[Richard-tx]

Has anyone ever broken a rotary plow drive? I mean that so much force was applied to it that either a shaft broke or the case cracked.

I had a rotary plow drive here that the case was cracked and I am still trying to figure out how that happened.

 

[kenny350]

I caught a burried 6" steel pipe with mine one time. It made the whole gravely l jump sideways and almost threw the handle bars into my side. Scared the crap out of me but didn't do a thing to the rotary plow...I was amazed

 

[jepics]

Any evidence someone dropped it a long way down onto a hard surface, or does it appear to be internally generated?

 

[5Tractorguy]

Maybe got water inside the case if it was sitting outside or in damp place, froze, ice expanded, and cracked.

 

[canadian.gravelynut]

I had the casting brake but it was on the rotory cultivator, I picked up a stone with the tangs and wedged it between them and the cover and the slip clutch did not slip. I had it on a 5460 when that happened, but not with a rotory plow. I have hit tree roots stones and big rocks. Even when I had it on my rider it made the tractor dance but that was all.

 

[Richard-tx]

The pressure was definitely from the inside out.

 

[rlordjr]

canadian's story makes me wonder if a gear tooth or two broke off inside, then got wedged between the gear and the casing and broke the casing.

I just hit a 3 or 4 inch root the other day with mine on the rider several times and it just kind of made everything jump around.

When I bought my rotary plow the PO said that when he bought it in 1986 the county road crews were using them to edge newly laid asphalt. I think they ran the plow along the side or in the curb to dress up the runny edges into straight ones. Dayum.

 

[Richard-tx]

The gears were good. I found another casting and rebuilt the drive.

 

[jepics]

Was there any evidence of water present?

 

[Richard-tx]

To be honest, I haven't seen one yet that didn't have evidence of water in it.

Here is one.

And another

I don't have any pictures of the third one.