Go BottomPTO - Live or Independent
 | fs37265
Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 8 NJ 
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2004-05-18 86343
I see specs for the PTO on various compact tractors as either "Live" or "Independent". What's that mean in english and how much does it matter on a compact tractor in the 20-25HP range.
Thx!
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| hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 3583 iowa 
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2004-05-19 86345
The terms live and independent usually mean the same thing. There are three basic types of PTO drives. first is the Independent or live whichever you choose to call it where the PTO is driven directly from the engine controled by it's own clutch. You can stop or reverse travel of the tractor with a foot clutch, hydro pedal or whatever and the PTO doesn't stop till you shut it off with it's own control switch or lever. Second is the transmission driven PTO where the PTO and the transmission are both driven by the same engine clutch,. When you push the clutch the PTO stops when the forward travel of the tractor stops, I don't think this type is avaliable on hydro transmission tractors. Third is called a two stage engine clutch. On those when the engine clutch is pushed part way the forward travel stops, then by pushing the pedal all the way down the PTO stops. I don't know if any body uses this type any more, some regular farm tractors from back in the post WW2 era thru the fiftys used this system. There may be other systems that I'm not aware of, but I think these three cover 99% of all brands. Hope this helps, Frank. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2004-05-19 86347
A minor variation on Frank's comment: On virtually all reasonably modern tractors live and independent mean the same thing and they are different than TX driven PTO's. Live means the PTO is powered separate from the TX clutch and independent means the drives share no common components. The terminology applies mostly to gear TX tractors since HST tractors have independent PTO almost by definition. My mid-80's Ford uses a 2-stage clutch that technically qualifies as live but not independent. A few old farm tractors had separate TX and PTO clutch pedals, which is likely where the term independent arose but the practical difference between the two is immaterial.
The only drawback of TX driven PTO's is that they slow down when the TX is clutched. That's a minor problem most times but it can lead to uneven mowing and clogged snow-blower chutes. Some old TX driven PTO's when used with heavy mowers would continue to drive the tractor forward even when the TX clutch was disengaged. Virtually all modern TX driven PTO's eliminate that problem by having an internal over-running clutch. ....
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