Brush hog drive shaft covers worthwhile?

I bought a brush hog for my Fergusion TO-20 about 25 years ago and used it every year to clear about five acres of grass for firebreaks around my 40 acres of land. It worked fine all that time. However, one year a retaining pin fell out (I should have inspected it every year), the drive shaft eventually worked its way off the splines, and the drive shaft ended up bouncing around wildly as the blades continued to spin. That bent the drive shaft and so it was time for a new drive shaft. A few hundred dollars later, I had my brand new drive shaft. It came equipped with a snazzy black plastic cover with two bright yellow skirts on either end to partially cover the joints.

I didn't see any point to those yellow skirts; I assumed that they serve to keep dirt and straw off the joints. But then they came loose and they do NOT want to be properly reconnected; the retaining snaps refuse to snap in.. So now I'm wondering if they're really any good. They make it harder to grease the drive shaft or the joints. I am sorely tempted to cut them off.

So, can anybody tell me what the function of those yellow skirts might be, and whether they're worth keeping in place?

(quoted from post at 11:38:48 06/28/23) I bought a brush hog for my Fergusion TO-20 about 25 years ago and used it every year to clear about five acres of grass for firebreaks around my 40 acres of land. It worked fine all that time. However, one year a retaining pin fell out (I should have inspected it every year), the drive shaft eventually worked its way off the splines, and the drive shaft ended up bouncing around wildly as the blades continued to spin. That bent the drive shaft and so it was time for a new drive shaft. A few hundred dollars later, I had my brand new drive shaft. It came equipped with a snazzy black plastic cover with two bright yellow skirts on either end to partially cover the joints.

I didn't see any point to those yellow skirts; I assumed that they serve to keep dirt and straw off the joints. But then they came loose and they do NOT want to be properly reconnected; the retaining snaps refuse to snap in.. So now I'm wondering if they're really any good. They make it harder to grease the drive shaft or the joints. I am sorely tempted to cut them off.

So, can anybody tell me what the function of those yellow skirts might be, and whether they're worth keeping in place?

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It should be obvious that that shielding including the belled ends are to cover exposed rotating parts to keep clothing or anything else that could get caught up in the spinning shaft away, preventing a human tragedy or mechanical damage.

While the belled ends don't 100% prevent such a thing, they are better than nothing!

This post was edited by wore out on 06/28/2023 at 12:09 pm.

(quoted from post at 14:38:48 06/28/23) I bought a brush hog for my Fergusion TO-20 about 25 years ago and used it every year to clear about five acres of grass for firebreaks around my 40 acres of land. It worked fine all that time. However, one year a retaining pin fell out (I should have inspected it every year), the drive shaft eventually worked its way off the splines, and the drive shaft ended up bouncing around wildly as the blades continued to spin. That bent the drive shaft and so it was time for a new drive shaft. A few hundred dollars later, I had my brand new drive shaft. It came equipped with a snazzy black plastic cover with two bright yellow skirts on either end to partially cover the joints.

I didn't see any point to those yellow skirts; I assumed that they serve to keep dirt and straw off the joints. But then they came loose and they do NOT want to be properly reconnected; the retaining snaps refuse to snap in.. So now I'm wondering if they're really any good. They make it harder to grease the drive shaft or the joints. I am sorely tempted to cut them off.

So, can anybody tell me what the function of those yellow skirts might be, and whether they're worth keeping in place?

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They are for safety. The skirts and black covers are primarily intended to keep things, like clothing, from getting caught by the u-joints and shaft. The skirts generally have short chains on them that secure to the tractor or implement to keep the skirts and cover from spinning with the shaft.

Weasler and Comer are two manufacturers of pto drivelines. You may be able to find instruction manual online or a video on YouTube on how to disassemble and reassemble them. They are expensive too and I will be having to replace the tractor end u-joint cover on my BushHog soon.$$$

Thanks for explaining that to me. So they're for safety. I suppose that such things are necessary in a world where some people stick their fingers underneath lawn mowers, sue, and win. But I've learned to be extremely careful around
machinery. I never wear loose clothing or get anywhere near that moving shaft while it's turning. I'm very careful and have never suffered any serious injury, even though I use a lot of small equipment, including a chain saw. I regularly
watch the YouTube videos of idiots with chain saws; they remind me how important it is to be extremely careful with these machines.

Anyone dumb enough to get off the tractor and get in front of the rotating blades and up against the PTO probably the shield won't save them.

The shields should spin freely around the shaft. They usually don't though.

PVC cement will likely work. Clean with laquer thinner, dry, then put cement on both mating surfaces. let setup for an hour. Jim

My new drive shaft came with a nice shinny plastic cover. It is still nice and shinny, setting some place in my shop. I would have to try real hard to get next to the spinning shaft om my flail mower. I can't get off my tractor from the rear, and would have to squeeze between the flail mower body, and rear tire, and climb over the lift arms. My rotary mower does have one. If I'm going to get hurt from a spinning shaft it will probably be from my lathe. Stan

I used to feel the same as some on here but now that I am older and don't move and react so quick, somethings scare the b-esus out of me that I never even thought about. You got it. Use it. Don't have it said "what if" when something happens. Lots of videos that show how to put one on.

Those shields when working properly sure keeps tall weeds, grass and vines from getting wrapped around the drive shaft

As said before, they are for safety and I would have to try really hard to contact myself with the pto shaft on my bush hog. Therefore I removed my shield in favor of easier greasing of the U-joints. However, on other equipment, if contact is easily accessible, I make sure the shields are in place.

(quoted from post at 15:18:09 06/28/23) ..... Thanks for explaining that to me. [b:94fc523d76]So they're for safety.[/b:94fc523d76] I suppose that such things are necessary in a world where some people stick their fingers underneath lawn mowers, sue, and win. But I've learned to be extremely careful around machinery.

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(quoted from post at 14:38:48 06/28/23) ..... one year a retaining pin fell out (I should have inspected it every year), the drive shaft eventually worked its way off the splines, and the drive shaft ended up bouncing around wildly as the blades continued to spin .....
and whether they're worth keeping in place?

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PLEASE BE SAFE. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR COMPROMISING SAFETY AROUND EQUIPMENT, ESPECIALLY ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT!

I once watched one of the most safety minded friends that I have, get knocked off his tractor while bush hogging. A tree branch no bigger than a 1/2 inch got under his little finger on the steering wheel, breaking his finger and sending him tumbling right over the back of his tractor, onto his running bush hog. Amazingly he rolled off the back of the bush hog without any other major injury. The tractor kept going for over a hundred yards where it eventually tried to climb a tree. Yes, with the tractor and bush hog still running and bouncing up the tree, I had to shut it down.

Absolutely amazing that no one was killed that day, as I think about how many more things could have gone wrong. We were both lucky.
You stated yourself that you allowed a pin to come loose and the PTO shaft became disconnected while running !

I never wear loose clothing or get anywhere near that moving shaft while it's turning

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Yea, my friend didn't intend to either


ACCIDENTS HAPPEN
THEY'RE CALLED ACCIDENTS FOR A REASON. ALMOST NOBODY PURPOSEFULLY CREATES AN ACCIDENT!

Play Safe.

[i:94fc523d76][b:94fc523d76][u:94fc523d76]Accidents caused by PTO shafts are often very serious or fatal indeed, but some can be preventable.[/u:94fc523d76][/b:94fc523d76][/i:94fc523d76]

The one on mine didnt make it 12 acres before it just fell apart. The remanants are still on there, but I dont take the hog off. Not sure what happeneded, maybe it shifted or something, I dont know, but I started getting hit with little back and yellow pieces of plastic one day. Stopped, saw the cover all mangled, cut off what I could and went back to work.

I have always been extremely safety-conscious, which is one reason why, despite using dangerous equipment for many years, I have never suffered any significant injury. I was surprised to learn that these covers are intended to improve safety and do not believe that they actually provide much additional protection. Physically, the only possible value they have is in preventing stringy things from getting caught in the U-joints. I don't wear long flapping scarves while using my tractor, nor do I have extremely long bootlaces that I leave untied. I cannot see any safety benefit from these devices. Indeed, by covering the retaining pin in the shaft, they render MORE likely the one (non-injury) accident that I did have with the brush hog. I frequently cast a quick glance back at the brush hog while operating it, just to make sure that everything back there is OK, and those yellow skirts partially conceal its operation.



Yes, weird accidents do take place; I've got a near-unbelievable tale of cutting down an oak tree that fell in an unintended direction (a possibility I was prepared for), and then bouncing off a nearby tree right back at
me. As per my standard safety practices, at the first sign of trouble I had fled down a pre-determined route, throwing the chain saw in the opposite direction. The bouncing-back oak tree hit the chain saw and
bounced it directly back at me -- the odds of that were a zillion to one. Here, I had a smidge of good luck to counter all the weird bad luck -- the chain saw flew past my knee, and while it ripped up my jeans and tore
off some skin, there was no serious damage and I didn't see any need to get medical attention. A couple of band-aids were sufficient and there's no scar.

So... if you had left your pto guard on, this would not have happened. Sorry could not resist.
Glad your came out ok.

WHEN they dont interfere with use and greasing, they are great. BUT most of the time you can not get to the grease fittings....so sadly they end up being disengaged and never re-engaged,, so they happily flop around on the shaft. Then later when the slip joints start to bind and you need to grease the two half shafts, you have to pull off the front cover and throw it in the pile with the rest of the covers. Then grease the slide joints and go back to work.

Yep, that's pretty much what I'm doing. I've pulled off the drive shaft and will get to work on it tomorrow. I'll end up with a clean, readily inspectable and serviceable drive shaft.