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Read articles →Mike walks through a real shear bolt failure on his own post hole digger, showing the actual disassembly step by step, removing the U-joint, extracting a stuck shear pin, understanding the stub shaft safety feature, and reassembling with a replacement pin. He also touches on whether a generic bolt works as a substitute (it doesn't, and the proper pin costs under four dollars). Best for owners facing this exact repair for the first time.
Tractor Mike is a longtime tractor-industry insider with decades of hands-on experience in the equipment business. He built his channel to help first-time and rural buyers make confident decisions, and his guidance comes from that deep, long-term background rather than a sales pitch.
Take off the stub shaft nut using a jam nut to pull the threaded piece, pull the shaft out, then drive the shear pin out of the yoke.
Mike checked and decided against it, opting instead for the proper replacement shear pin, which cost under four dollars.
It sits in a groove on the shaft and keeps the whole PTO shaft from coming off if the shear pin fails, preventing a dangerous situation.
