Front/Mid PTO Uses

[regularguy]

I always wondered about the front or mid pto on the new generation tractors, was this an option on these tractors or did it have to be ordered with this equipment?

I know that John Deere made a sickle mower that utilized this front/mid pto set up, but did they ever make any other equipment that utilized the front pto? In searching the older posts I see that there have been many attempts to utilize the front pto with snowblowers and pumps and such but I have never heard of any other John Deere equipment for them; most of the tractors that I see look like they still have the orginal paint on the splines, so I can't see how they could have ever been used much.

Surely when John Deere designed these new tractors they must have had more in mind than a mower for this pto as I would imagine that adding this to the tractor would be an expensive proposition.

Once when I questioned someone about the front pto he said that John Deere thought at the time that front mount equipment like the kind used in Europe would become popular in the States and the pto would be used in those applications, to me the front pto is located much to high on the tractor to be of much use in this application, but maybe I'm missing something. I'll be interested in your thought.

 

[JMS/.MN]

I ran a 1000 rpm sprayer pump on the front pto, with saddle tanks. Easy to take the belt off when needing to use the rear one.

 

[tim s]

the mid-shaft was standard equip. the side mount mower is the only piece of Deere equip that I have ever seen for them, Like you said front pumps have been mounted there but the shaft is to close to the top for them to work out well, as for a snow blower you would need to drop the power down 10 inches or so to clear the oil pan, we have and still do run mid-mount #50 mowers for pasture clipping and trim work.

 

[buickanddeere]

In Europe front mounted forage harvesters and snowblowers etc are the norm. They think we are crazy mounting equipment on the back of the tractor.

 

[tim s]

Yes they run some odd stuff over there,,the old mid-mount shafts were not located good enough to be very usefull for a front mount impelment, that's the place for a snow blower,,If you need one,,luckly I haven't had mine out of the shed for years...

 

[Vaughn Vondrasek]

Remember the GP's had a front PTO also. I don't know what they ran with it.

 

[Cooney Minnie]

Ditto with the sprayer pump.

 

[regularguy]

Thank you everyone for the replys. I still have to think that the orginal John Deere designers must have been thinking about many other uses in addition to the rather obscure model #50 mower and handymen with sprayer pumps, certainly with this equipment being standard on every tractor. Well maybe there is no way to know the design details from 45 years ago, but I do certainly appreciate everyones thoughts.

 

[tim s]

I agree with you about more ueses must have been in the plan,,but these are all that I know about, I would be interested in knowing more about it too...