How to connect a rotary cutter to your tractor if you have iMatch.
The main problem is the iMatch. The manual says to hook iMatch to the cutter first, and then hook up the driveline. But the iMatch blocks easy access to the PTO shaft and makes the task really difficult, especially for a newbie. Instead, hook the driveline up first using the following steps. The equipment the solution worked for was a JD 3720, an iMatch, and MX5 rotary cutter.
1. Back the tractor up to the cutter and stop the engine, but leave enough room to stand between the cutter and the iMatch. A good technique is to back up all the way like you were going to hook up, make sure the iMatch and the cutter are aligned correctly, then pull forwards.
2. Pull forwards just enough to leave standing room between the cutter and the iMatch. Now you can work in a more natural, comfortable position. Don't forget to set the brake. You don't want the tractor to roll during the hook up.
3. Raise the PTO shield on the tractor. It has a catch to hold it in the raised position.
4. Suspend the driveline with a support strap just a little below the height you need to mate with the PTO spline. This is a very important tip! With the strap holding the driveline weight, you can focus more on mating the parts. It also protects against dropping the driveline end in the dirt. I use a motorcycle tie-down strap. The hooks at the ends fit over the cutter attachment bracket and the length can be easily adjusted to provide the perfect height. When the cutter is detached I usually store it with the support strap holding the shaft off the ground to help keep the end clean.
5. Extend the driveline. The driveline on my MX5 has more than enough extension to reach the PTO even allowing for the added distance for standing room. I don't know if this is the case for other implements.
6. Check the splines for smoothness, burs, dirt, or rust. If necessary, brush with a brass wire brush or whatever to smooth them. Lubricate with grease if necessary. Now you are ready to hook the driveline to the PTO. The secret is to break the job into three parts as spelled out in steps 7, 8, and 9 below.
7. Pre-align the splines on the PTO shaft and driveline. Because you are standing up between the cutter and the iMatch you can look down and have the use of both hands. You should be able to turn and adjust both the driveline and the PTO shaft. I ususally try to turn the PTO and the driveline so a spline match is at 12 o'clock. You need to pre-align because you won't be able to see the splines when starting the join.
8. Start the join. Note that you DO NOT have to pull back on the driveline collar to start the join. The splines will go together an inch or so without having to pull back the collar.
9. Finish seating the splines. To do this, you DO need to pull back on the driveline collar and push forward on the driveline at the same time. The PTO and driveline will slide together and click. If they don't go easily, you can try using a helper. One person holds back the collar, while the other pushes forwards on the driveline. Since one person can push the driveline from a ways back, there won't be a workspace conflict. And the person who is just pushing can easily employ whatever forward force is necessary. After you do it once or twice, you get the hang of it and you can do by yourself.
10. Lower the PTO shield and remove the support strap.
11. Now start the tractor and back up and connect the iMatch to the cutter as usual. The driveshaft will compress as you back up. The first time I did this, I went slowly and carefully and had someone watch just to make sure nothing went wrong. I sometimes need to manually pull the top of the cutter bracket forward before I backup to make it easier for the iMatch to connect.
I hope these instructions help others. I wish I had something like them to read before I tried to hook up my iMatch and rotary cutter the first time.
