the hand clutch lever, there is another lever that actually
couples/uncouples the PTO shaft in the drive train. To start the PTO turning requires that you first
move the hand clutch lever to disengage the PTO clutch. Then, you select the ON position with the
PTO control lever. Next, using the hand clutch lever, you re-engage the PTO clutch, which causes the
PTO shaft to begin rotating. One nice advantage of this system is that you can slowly, in a controlled
manner, engage the PTO clutch, while the tractor is on the go. Disadvantages include having to fiddle
with two control levers. Also there looms the potential for severe engine damage should you use this
system incorrectly. Incorrectly means running around all day with the PTO hand clutch lever in the
disengaged position, in order to stop rotation of the PTO shaft. Doing that puts a constant thrust load
on the engine crankshaft, leading to accelerated wear of the crankshaft's thrust washers. The eventual
result of this abuse is a ruined, non-rebuildable cylinder block. If you acquire a tractor with this type of
independent PTO, please be sure that you are familiar with the correct operating procedures.

Hydraulic independent PTO is the most expensive, complex, and, in mostcases, user friendly type
available. Expensive and complex because operation depends upon various pumps, valves, filters,
etc., all functioning correctly to drive the PTO shaft. User friendly, because one need only move a
single lever, or push a button, to start/stop the PTO shaft. You are able to select ON and OFF,
independently of tractor travel and speed. The heart of hydraulic independent PTO is the clutch pack.
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The clutch pack generally consist of several drive discs, and several driven discs. The drive discs
stack is coupled to the engine side, so that any time the engine is running, these discs are rotating.
The driven discs are coupled to the PTO shaft and will rotate only when the PTO is selected to the ON
position. Rotation of the driven discs is achieved by directing pressurized oil behind a piston in the
clutch pack, causing the piston to move into a position which squeezes all of the discs together,
making them behave as a single unit. The drive discs were already turning, now the driven discs are
turning as well, imparting rotation to the PTO shaft. Some form of PTO brake is incorporated into most
hydraulic independent PTO systems. The function of the brake is to overcome the tendency of the
PTO shaft to continue rotating, even when it is in the OFF position. This undesirable rotation is caused
by oil drag between the drive and driven discs in the clutch pack. Without a brake, light load
implements, such as hay rakes, might continue to slowly rotate, even with the PTO OFF. At best, this
is a nuisance; at worst it could present a dangerous situation. PTO brakes are getting more reliable,
however they are still subject to accelerated wear and damage, if continually called upon to stop
heavy implements. A good example is the heavy duty rotary cutters that are popular today. There is a
lot of potential energy built up in those heavy blades and stump jumpers when they are rotating at
operating speed. When you select the PTO to the OFF position, your are disengaging the clutch pack,
and redirecting the pressurized oil to the PTO brake system. Imagine trying to bring your truck to a
stop from 50 MPH, using only half of the brake pads on one wheel, and you'll get the general idea.
Some of these systems have an intermediate coast position between ON and OFF, which allows
natural deceleration of the implement, saving wear and tear on the brake components. In the absence
of that, you may wish to consider using an over-running coupler on the tractor PTO shaft, in order to
avoid costly damage when using heavy implements.

Advantages are; ease of operation and maximum flexibility in determining when you want the PTO to
be ON and OFF.

Disadvantages are; higher acquisition cost, more complex and difficult to troubleshoot/repair, higher
maintenance expense and not quite as safe as live PTO. (If you needed to stop the PTO in a panic
situation, can you find that little lever or button as quickly as you can stomp the clutch pedal all the
way down?)

Most tractors of less than 60 horsepower are designed to rotate the PTO shaft at an output speed of
540 revolutions per minute (RPM). While we're not sure how that speed was originally arrived at, it
has become an industry standard, and has seemed to work out quite well. The diameter and spline
configuration of the shaft have been standardized as well at 1-3/8" diameter and six splines. On larger
horsepower tractors, you will probably find that the PTO shaft is rotated at 1000-RPM. The shaft
diameter is the same, however, the number of splines is increased to twenty-one. This difference in
spline count serves to prevent accidental coupling of 540-RPM implements to a 1000-RPM drive
system. Why rotate the PTO shaft faster on big tractors? Without getting too technical, it's a function of
speed vs. torque. For a given shaft diameter, the faster it is rotated, the greater the torque it is able to
transmit, before failing. The maximum torque transmission capability of a 1-3/8 diameter shaft occurs
somewhere around 76 horsepower. (Consult your local mechanical engineer for a more detailed
explanation!)

We hope this explanation of the various types of PTO has been helpful. It is our desire that these
points will help you make a more informed decision whether you are looking for your first tractor, or
your tenth. Power take off is such an important part of today's modern tractor, that it deserves every bit
as much attention as horsepower, transmission type, or any of the other aspect of the particular tractor
you may be considering.

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