I've got a "new to me" HX10 that turned freely until I got it connected to my 3 point - now it doesn't want to budge. I suspect it needed a good greasing and sitting with all the rain hasn't helped methinks

Any suggestions? I've tried a come-along to no avail but didn't have any grease or lubricant with me last outing.

TIA

For clarity, it "turned freely" meaning the PTO shaft rotated the blades, prior to tractor hookup?

If you are saying it will not slide in or out and it is one of the triangular tubes you might have a twist in the tubes. If this is the case you need to replace the tubes. Many are easy to change. A hand drill and a couple of roll pins.

Could be a grease zerk on the pto shaft of the mower that needs to be greased. Some have holes that line up to get grease inside. Try standing the shaft up and pouring in oil or penetrating oil. May need to let it soak overnight. If all else fails put a pry bar thru the u joint and beat with hammer. Needs more grease.

Obvious answer is a hammer. If that does not work a bigger hammer.

Thaw it out.

PTO driveshafts being stuck, especially the triangular types, are a bi*ch to slide in/out if the grease is dried/dirty, and a pain. But the OP commented "turned freely"....

The splined units often have a Zerk, but the other types seldom do.

Thank y'all - to be more precise, I had the shredder tested before I bought it, and everything worked fine before I brought it home.

It's a lift-type, and I needed a new pin for the top link so I test fitted the upper and lower links, and while doing so the driveline shaft extended with no problem. It's been too wet to mow, so it sat for a month. Went to mow this weekend and shaft wouldn't extend. The cover rotates so I should be able to access the zerk fittings.

I'll try some penetrating oil and grease.

Side note - shaft cover is pretty brittle; anyone have a good recommendation for a replacement? JD quoted over $400 and looks like Weasler is about $150

Take off the shredder, put a tow strap on the yoke, gently pull it with the tractor or something heavy. You can soak some kroil or on blaster if you want but I've never had much luck with either on frozen telescoping pro shafts. I'd EASE forward, you don't want to yank your shaft unless you have to.

You don't have a lot of option here and tractor supply sells new shafts.

The other option is to try to soak it as much as possible, apply some heat and try to push the shaft back in a little. Once you free it, it should give.

Now that I think of it, you may want to try all of this by hand first. It will eventually give. Once you get it out, clean it and grease the piss out of it. For the shield, I'd probably do away with it if I couldn't find it easily. Just go watch some Chinese videos of what happens when a loose shirt gets caught in a pto shaft and you'll be a lot more aware from here on out.

texrover91 said:

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Thank y'all - to be more precise, I had the shredder tested before I bought it, and everything worked fine before I brought it home.

It's a lift-type, and I needed a new pin for the top link so I test fitted the upper and lower links, and while doing so the driveline shaft extended with no problem. It's been too wet to mow, so it sat for a month. Went to mow this weekend and shaft wouldn't extend. The cover rotates so I should be able to access the zerk fittings.

I'll try some penetrating oil and grease.

Side note - shaft cover is pretty brittle; anyone have a good recommendation for a replacement? JD quoted over $400 and looks like Weasler is about $150

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Depending on your risk tolerance, I consider the various shaft covers a PIA, and a detriment to easy maintenance. When they break (sometimes with a little help..) on my equipment, they don't get replaced.

I remove shaft covers if they start falling apart.

My experience is you want to store it so minimal rainwater runs down into the telescoping shaft.

I have unstuck a few. Once I used tow straps and strapped one end to a tree and pulled the other with a truck.

Once that wasn't working so I hung it with the outer sleeve opening up from a tree, and used about half a can of PB blaster slowly fed in a spray at a time until it ran down inside.

Then I let it sit like that for about 2-3 hours. After that, a couple of knocks with a mallet and it started slipping apart and I could extend it the rest of the way by hand.

um....don't go watch some Chinese videos of what happens when a loose shirt gets caught in a pto shaft


MIS


TAKE....

Marinate it in Corrosion X.....it will break free.

Tannerite or try hitting it with your purse.

Looks like I'm scrapping the cover and buying a purse then!

PTO stands for "Pisses Todd Off" at my house.

Grease and metal make for a great couple. Dirt is the mistress that ruins that marriage.