Watching your step? Why it is important to buy genuine OEM replacement PTO clutches - The safety and uptime story.
When it comes to keeping your equipment up and running, the old adage often holds true... You get what you pay for. In the world of commercial and consumer lawn mowing, people want to spend more time cutting grass and less time making repairs. In addition, safety is also important to consider when replacing parts. Replacing a safety component like a deck clutch-brake is not an area to take shortcuts.
During the design and validation process with lawn equipment OEMs, a great amount of effort is spent making sure that design life is met and all components work in harmony with each other. Engines, blades, clutch-brakes, belts, pulleys, idlers are all interrelated in some way on the machine. Machine changes can be risky and lead to other problems. When it comes to clutch-brakes, they are tested for both performance and safety. There are industry regulations for blade stop times for new equipment. This is to protect the operator from harm when stepping off of the equipment. If a clutch-brake is not per original spec, there is a good chance that it will not adequately stop the blades and then create a dangerous working scenario. Regarding performance, many hours of lab testing and field testing are invested in qualifying components. By using knockoff replacement parts, it is buyer-beware and not a game that should be played without caution. The worst failure is one that happens when you can least afford it.
Ogura GT series PTO clutch-brakes are in made in a variety of configurations and typically mount on gas and diesel engines rated up to 40 HP. Bore sizes match the typical engine shaft sizes. Pulley sizes can vary based on machine requirements. Some have hub outputs to mount your own pulley, sprocket or coupling half. Clutch torque is rated up to 400 lb-ft on the larger units. These clutches typically operate on 12 or 24VDC.
Benefits from using an Ogura patented PTO clutch brake
- Long life
- Safety
- Built for outdoor operation
- Many years of proven success
- For use with operator presence controls
- Available with a soft start controller
- Custom designs available based on minimum quantities