Powertrain

SPLINED SHAFTS

Our drivetrain is designed to be easy to maintain and service. In the 1970s, Hagedorn pioneered the use of splined shafts for high-horsepower snow blowers. Today, every shaft connection in the Hydra-Spread drivetrain—from the tractor to the upper beater—is splined. Splines transmit power efficiently by spreading loads to the entire shaft (unlike keyed drives that focus the load on a single stress point). Splines can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled.

PTO SHAFTS

Hydra-Spread uses only Walterscheid PTO shafts.

The heart of our PTO is its splined telescoping members. Ordinary shafts have two, three or at best four driving surfaces and do not telescope freely enough for the demands of today’s manure spreader. Our splined shaft has 20 driving surfaces, a precise fit and telescoping that cannot be matched by roll-formed profile tubes.

The PTO shaft connects to the machines (just like it connects to your tractor) with a splined shaft so it can be easily installed or removed. The PTO shaft incorporates a shear bolt clutch - the simplest, most dependable form of overload protection.

SHAFTS

Shafts are 1045 steel, precision ground to ensure straightness, balance and precise fit of bearings to shaft. When service is required, shafts can be removed from the machine without pulling the bearings from the shaft.

GEARBOXES

For strength and durability in gearboxes Hydra-Spread went to Comer, a world leader in gearboxes. Comer gearboxes feature one-piece cast-iron housings for strength and precise alignment of shafts, gears and bearings.

For our ExtraVert vertical beater units we chose BERMA, a world leader in vertical beater technology, to supply the gearboxes and beaters for our industry-leading designs.

BEARINGS

The life of a bearing is, in most cases, determined by the quality of its seals. Hydra-Spread uses NTN bearings with triple-lip seals. These seals have been proven in tillage and planting equipment. NTN created pillow block units with triple-lip seals especially for Hydra-Spread: another industry first.

Our bearings are lifetime-lubricated, assuring long life and eliminating bearing maintenance. All Hydra-Spread bearings have an extended inner race with double set screws.

BEARING HOUSINGS

Ductile iron pillow blocks are the standard for Hydra-Spread. These virtually indestructible units are built to withstand heavy loads and impacts that would shatter ordinary grey-iron housings.

For the input shaft, we demanded split housings that would allow the shaft to be removed from the machine quickly and easily without removing the bearings from the shaft . When no suitable housing was available we designed and manufactured our own so we could continue our commitment to a simple, easy to service spreader.