3pth position control

[Bird]

Yep, Keoke, you're right; it would depend upon where you start. I understand your point, and agree with you; I just haven't been able to visualize a practical use for it.

Bird

 

[TomG]

A use might be compacting soil with a box scrapper. If the 3ph is lowered to ground contact, and the hydraulic top link is extended until the scrapper rides on the back blade, it might do an OK job of compacting. I don't know how it would compare with a similar use for a loader bucket bottom. The smaller surface of a scrapper rear blade may produce greater pressure per sq. inch than the larger bucket bottom. Unlike compacting with a loader, at least there would be good steering using a scrapper.

At any rate, I wasn't thinking in these terms, but I ended up compacting 4" - 5" of gravel for a 40' construction trailer pad with my scrapper. Guess it did OK. The trailer wheels didn't leave tracks when the trailer was towed into place. The JD590D hoe that moved the trailer barely left track marks.

 

[Keoke]

Bird and Mark, I will give this (center link ram push down technique) a try the next time I need more down pressure then the weight of the implement alone will give. I will be using my sub-soiler soon and that may be a good test.
Regards,
george

 

[Keoke]

Tom, I like your idea on using the bx scraper with pressure down from the center ram for packing. Tractor has a lot more weight on the rear then in the front. Looks good in principle. Will give it a shot first chance I get.
regards,
george

 

[W5FL]

Guess I look at this a little differently.

A subsoiler or any other deep running plow carries itself down with little weight on it. The biggest problem is that it carries it down too far. That is why most Ag tractors (option on many compacts) have a draft control to reduce the depth of the implement as the load gets too much for the traction of the tractor.

Getting downpressure is normally only achieved through direct weight on the implement. My box blade weighs 1000# and that is about right. You are not going to get much downpressure in a usable matter from locking the 3 point without some pretty heavy duty actuators. The rock drillers lock up the 3 point and use large hydraulic rams with sufficient power to raise the rear of a 10,000# tractor and can get 6000# downpressure if the tractor is heavy enough.

The downpressure kit available on most augers is only good for 200# or so.

I have a downpressure kit, but locking the 3 point with the valve may result in no hydraulics to the top link since the 3 point should have priority over the external valves. Even IF your tractor does not have this same priority, I don't believe it to be either feasible or very usable to use the hydraulic top link to apply down pressure to any 3 point implement. Just the up and down motion would cause you to either take a bite you couldn't pull or cause the rear wheels to lose traction.

I think the right answer is gauge wheels to keep the implement level and sufficient weight to do the proper amount of cutting.

Belaurus makes a tractor that has downpressure in the 3 point.

 

[Keoke]

Wen, I use my sub-soiler (a single tooth ripper with no shoe) to rip out small tree roots around a tree before pushing it over. Consequently, I don't travel far enough forward for the tooth to drive it self down deep. Acordingly, any down push help I can get to start the pass with is a plus.
As far as down push on a blade or scrapper goes. I agree that the implement weight is more then enough to do the job most of the time. However, they are few infrequent times, like when digging out small rocks; when a bit of extra down pressure on the blade or scrapper may keep them from climbing over something you want to cut or pull out.
regards,
george

 

[W5FL]

Ripping out tree roots with a sub soiler. That is a unique use. I thought they were intended for finding burried telephone wires.

What's a tree? /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[GaryK]

water lines are much more dramatic when you find them.

 

[MChalkley]

Well, hitting a natural gas line with a 30" PTO-powered auger is pretty special, too. Not a stunt I want to repeat any time soon, I can tell you.

Mark

 

[W5FL]

Famous words..."No one would be stupid enough to bury a telephone line six inches deep on the property line". After we drilled a hole through it, they sent a bill for $140. Took 2 months to make the bill go away after they admitted that they are required to keep them off the property lines since most rural areas put fence posts there. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif