Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work?

   / Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work? #11  
Yep.. it would work.. but after doing it a few times you wouldn't need the chocks.. you'd just know where to back up to.. IE.. practice..

Soundguy

Z-Michigan said:
Had an idea yesterday for an easy way to hook up attachments, but since I haven't yet bought my tractor I don't have a way to try it out. I'd be curious to hear if anyone uses this or if you think it will work.

Idea is simple: when you lower and detach an implement, before driving away mark exactly where the tractor was positioned, ideally by using big chocks behind the rear wheels that you can just leave in place until you want to use the attachment again. Then, to hook it back up, just back into the wheel chocks and when you lower the 3ph arms they should be spot on to hook up to the attachment. I do realize that:
-you will need really big wheel chocks to avoid the tractor pushing them or driving over them
-this will work far better on something flat and level like a concrete pad than on uneven dirt

So, does anyone use this method? Any idea where I can get really big wheel chocks?
 
   / Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work? #12  
dqdave1 said:
IMO; will not work; deluxe 3 point systems that allow arms to move independantly make the job as easy as possible. Everyone has more than one implement,it is not as hard as you may have heard.

I agree with dqdave. I would keep your attachments blocked up on ciderblocks and 2X4's and try to keep everything level. Jay
 
   / Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work? #13  
flINTLOCK said:
Roxy, how did you make your dollies?? I was thinking of same thing for after I build my shed with concrete floor.

Well, I had a barn come down in a storm and used wood from that. Box blade and rear blade are on 2x6s and rotary cutter is on 2x8s. I used caster wheels and just a basic rectangle shape that fit the implements. Harbor Freight has furniture dollies that may work for you, too, fairly cheap if you don't want to make any. I'd go take a pic for you but it is -3 with a wind chill of -20 right now in Ohio! Almost all schools are closed because they can't start their buses. When the weather gets milder I will post a pic.
 
   / Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work? #14  
flINTLOCK said:
Roxy, how did you make your dollies?? I was thinking of same thing for after I build my shed with concrete floor.

FL:
Here's a few photos of the dollies I have for my box blade, brush hog and rototiller.

Used metal swivel casters from Home Depot ($4 each). Needed a gantry type dolly for my rototiller because of it's awkward shape.
 

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   / Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work? #15  
flINTLOCK said:
Roxy, how did you make your dollies?? I was thinking of same thing for after I build my shed with concrete floor.

Ok I'm going to try to attach a very crude drawing of what I did. I used swivel caster wheels with 3/8" bolts and washers. By putting the side 2x6s on top of the front/back ones I could attach the wheels where I've shown on the pic and not worry about the bolts sticking up. I then hooked up all my implements the hard way with grunting, groaning, shifting things around with a 2x4 and put them on the dollies, unhooked and slid the dollies where I wanted them. And from that point on I became a much happier tractor operator!

View attachment dollies.bmp

Had a little trouble getting that file small enough for TBN, hope it can be seen!
 
   / Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work? #16  
For a brush hog, since it has a wheel already, all you need is a simple dolly to set the front of the skid onto. Here're a couple pics of the one I use on mine.

Ralph
 

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   / Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work? #17  
The other BIG advantage of dollies is that you can store more equipment in a smaller area. I just built a 40 x 60 machine shop (with 16 x 24 out for a woodworking shop) and dollies will make all my stuff fit and still have room for an aisle. Otherwise, I'd need either a 30 x 200 or a 30 x 100 with a whole pot full of doors. But then I have a lot of equipment -- including two balers (one for parts for the other), an 11' wheel rake, a 9' tedder, a 7' sickle bar mower, plus all the stuff most everyone has.
 
   / Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work? #18  
Dollies are helpful of course... but with practice, it should be relatively easy to hook up your implements. One of our smaller implements is a 3ph tandem gang disc harrow that is about 7ft wide and about 1,000 -1,200lbs. This thing is on the ground and no dollies.

I timed myself backing and attaching to it with our 90hp tractor yesterday. It took me 3 minutes. I have been working with implements and tractors for a total of about 120 mechanical hours and about 160 real hours over 1.5 years... It sounds like a lot but it really isn't. Each time you do it, it gets easier. It never really is hard, but it can be time consuming.
 
   / Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work? #19  
Two things really help me with hooking up implements.

One is having lift arms that will extend outward. I back the tractor close to the implement and then will extend one of the arms, or maybe both depending on how close I am.

The second thing thats helps tremendously is having the ability to raise and lower my lift arms by standing at the rear of the tractor, right beside the implement being hooked up. Very very nice!!!
 
   / Idea to make hooking up 3ph attachments easier - would this work? #20  
Z-Michigan said:
Had an idea yesterday for an easy way to hook up attachments, but since I haven't yet bought my tractor I don't have a way to try it out.

Good. You haven't made a major mistake yet! Watch this video. All attachments go on and off this easy.;)

But seriously, I see no problem with your idea. Wheel chocks will get you close to the right place each time. As long as they don't get moved between uses, of course. :rolleyes: I think the most important thing you can do to make it easier to hook up your 3pt implements is to park them on level ground. Then, when you back up to them, try as best you can to line up the lift arms with the pins. You can see them fairly well from the seat of most tractors, but you have to strain your neck to do it.
 
 
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