There are different types of PTOs and speeds for each one.
There are two main ways to use a tractor to do farm work: pulling a tool or using the power take-off (PTO). There are many tasks that need a power source, such as tilling, planting, interculture, stationary tasks, and more. This is called Power Take-Off, or PTO.
Do you know what a PTO is?
With the help of a PTO shaft, a tractor's PTO (Power Take Off) sends mechanical power from the engine to tools or attachments like a rotavator, thresher, straw reaper, super seeder, and more. In India, the PTO is on the back, but in many other places, there is also a front PTO for driving tools that are mounted on the front. For different PTO-driven machines to work, they need different PTO HP. The PTO horsepower (HP) number shows how much power is available to run different tractor devices. Through the tractor's PTO shaft, the PTO HP is sent to the tools.
The Development of PTO in the Tractor Business
The International Harvester Company (IHC) added PTO to tractors in 1918. Edward A. Johnston, an engineer at IHC, came up with the idea of PTO after seeing a homemade PTO in France. The first PTO for sale was in its 8-16 form. That same year, the company made another PTO tractor called the 15-30. It was the first PTO tractor to pass the Nebraska tractor test.
So that tools can be made at a certain speed, the idea of standardisation is needed. At least one PTO speed was 536 RPM before 1958. After some time, the normal PTO speed was changed to 540 RPM, and a 1000 RPM PTO speed was added. Over time, other tractor makers started to add PTO to their machines, and it quickly became an important part.
How does a PTO work?
If we remember correctly, a tractor PTO sends the mechanical power from the tractor engine to the tool or attachment. Now, let's look at how this energy moves from the engine to different tools. Connecting the implement's driveline shaft (connecting rod) to the tractor's PTO shaft is how the power is moved. When the tractor's engine starts, the driveline shaft turns, which applies a turning force to the attachment that is connected to the PTO shaft through a universal or "U" joint. The attached item starts working right away. The most important thing to remember is that only tools that need rotational force to work need a PTO.
Different Types of PTOs in a Tractor
There are two different kinds of PTO: Live PTO and Independent PTO. Let's look at each of these types.
Live PTO
There are two kinds of gearbox clutches on the live PTO. If it is pushed in half, the gearbox will stop, but the PTO will keep turning while it is loaded. The PTO stops running when you fully press the clutch. To put it simply, a live PTO separates the control of the gearbox from the control of the PTO action.
PTO on its own
A separate PTO, also known as an IPTO, is the other type. Farmers can use this kind of PTO to work with both the tractor and the tool on their own. The PTO can be turned on even when the tractor is not moving. A button or handle that controls the power take-off can be used to turn on this PTO. When working nonstop, IPTOs are the best choice because the PTO doesn't depend on where the gears are placed, and the driver can change gears while the PTO is going. It comes in two different types: mechanical and hydraulic.
How Fast Does the PTO Go?
For a tractor to run, the PTO needs to be set to different speeds. Let's check out each speed.
The standard PTO
540 RPM is the normal speed for the PTO. When this kind of PTO is used, the highest ERPM makes the PTO of a tractor and implement driveline shaft spin at 540 RPM. This works best for everyday farming jobs like ploughing. As for this PTO speed, it needs a 6-spline.
Cheap PTO
This is the PTO speed of 540 RPM when the engine RPM is lower than the normal PTO speed. For instance, a normal PTO will reach a speed of 540 RPM at 2100 RPM, while an economy PTO will reach the same speed at 1600 RPM. This means that less fuel is used. For tasks like puddling, generators, and water pumps, this PTO speed works best.
Backwards PTO
The reverse PTO feature helps get rid of any obstacles that get in the way of the tools while they are working. It is controlled by a tractor handle or button.
Both MSPTO and GSPTO
The MSPTO, which stands for "Multi-Speed Reverse PTO," lets the driver choose from different forward and backward gear speeds for power take-off. It made gardening easier and more fruitful. GSPTO means for "Ground Speed PTO." In this case, the PTO speed is the same as the tractor's ground speed.
