how to shorten PTO shaft

I have a PTO shaft I want to use on a no 8w mower but is to long with mower mounted on tractor need to shorten 3-4 inches slid shaft apart make the cut off on one section ?
 
Some can be real simple to do others you have to grind off the weld at the end and then cut the pipe part and then weld the part back in and you have to know how to time it if you have to do that. On some it is as easy as cutting a little bit off each end so with out knowing the type of shaft it is it is hard for use to help you help your self
 
Typically you need to cut off on both sides. Or one side will be too long and still bottom out and break something. You want the two half’s to be pretty close to the same lengths. If it’s a real long pto you could get by just cutting one side,but be careful you don’t have the other half too long and it bottoms out when you lift the implement.

The older square shafts you can just cut pieces off.

The newer triangle shafts you can just cut bits off.

The new stronger shafts with hollow tubes and a stronger flange welded to the end are more trouble. Need to take one or the other end off and shorten and put back together, probably needs rewelding.

As mentioned the shafts need to go back together with the knuckles timed right or it will chatter when it angles. This is automatic with the triangle or rectangular shafts, many square shafts have a bump and grove to line up tho you might cut that off? If you need to cut apart and reweld the flange you need to pay attention to this.
 
if possible send a picture of the shaft that will help determine how it has to be shortened some can be cut off others have to be shortened and welded back together
 


JD #8 mower should have a rectangular male/female pto shafts so it should very easy to shorten both ends. There are several u-tube videos showing the correct method for shortening both ends. 1 such video is below

https://youtu.be/oY-98TrjrqQ
 
Some shafts simply cannot be shortened as they are a heavy cast with a grease fitting 2" from end of outer part. Others with steel tube have a reenforcing band around the tube to keep it from spliting under load, you would have to move that band to save shaft.
 
(quoted from post at 07:34:06 08/14/20) Some shafts simply cannot be shortened as they are a heavy cast with a grease fitting 2" from end of outer part. .

PTO shafts with iron sleeve & grease fitting can be successfully shortened & put in correct phase with other 1/2 of pto shaft. One can utilize old or new slip sleeve.

BTDT several times over the yrs.

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I didn’t shorten it i had to add about 2 feet to mine . Just figure out where you want it you need a little bit of overlap on the two then cut the male end off and smooth the edges a bit with a grinder. Had fo cut one off on my lely just did the same thing lopped about 4 inches off of it
 

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