Cutting the steering wheel shaft off?

[clueless 3,083]

I have an angle grinder and a reciprocating saw, no torch, which would you use to cut the rod or other suggestions?

[ri702bill 8,822]

What madel tractor?? IF the lower gear is pinned in place, like a 702, just remove the pin & gear.

Later models have the gear welded on.

Planning to replace the shaft??

[squonk 42,056]

Recip saw would be the go to if the shaft was still in the tractor.

[953 nut 57,035]

6 hours ago, clueless said:

I have an angle grinder and a reciprocating saw, no torch, which would you use to cut the rod or other suggestions?

You aren't cutting up that nice RJ-35 are you?            

[adsm08 2,469]

That saw will take hours, and probably more than one blade, to get through that shaft. I vote grinder.

[oliver2-44 10,144]

Sometime the weld on the lower gear is marginal and it can be ground off. 

Edited February 12 by oliver2-44

[RED-Z06 2,430]

Recip with a good blade, go right through

[C-85 716]

Cut the steering wheel, save the shaft? 

C-85

[123Go 1]

 Last one I had the pin deform bad & wouldn't come out I got a cobalt bit & drilled it out. Then beat the wheel up/off with a sledge & small iron pipe working around its hub. 

  I had another yrs before where I cut the wheel off with my Sawzall (cut hub up in 3-4 pieces) but I saved the shaft. Lenox fine or medium tooth saw blade most likely fwiw?

  The cobalt bit was quicker/easier, it drilled through it like butter, sorry I don't recall the bit size/brand? Same size or a hair smaller than my pin dia not to drill the shaft itself out surely?

 That was my 300 & 400 series tractors.