Yes! One would think that with an informational video, that you use the same measurement! Thought at some point that I missed something once watching the cutting segment of the video.

I had the same issue with my local machine shop. I told them I need the drive shortened by 3 inches total. They took 1.5 inches off each shaft end, which only reduced the total length by 1.5 inches. I tried to explain to them that cutting 1.5 off each shaft end wouldn't work, but the whole shop gather around to tell me I didn't know what I was talking about. I generally don't tell others how to run their own business, but I felt sure I was right. I let them win the discussion, took the drive shaft home, and found it was still 1.5 inches too long. So I took a reciprocating saw and made the cut my self which was surprisingly easy.

Yep. Almost all PTO instructions on the net say to divide the cut measurement by 2. And they're all wrong.

Thanks for the explanation. I was confused about that and you explained it well.

Yea that part made no sense to me

Thanks for watching. We're glad it was helpful!

Joey Oliver I'm about to buy the 54 xb tiller what length did you end up with, I will still measure but wanted a rough idea in case I come up with something thats drastically different. Ive got the bx2680...

I cut 7 1/2 inches off the shaft total. I checked my numbers several times, but was so nervous, I made the first cut at 5" just to make sure. I used a 18v trim saw with a metal cutting disk, and it worked just fine. Very easy to cut. Then I cut 2 1/2 more inches off. Teds method is exactly right. Have confidence. Once you make the cut and it fits, you'll be able to do it in 15 minutes. BTW, Im going to do a review this weekend of the XB. Now, I kinda wish I got one with 4 tines instead of 6. Ill go over that in the video...

Joey Oliver I started mine last evening I was nervous as well, kept measuring and thinking about the video. Made the first cut at just 3 inches I was too nervous. Then wanted to go to a total of 5 so went take off 2 more and our saw burned out, looks like I will have to wait a few days to get back to it. Anyway its looking like I will most likely be around the same 7.5 mark as you I'm just going to do it a little at a time! Thanks again!

Exactly...👍

That was blowing my mind also!!!!

I was thinking that was a possibility, my manual said to leave 2 cm not 2 inches. It too would have been short.

Thank you for explaining that! That totally blew my mind. I kept wondering why he only cut two inch not three.

Thanks...4 times watching the video I thought he could not add....thanks...you saved my new shaft

This happened to me too. Frustrating.

It's at its shortest when LEVEL. If you attach it when it is high and then lower it, as it passes level it can do damage if too long.

This guy usually is very helpful and knows what he's talking about in his other videos. I also just wasted a $200 shaft cutting it the way he says in his video. Do not listen to this tutorial! My new shaft was 31" fully compressed. The measurement from pin of implement to rear of tractor pto shaft was 25.5". From what I understood from his method, I needed to take out an extra two inches, making the new desired compressed shaft length 23.5". To get to this desired length I would subtract 31-23.5" = 7.5" from both sides. This did not leave enough engagement between the two metal shafts, and it also did not allow the plastic to cover the whole metal shaft once they were together. I believe if I would have taken off half of this amount on both sides it would have been correct, but that's not how it was described in the video.

I'm also out a $300 shaft

Do yourself a favor and before you cut, figure out how long it will be after the cut and write that number down. Saves the oopsies moments. His fudge factor is because they measured off a tractor with out checking how close they can get. Just mount the implement no PTO. Level it for how it's used then lift it and measure your length from grove to end of other shaft. Give yourself half an inch from that so you can pull the coupler off. In that way you have .5" plus the 2" of coupler engagement before you have a problem. Tillers and flails are bad for this because they're usually pretty tight up.

I noticed the same thing...I figured he just used the 2 inch figure arbitrarily or was cutting another shaft for a different customer/implement...he should have used the 3 inch measurement to avoid confusion.

It very well could, because quick hitches extend the distance between the tractor pto shaft and the tiller input shaft.

That is because that light material is stronger these days.

You are correct

The shaft is 32, he needs 31-2 which is 29 so he has to cut 3 inches. He measured the shaft to bottom out at 31 inches, the shaft itself is longer by an inch.

me too.

I did the same thing new one is on the way

2:12

Nope...it is confusing but you do have to cut the same amount off of both halves of the shaft to shorten it correctly. 3 inches off of both halves of the shaft...it has to do with the two overlapping halves.

Haha I thought the same thing

The overlapping part tends to confuse people. If one thinks of it as both shafts are bottoming out, then one might can visualize why both have to be cut the full amount.

+Warsrogue the new shaft was 30" so he cut 2" off the shaft at both ends for a total of 4 " s?

the measurement was 31 inches and the first shaft was 32 inches.then he went to a standard 30 inch shaft.he needed to cut the standard shaft one inch to make it 29 inches.that would give him two inches of clearance because his measurment was 31 inches right?

To shorten the total assembled shaft length by 1", you must cut 1" off of each half. It is hard to imagine in your mind, but it is true. The video is a little confusing, so it is best to hook the attachment up to the tractor first without hooking the pto shaft to the tractor. Raise the attachment up so the tractor shaft and the attachment shaft are parallel. If you can hook the pto shaft up at this point and have a little slide room, it is fine. If it will bottom out, you'll need to shorten the shaft some to create some slide room. The more you measure/check before cutting lessens the percentage for error.

Craig Fogus Wrong. What ever amount you need to shorten the shaft you have to cut that same amount off both sides. Remember, in the shortest position, both tubes are fully overlapped, ends touching the universal joint yoke. If you cut each side 1 1/2 inches, you only shorten the entire shaft by 1 1/2 inches. Your paper example is done wrong. The shaft is too short in the fully collapsed position, and you are setting up your paper example not fully collapsed, so they can still be overlapped more. Take the two four inch pieces of paper and lay them one right on top of the other so the length is still four inches. If you want to make the total length three inches, you have to cut one inch off BOTH pieces of paper. Clear as mud? Something else I have thought about that might explain it. If you cut two inches off each side of a pto shaft, you shorten the collapsed length by TWO inches, and at the same time you shorten the maximum extended length by FOUR inches. You have to remember the overlap, the two shafts one inside the other. Another example: Take two standard rulers, 12 inches, and lay one on top of the other. The minimum length is 12 inches. To make the minimum length 11 inches, you have to cut one inch off each ruler. This also reduces the maximum extended length by two inches to 22 inches. ·

Just plain wrong... Whether something slides on something or in something, it's the same thing. Any second grader can test it. Maybe you can test it out in a video? My example stands. Does yours?

Craig Fogus Your example does not stand. It's still wrong. The difference is if you are talking about the minimum collapsed (one piece fully inside the other piece), or the maximum length (pieces slid apart with minimal overlap). Again, take two standard 12" rulers, lay them one on top of the other, and you have a total length of 12". If you need to shorten this length to fit into an 11" space, you have to cut ONE inch off BOTH pieces.

+Craig Fogus wrong. since one tube fits inside the other tube, the pto shaft is only as short as your longest tube. that's why if you want 3 inches total removed, it has to be 3 inches from each tube.

+Kevin Scurlock read what trentstractor said. He's right, and so am I. We're just saying it differently. The minimum distance will always be the length of one of the tubes or basically both tubes collapsed. However, the maximum extended difference is lessened by double. If you need to shorten the PTO by 2 inches when it's fully collapsed, you take 2 inches off of both tubes. However, this means the maximum extended length of the PTO is now reduced by 4 inches! The problem is, if you measure the shortest distance, and cut that amount off, your total extended distance can be too short. That's exactly what happened to me. On further inspection, I think that this is usually not an issue with large tractors since the tolerances are greater. However, with compact tractors like mine (JD 1025r), the tolerances are much stricter. I've since added a quick hitch, so I believe this greater distance will help with this issue, but I won't know until I test the theory.