[AKfish]

I broke a draft link on my JD970 while using a 7' backblade ---- (in reverse)!

I routinely used the blade to push snow up into a large pile (several piles..) without much thought. Figured that the float on the 3pt would just raise the blade upward and not be a problem.

That's what I got for "thinking"! Wrong... If you hit the pile at an angle or if you're loaded heavy more on one end of the blade, etc. -- it doesn't take much to either stress the links and/or break 'em.

Short story --- I don't move snow or material very much in reverse anymore.

Best of luck with JD. (And I'd second the sugar vs. vinegar opine, too.)

AKfish