Attaching implement with hydraulic top link

[grsthegreat]

i have a cab tractor and hydraulic levers for the rear remotes are where my knees would be. so i made a simple EMT pole with a bend at the end. i open rear window and i can adjust the top link with the pole i made. eazy peazy. takes a few seconds to hook up.

 

[ctgoldwing]

I have Fit Rite's TNT and Brian also offers a Euro style quick attach for the top link. It just drops over the ball on the implement and snaps closed.

My implements are not stored in a level area. I just back up adjust the tilt just below the bottom pins and lift. Pats does all the work. Then its just a matter of extending or retracting the hydraulic top link and dropping it on the ball.

When you are old you look for easy

 

[BackRoad]

I have Fit Rite's TNT and Brian also offers a Euro style quick attach for the top link. It just drops over the ball on the implement and snaps closed.

My implements are not stored in a level area. I just back up adjust the tilt just below the bottom pins and lift. Pats does all the work. Then its just a matter of extending or retracting the hydraulic top link and dropping it on the ball.

When you are old you look for easy

Mr. CTGoldwing, you mention "the ball" in your post. Any chance of getting a picture? I'm not familiar with a ball on the top link...sounds interesting.

 

[Cycledude]

I am also a hydraulic top link owner, yes it weighs about 3 times more than a standard top link but that’s really not much of an issue for me. All the advantages definitely make it a very worthwhile investment.

 

[ptsg]

Mr. CTGoldwing, you mention "the ball" in your post. Any chance of getting a picture? I'm not familiar with a ball on the top link...sounds interesting.

The top link with the hook and ball setup goes along with the lower link hooks and ball setup. It's a great quick hitch setup.

Here is the top link with the hook and ball. There also hydraulic top links like this available and just the weld on hooks as well.

Here is lower link setup:

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Just got a new land plane and love how it dresses my long gravel driveway (Have read about them here for years and finally bit the bullet). I am considering getting a hydraulic top link but didn’t know how you hook it up to the implement.
Thanks to TBN I have pats easy change hooks and love how I can set width for different implements. Normally, I back up and let vertical part of pats square up implement before raising lift arms to connect, then jump off and hook up mechanical top link. I’ve read with hydraulic top link, the order is:
extend it
connect it to implement top
use it to pull implement to lift arms.

Or do you put it in float and then manually push pull to get alignment after lift arms are connected?

Sorry for stupid question. I just don’t want to buy a new hydraulic top link and later find out it is more trouble than a it’s worth.

Also, since we are here, I have a joystick controller on my jd 5500. Will I be able to feather it or do I need flow restrictors to smooth it out? I only use hydraulics on lift wheels of offset plow so not a finesse game there.

I read some of debate on using float vs having pilot control valves. I have lots of hills so thinking no pilot valves and use float.

Well, thanks in advance for the advice. I have gotten lots of great tips here - flail mover (stored on furniture dollies), pat easy hooks, lpgs, the locking tip for grease gun, bungy on top link to support pto shaft when connecting, 3pt post hole digger storage and most of all safety tips. Be safe out there.

We've had one around here almost thirty years.

 

[ctgoldwing]

Mr. CTGoldwing, you mention "the ball" in your post. Any chance of getting a picture? I'm not familiar with a ball on the top link...sounds interesting.

ptsg posted a pretty good pic. Here is a finished pic of my installation:

On each implement that you want to use it with you need to put a ball on the top link pin and just leave it there.

 

[Williy]

Is the harbor freight quick hitch any good?

willy

 

[Fallon]

Is the harbor freight quick hitch any good?

willy

All cheap QHes are the same. Harbor Freight, Northern Tool, Speeco, etc. Land Pride & John Deere may be better quality.

Good? They are amazingly cheap for what they are & generally pretty OK.

I'm on my 5th. 1st sold with my old tractor. 2nd was welded to a SSQA plate for a plow mount & sold with the old plow & tractor. 3rd was acquired for a friend & their tractor. 4th is on my L4060 now. 5th was acquired at a garage sale & welded to another SSQA plate for moving impliments with the loader. Of all of those, only the one one on my L4060 has issues. 2 cracks where the lift hooks hit the vertical frame. I run a very heavy 1,700lbs flail, so it's taken a pretty good pounding. I'm debating whether to weld it up or replace it. Also debating if I just see how long it lasts with the cracks.

As likely to get another cheap one as try a better Land Pride for once. No matter what I'm sticking with a QH. They just make life with TnT so easy never having to get off the machine. Harder to hitch up a PTO shaft with them in the way though.

 

[mikester]

Is the harbor freight quick hitch any good?

willy

Only good for half my implements, you may need new PTO shafts, it will likely interfere with the PTO shafts on some of your implements. I had to modify mine to give added clearance.

I'd love to convert my setup to the euro ball type ends.