Attaching implements

[rswyan]

I recently picked up a Speeco Quick Hitch from TSC ...... possibly the best $200 I've ever spent. I already had a hydraulic toplink ..... between the two, hooking up is generally a piece of cake.

 

[FL_Cracker]

I set up everything with the Freedom Hitch and it was the best thing I ever did. I use it on everything but my scrape blade without a problem. Scrape blade is just to hard on the Freedom hitch and will bend it if it gets caught on a big rock or something. Here are the items I have tried and works good.

6' Rotary Cutter
90" Finish Mower
Chipper, 6" Wallinstein
6' Landscape Rake
6' Box Blade
600lb. Fertilizer Spreader

I also have hydraulic TNT and that helps a lot. Now I only have to get off the tractor for the drive shaft. No hand adjusting the top link, no beating the pins in place, no pry bars, NO HAMMER~YESSS

The whole 3PH system needs improving but no body will make any big changes in fear that they won't be accepted in the market. Look at how long it took Bobcat to become the standard on the front.

Charles

 

[RedRocker]

roller, if you have both lower arms on the pins, you can jog the tractor back till they click in the locked position. Then you hook up your top link. If I had a lot of implements and did as many changes as you do, I'd look into a quick change system. I only have two, so it's not an issue for me.

 

[TiminMN]

Try setting the implement on some old tires. It keeps them off the ground and makes wiggling them better.

 

[RalphVa]

I put the brush hog on castors that are attached to the bottom of a 1 by that fits underneath the front of the brush hog. This made it a fairly easy connection vs. a work-at-it one. Attach non-adjustable arm, then adjustable one, remove castors, attach top chain and then PTO. Then adjust the right arm so that the brush hog is level. Then adjust the sway links tight and center the brush hog (of course, these have to be loosened before hooking up). It isn't a fast procedure.

Putting the drawbar or the row maintenance equipment on is fairly easy, even without them being on castors.

Used to curse the effort disconnecting and connecting an implement to the Gravely (these are just attached to the PTO with 4 bolts but generally require balancing the tractor front-to-back, etc.). Not too much difference in effort.

Ralph

 

[Youare]

I don't have a quick hitch system and I don't have a brush hog but i do change from a rear blade to a york rake and a Farmi winch quite frequently.

Having a level spot is helpful but not necessary. Backing up straight to the immplement is very helpful if the immplement is hard to move by hand.

I get the lower arms as close to the pin locations as possible. The side that is not adjustable for height gets connected first. If it is the rear blade or rake that is being connected I will connect the top link at this point. Adjusting the top link can move the immplement in or out to line up the second bottom arm along with the height adjustment to get it on the pin.

Having the sway adjustments loose helps move the bottom arms to the side so they connect easier. Unless I am in a hurry things usually connect pretty good.

Randy

 

[BB_TX]

<font color="blue"> I just back up close and reach behind me </font>
This method obviously depends on the size of the tractor. I would need 6 foot long arms to be able to reach back and hook mine up while still seated.

 

[have_blue]

Roller,


I used to back the tractor up to the implement, and it took a good amount of time and muscle to swap them out.

I installed 2 removable caster wheels on the front of my brush hog, and attached casters on the corners of a wooden pallet to roll my disk harrow around. The implement glide easily into position as long as my floor is clean. A bonus is the implements are easy to stow out of the way.


It takes about 20-30 minutes to back the tractor in and swap. However, that's a leisurly 20-30 minutes, with no hammering, straining, sweating, or swearing. Everything pretty much lines up from the start.

 

[tjkadar]

In a single day I can go from box blade, to brush hog, to drag, to arena conditioning tool, to disc without much trouble or fuss. I just back the tractor up to the implement in a low gear, hook the lower part of the 3 pt first, then the PTO shaft (if there is one), and then the top link. Once everything is secure, I'll move to the concrete aisle of the barn to make sure the anti-sway is even and the implement level. Doesn't take much time at all.

If I'm hooking up something big and heavy, like the disc or rotary cutter, I'll back up to where I think I need to be and drop the front end loader, toothbar first, into the ground. If I need to move forward or back a hair, I just use the front end loader to ease that inch or two. Most times, I don't have to worry about it.

I've gotten pretty good at eyeballin' where the tractor needs to be in relation with the implement. I usually don't even use the extendable lower links.

Of course, now that I've said that I'll be cursed with never getting an implement on easily again.

 

[N80]

When I first tried to hook up my rotary cutter, my initial impression is that this thing isn't going to fit on this tractor. After about 30 minutes I had it on. I can do it now in 5-10 minutes.

I back the tractor up to the cutter and get the left lower link lined up as close as possible. Then I hop down and can usually shove it into place with my foot. Then I lift the cutter a tiny bit and can then shove it around with my foot to get the right lower link aligned. I never have level ground, but the right link has a screw adjustment on it and I can finely adjust the height that way. Once the two bottom links are hooked up the top link and PTO are very simple.

I'm very paranoid about the PTO so I take the extra step to actually shut the tractor off before hooking it up.