How to adjust draft control to minimum sensitivity on Massey Ferguson 4225 tractor for attachable backhoe?

[loggin]

I really wrestled with which holes in the tractor top link bracket to use for the for the backhoe attachment. The manual clearly states to use the pair of holes closest to the draft spring, which in the case of Massey tractors, would be the top pair of holes in the bracket.

However, using the top holes will give more spring action, thus more movement, which is undesirable from an operator point of view. But I think the backhoe manufacturer surmised that the pair of holes closest to the draft spring is the most rugged place in the top link bracket to pin the backhoe vs. the castings which hold the lower portion of the tractor top link bracket. The castings on a Massey tractor don't look that rugged to me.

I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but the lower portion of the top link bracket has two castings inside the ears of the lower portion of the top link bracket. Those two castings hold the lower portion of the top link bracket on the tractor. They don't look super strong to me. I think your tractor you pictured earlier is a bit different?

View attachment 781038

I've chosen the top pair of holes because if the guts inside the draft spring break, it's the easiest to replace, vs the casting on the tractor which holds the lower portion of the top link bracket on the tractor.

I'm still not 100% sure I like pinning the backhoe to the very top pair of holes, but it does make some sense.

Is there any way you could attach the top link to the 2 big lobes that are on either side of the draft control bracket? That would eliminate draft control and looks a lot stronger as well. I have to say I am not a big fan of 3pt hitch backhoes unless it is a small backhoe attached to a very large tractor. Subframe is the way to go!!

Just a thought.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Could you explain that further? I'd be really interested in how you fixed that. I can't picture anything in my head from the description.


What is the rooster cone on a tractor? Thanks.

Rooster cone is the multi pin hole position for a top link with many up to down positions, in your picture. Mule pulled plows also had them on front to adjust tilt of plow.

We welded a collar to the rear end housing for the lower pin on the rooster cone to go through. There is always a lower pin, even on yours. Top link not anything to do with top link is on the tractor, but there is a pin on that multi position female bracket. Ours broke the lower part that is made on the center differential housing on the tractor. Let's pretend the top link is over there in the trash can, it has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. The backhoe has a 2"x2" solid, fixed position, rigid top link, it does not move. But when that lift arm wasn't latched, something had to give. It put a twist motion on the hitch. It didn't hurt the 2" square bar, it hurt the tractor.

 

[TractorTech]

Yes. The backhoe manufacturers want both the position control and the draft control all the way down so there is NO chance the tractor will try to lift the backhoe on the 3 point.

Generally, as I don’t know your backhoe mount, but even if you put the position control in any other place but all the way down, the backhoe attaching frame won’t let the 3pt up. It will, however, put the 3pt hydraulics into constant bypass, heating up the oil and damaging the pump.