PTO knuckle alignment

[snoshoe]

Parts  picture tells the story. Machine was meant to be used with a drawbar extension. Somebody has shortened the shaft to work without. Yes it will clatter in turns and there will be fore and aft impact forces against that screw when it does.

[766 Man]

  As Hydrotek noted distance from end of PTO stub to drawbar hole is 14 inches per ASAE specs.  That really should be your starting point but given some of the welds on the shaft which appear to be non-factory you are trying to work with somebody else's cob job.  Regardless of what you do the overlap on the shaft should be several inches to allow for safe operation.  I would still move the tractor drawbar in to see what 14 inches gives you.  The several holes seen in back of the drawbar clamp makes me wonder if it is installed backwards.  Get your tape measure out to check things over.

[oldtech]

6 hours ago, snoshoe said:

Parts  picture tells the story. Machine was meant to be used with a drawbar extension. Somebody has shortened the shaft to work without. Yes it will clatter in turns and there will be fore and aft impact forces against that screw when it does.

You know I didnt actually see that until you pointed it out!  That explains why  the lower hitch plate doesnt move farther back.,  It also explains why the shaft is a little lower than the tractor shaft.  Good luck finding all the original parts and at what cost?

This is just a piece of hobby farm equipment now.  Ill probably try to set it back that extra inch the holes allow but thats going to be it.   Its working well enough for my purposes.

[stronger800]

The NH ones are very pointy, I have hardware store ones that are only half as pointy 

[stronger800]

Yep, I missed that extension pic earlier. 
that “pivot hitch” i think I called  it earlier, is exactly how ours were. 

[oldtech]

On 7/6/2026 at 10:33 PM, acem said:

You could buy a longer shaft.

It would be hard to match up given the type of spline on the implement side.  Then how long?

I think id be searching for some time.

[oldtech]

On 7/7/2026 at 6:53 AM, stronger800 said:

That’d be what $600-1000 anymore? I’d cut a few inches off the mower hitch and drill a few holes to shorten in 2-3”.  (Free and today)  Or have another hole put into front of drawbar to temporarily move it forward 

Thats probably the easiest yes.

I can gain an inch just with the existing holes which given that it does not come apart as it is might have to do.  I just dont use it enough to go into a big surgery on it.  Looks like the set screw and spline side are holding up as is.

[Lars (midessa)]

As anyone noted the 540 pto shaft is above the 1000? Wonder what tractor is this?

[HydroTek]

8 minutes ago, Lars (midessa) said:

As anyone noted the 540 pto shaft is above the 1000? Wonder what tractor is this?

one of the Doncaster design utility tractors -- x74 - x84 - x95 - Etc