It is that time of the year again. Time to perform some preventative maintenance on your tree care equipment to keep it running strong throughout the season. One crucial—yet often overlooked—maintenance point on wood chippers is the Mechanical Power Take-off, or PTO for short. If the machine is only a few years old, check out our tips for maintaining your PTO in these articles. In the event that the chipper has seen the better part of a decade making mulch, it is probably time to consider replacing the clutch pack assembly or even the entire PTO.
Once you have inspected the PTO and determined it is time to replace the entire unit, be aware, many of these chipper PTOs feature special shorter than standard output shafts. Meaning, if you purchase a standard unit as a replacement, you may have to modify the length and risk voiding the warranty on your newly purchased Power Take-off.
Luckily, WPT Power has a full line of drop-in replacement chipper PTO parts, assemblies, and complete units for many of the major wood chipper brands and models. We offer all the popular 11-inch sizes: SP111, SP211, and SP311, as well as the 14-inch sizes: SP114, SP214, and SP314. For the larger whole tree chippers and grinders, we also offer the SP318 model. All of these are available as complete drop-in units or as clutch kits to overhaul your existing PTO.
If you are looking to add more power to your chipper clutch, check out the WPT Pilotless® Mechanical Power Take-off. This unique PTO design features a heavy-duty dual spherical roller main bearing arrangement for maximum sideload capacity and a sealed ball-bearing sliding sleeve assembly for long life and ease of maintenance. These units may require some additional modification to fit, but the extra effort will pay off in the long run.
So, when you are getting your equipment ready for the season, always follow the manufacturers recommended maintenance for the PTO. And, if you are in need of some parts, assemblies, or complete units for your chipper PTO, be sure to contact WPT Power for more information.