PTO Shaft Tubes

A PTO drive shaft tube serves as a metal cylindrical encasement for the drive gear. This material provides additional reinforcement for the drive shaft and is available in domestic (North American) and metric (European) profile shapes. Domestic tubing is typically square, rectangular, or round. Alternatively, tubing made for Italian and German-style machines can be found at AGKNX. Both domestic and metric tubing are available in trilobed or lemon shapes.

Tractor PTO Shaft Tubing Types

PTO Shaft Triangular Tube

PTO Shaft Lemon Tube

PTO Shaft Star Tube

PTO Shaft Splined Tube

PTO Shaft Square Tube/Rectangular Tube

PTO Shaft Hexagonal Tube

Agricultural PTO Shaft Tube for Agricultural Applications

PTO Shaft Triangular Tube: This tube features a triangular profile, widely used in constant-velocity PTO drivelines, offering robust power transmission for tractors and implements, ensuring durability under high torque loads.
PTO Shaft Lemon Tube: Designed with a lemon-shaped cross-section, this tube excels in standard drivelines, providing efficient energy transfer and compatibility with various agricultural machinery, enhancing operational flexibility.
PTO Shaft Star Tube: Known for its star-shaped profile, this tube delivers exceptional strength and multiple contact surfaces, making it ideal for heavy-duty farm equipment requiring reliable power delivery.
PTO Shaft Splined Tube: Featuring interlocking splines, this tube ensures precise torque transmission, commonly used in demanding applications like tractors, offering low-friction length compensation in rugged environments.
PTO Shaft Tube (General): A hollow metal cylinder, typically steel or aluminum, it connects the tractor’s PTO to implements, transmitting rotational energy efficiently for tasks like mowing or tilling.
PTO Shaft Hexagonal Tube: With a hexagonal shape, this tube provides enhanced torsional strength and stability, suitable for diverse agricultural setups, ensuring consistent performance across varying operational demands.

Triangular Tube

Lemon Tube

Star Tube with Round Inner Core

Square Tube

Star Tube

Hexagonal Tube

What Makes Our PTO Drive Shaft Tubes Stand Out?

(1) Quality Materials: We use only premium-grade steel and advanced alloys to craft our PTO drive shaft tubes, ensuring superior strength and resilience. These high-quality materials resist wear, corrosion, and fatigue, providing long-lasting reliability even under the toughest agricultural or industrial conditions.

(2) Precision Manufacturing: Each tube is produced with state-of-the-art machinery and meticulous attention to detail, guaranteeing tight tolerances and flawless construction. This precision ensures smooth power transmission, reduces vibration, and enhances overall efficiency, making our shafts a top choice for demanding tasks.

(3) Various Shapes and Sizes: Our PTO drive shaft tubes come in an extensive range of profiles—square, rectangular, lemon, splined, and more—along with customizable lengths and diameters. This variety allows users to find the perfect fit for their specific equipment, optimizing performance across diverse applications.

(4) Protective Coating: Every tube features a robust protective coating, such as powder coating or galvanization, to shield against rust, abrasion, and environmental damage. This added layer extends the lifespan of the shaft, ensuring it remains functional and safe even in harsh outdoor settings.

(5) Strong Compatibility: Designed to seamlessly integrate with leading brands like John Deere and Kubota, our PTO drive shaft tubes offer universal adaptability. This compatibility ensures easy installation and reliable operation with a wide array of tractors and implements, enhancing user convenience.

(6) Enhanced Durability: Beyond quality materials, our tubes undergo rigorous testing to withstand high torque, heavy loads, and constant use. This durability minimizes downtime and maintenance costs, making them a dependable solution for farmers and operators who need equipment that lasts.

Tractor PTO Shaft Tube Applications

A tractor PTO shaft tube is a critical component in agricultural machinery, designed to transfer mechanical power from a tractor to various implements. In rotary mowers, the PTO shaft tube drives the cutting blades, enabling efficient grass and brush trimming over large areas. For fertilizer spreaders, it powers the spinning mechanism that evenly distributes nutrients across fields, enhancing crop growth. Flail mowers rely on the PTO tube to operate their rotating flails, ideal for shredding tougher vegetation. In post hole diggers, it transmits torque to the auger, simplifying fence or pole installation. Rotary tillers use it to turn soil for seedbed preparation, while round balers and square balers depend on it to compress and shape hay or straw into manageable bales, streamlining harvest processes. This versatile component ensures seamless power delivery across these applications.

Rotary Mowers

The PTO shaft tube transfers power from the tractor to the rotary mower, driving the blades to cut grass or vegetation efficiently. It ensures consistent torque delivery, enabling the mower to handle thick brush or large fields, enhancing agricultural productivity with reliable operation.

Fertilizer Spreaders

In fertilizer spreaders, the PTO shaft tube connects the tractor’s power source to the spreader’s spinning mechanism, evenly distributing fertilizer across fields. This application supports precise nutrient application, improving crop yields, and the durable tube withstands continuous rotation under varying load conditions.

Flail Mowers

The PTO shaft tube powers flail mowers by transmitting rotational energy to the flail blades, which shred grass, weeds, or crop residue. Its robust design accommodates the high-speed, high-impact cutting action, making it ideal for rough terrain and heavy-duty landscaping tasks.

Post Hole Diggers

For post hole diggers, the PTO shaft tube delivers power to the auger, allowing it to drill deep, uniform holes for fencing or planting. The tube’s strength ensures stability and torque transfer, critical for penetrating tough soil types in agricultural or construction settings.

Rotary Tillers

The PTO shaft tube drives the rotary tiller’s tines, breaking up soil for seedbed preparation or weed control. It provides steady power transmission, enabling the tiller to work through compacted earth, improving soil aeration and supporting efficient farming practices over large areas.

Round Balers

In round balers, the PTO shaft tube powers the baling mechanism, compressing hay or straw into tight, cylindrical bales. Its consistent energy transfer supports the high-pressure rolling process, ensuring uniform bale formation for easy handling, storage, and livestock feeding purposes.

Square Balers

The PTO shaft tube in square balers transmits power to the plunger and knotter, forming compact, rectangular bales from cut crops. This application demands durability to handle repetitive motion and tension, producing stackable bales for efficient transport and farm management.

How to Replace a PTO Shaft Tubing?

1. Ensure Safety First: Before starting, disconnect the PTO shaft from the tractor and implement. Turn off the tractor’s engine, engage the parking brake, and remove the key to prevent accidental starts or movement.

2. Assess the Damage: Inspect the PTO shaft tubing for cracks, dents, or wear that compromise its integrity. Determine if the inner or outer tube (or both) needs replacement based on the extent of damage.

3. Gather Tools and Parts: Collect necessary tools like a tape measure, hacksaw, file, wrench, and grease. Purchase replacement tubing that matches the original shaft’s diameter, length, and spline specifications from a supplier.

4. Remove the Old Tubing: Disassemble the PTO shaft by removing retaining pins, bolts, or clips securing the tubing. Slide the damaged tube off the yoke or shaft, noting its orientation for reassembly.

5. Measure and Cut New Tubing: Measure the length of the old tubing precisely with a tape measure. Mark the new tubing and cut it to size using a hacksaw, ensuring a straight cut for a proper fit.

6. Smooth the Edges: Use a file to deburr and smooth the cut edges of the new tubing. This prevents injury during handling and ensures the tube slides easily onto the shaft without snagging.

7. Install the New Tubing: Slide the new tubing onto the PTO shaft, aligning it with the yoke or spline. Ensure it fits snugly and matches the original positioning to maintain proper shaft length and balance.

8. Secure the Assembly: Reattach any retaining pins, bolts, or clips removed earlier. Tighten them with a wrench to manufacturer specifications, ensuring the tubing is firmly in place and won’t slip during operation.

9. Lubricate the Shaft: Apply a generous layer of grease to the tubing and moving parts. This reduces friction, prevents rust, and extends the lifespan of the PTO shaft during regular use.

10. Test the Replacement: Reconnect the PTO shaft to the tractor and implement. Start the tractor and engage the PTO at low speed, checking for smooth operation, unusual noises, or vibrations indicating issues.

PTO Drive Shaft Tube FAQ

What Is the Purpose of a PTO Shaft Tube?

The primary purpose of a PTO shaft tube is to protect and support the inner drive shaft while allowing it to telescope for length adjustment. This facilitates smooth power transfer between the tractor and implements like mowers or tillers, accommodating movement during operation.

What Materials Are PTO Shaft Tubes Made From?

PTO shaft tubes are commonly crafted from high-grade steel, such as carbon or alloy steel, chosen for its strength, durability, and resistance to torque and wear. These materials ensure the tube can withstand the rigors of agricultural tasks without deforming or breaking.

What Shapes Do PTO Shaft Tubes Come In?

PTO shaft tubes are available in various shapes, including square, rectangular, round, triangular, lemon, star, and trilobe profiles. These shapes correspond to North American or metric standards (e.g., German or Italian styles), ensuring compatibility with specific driveline systems and torque requirements.

How Does a PTO Drive Shaft Tube Adjust for Length?

The tube features a telescoping design with an inner and outer section that slide together, allowing length compensation as the distance between the tractor and implement changes. This flexibility prevents binding or damage during turns or uneven terrain, maintaining efficient operation.

Why Is Low Friction Important in PTO Shaft Tubes?

Low friction between the sliding sections of a PTO shaft tube reduces wear and heat buildup, especially in constant velocity (CV) drivelines. Coatings or splined designs minimize thrust pressure, preventing damage to the shaft, tractor PTO, or implement gearbox over time.

How Do I Choose the Right PTO Shaft TubingSize?

Selecting the correct size involves matching the tube to your machinery’s power requirements, shaft series, and operating conditions. Measure the U-joint cap diameter and consult specs to ensure compatibility, optimal power transfer, and safety during use.

What Maintenance Does a PTO Shaft Tube Require?

Regular maintenance includes inspecting for wear, dents, or cracks, lubricating the telescoping sections, and ensuring the tube is clean of debris. Periodic checks prevent binding or failure, extending the tube’s lifespan and maintaining safe, efficient power transmission.

Can a Tractor PTO Shaft Tube Be Replaced Separately?

Yes, tractor PTO shaft tubes can often be replaced independently of the entire shaft assembly. You’ll need to identify the profile (e.g., triangular, lemon) and dimensions, then source a compatible replacement, ensuring proper fitment with existing yokes and joints.

What Happens if a PTO Shaft Tube Is Too Long or Short?

A tube that’s too long may bottom out, damaging the tractor or implement, while one too short can disengage during operation, halting power transfer. Proper measurement and cutting to the recommended overlap (e.g., one-third) are critical for functionality.