3-Point Hitch Questions/Observations operating my 3pt Hitch - Won't stay up!

[MossflowerWoods]

First of all, I automatically assume either I am doing it wrong, or I don't understand how it is supposed to work, and am doing it wrong...

That is because even as I am at almost 100 hours in 10 months, I'm still a n00b at tractoring.

Here is the deal, when driving around my property between locations I want to work in, my bush hog kept dropping down, not all the way, but a little bit. it would bounce a little and move from all the way up (10) down to 7 or so where the drag wheel just touches. My stump grinder does this also, not as often, somewhat related to this I am POSITIVE my top link loosens itself and spins around extending itself when I'm not looking.

Anyway, this was a real PITA when I was hogging, I needed to keep the cutter well up over any potential stumps or debris piles I could not see in the slash field. I had set it up so (7) was perfect and about an 8" cut. But it WOULD NOT STAY there. I tried the little lock nut thing, but it would not stay tight either, so I kept on checking it, over and over, and holding it with my hand, and going pretty slow actually.

Now, specific to Kioti, my 3pt also has a lever to operate it from the rear while I'm attaching/removing something it is real handy, but if I fully raise it, it only goes to ~(8) and I need to raise it the rest of the way from the seat (Or reach up and over and grab the lever by the seat).

What am I doing wrong, or misunderstanding here?

My though is, once I get my ballast/tool box built, will it be dropping and dragging all the time? What about when I'm driving on the road to go bush hog somewhere, I don't want to drag the cutter on the road.

I can't figure out why the HYD won't just keep the danged thing wherever I set it. But Gravity is The Law, so...

Thanks in advance. Slowly but surely Univ. of TBN is making me less n00b every day...

Be well & Happy 4th!
David

 

[phiferpharm]

I notice the same problem with my Kioti and it also happened with my FarmTrac. I think I resolved the issue by getting a hydraulic Top Link from Brian (MtnviewRanch). I haven't hooked it up yet- got delayed on servicing and having the second remote put on - but it should allow me to tilt my Bush Hog up enough so even of the lower links sag, it will keep the wheel off the ground. I also screwed the pressure adjustment knob below the seat to add more pressure, and that seemed to help.

 

[Gary Fowler]

That knob below the seat is not a pressure knob, it just adjusts the flow of fluid thru the system when lowering so it either drops slow (tighten ) or fast (loosen) You should never tighten it all the way down as it will damage the valve orings if you try to lift something with the adjustment screwed all the way tight.
Your obvious problem is a leaking valve seat on the 3 pH lift arms and for some reason the hydraulic system is not responding by picking it back up. someone said that Kubotas with the 1/4 inching system would lead down like that and you had to more the lift lever to get it to pick back up which is a rotten system. A tractor 3 PH should maintain the height even if the cylinders leak down and maintain the height within an inch or so. I damaged the system on my Yanmar when that drop speed adjustment got fully tightened somehow and I kept trying to make it raise. By the time I realized what was wrong, a seal or seat had been damaged in the lift valve so it always leaked down quickly as soon as the motor was shut off. During operation, it just bumps up and leaks down constantly but the hydraulics will push it back up each time it leaks down about an inch.
Your tractors may not have position control although i would think that a 45/50 HP tractor would have it. Talk to your dealer about the problem as it should keep the lift at set position as long as the engine is running for sure. MY LS will hold an implementi in the raised position on the 3 PH forever(3 months for sure as that is long as I have left it setting) and not leak down.

 

[Bigfoot62]

David,
If you are having problems keeping it up, you should talk to your doctor. They have medication for that.
(sorry, but that was too easy to pass up)

Seriously, is the 3ph leaking down or is the control lever moving? That is two very different problems.

 

[k0ua]

David I don't know what the problem is, but I will assure you the lever should never move and the top link should not move either.. My DK35se (nearly the same tractor) has all the same exact features yours does and it does not move. My typical implement on the rear is a 750 lb ballast barrel but I can work for hours and it never moves. As for the rear 3pt lever, only going to an 8 instead of all the way to a 10. I did not notice that on mine, but I will check again and get back to you.

James K0UA

 

[phiferpharm]

That knob below the seat is not a pressure knob, it just adjusts the flow of fluid thru the system when lowering so it either drops slow (tighten ) or fast (loosen) You should never tighten it all the way down as it will damage the valve orings if you try to lift something with the adjustment screwed all the way tight.
Your obvious problem is a leaking valve seat on the 3 pH lift arms and for some reason the hydraulic system is not responding by picking it back up. someone said that Kubotas with the 1/4 inching system would lead down like that and you had to more the lift lever to get it to pick back up which is a rotten system. A tractor 3 PH should maintain the height even if the cylinders leak down and maintain the height within an inch or so. I damaged the system on my Yanmar when that drop speed adjustment got fully tightened somehow and I kept trying to make it raise. By the time I realized what was wrong, a seal or seat had been damaged in the lift valve so it always leaked down quickly as soon as the motor was shut off. During operation, it just bumps up and leaks down constantly but the hydraulics will push it back up each time it leaks down about an inch.
Your tractors may not have position control although i would think that a 45/50 HP tractor would have it. Talk to your dealer about the problem as it should keep the lift at set position as long as the engine is running for sure. MY LS will hold an implementi in the raised position on the 3 PH forever(3 months for sure as that is long as I have left it setting) and not leak down.

I get your point Gary and I don't have it cranked completely. The DK's do have both levers, and I actually turned it up some at the suggestion of one of the other members due to getting a chatter ( kinda like what I think some of the Kubotas have) and noticed less problems with it dropping. That may have just been a coincidence.

The reason for adding the hyd. top link was twofold: better (or at least easier) adjustment without getting off the tractor, and if I have the Bush Hog on the rear and raise it up, the BH will actually hit the PTO shaft and bow it.

David mentions he thinks his TopLink is loosening and I'm thinking he believes it is actually unscrewing on lt's own. That may be possible I guess, but there is a back -nut behind the Top Link screw you can use to at least help stop that from occuring. He is correct that the lever located on the back of the tractor does not provide full movement, but from what I can see, that is because it is only operating the up/down lever, not the pressure lever. Take a look at your levers while operating the remote lever on the back and you will see what I mean. I haven't noticed my levers vibrating from the set position while operating the tractor, but everything on my DK is still very tight. Maybe the lever itself needs to be tightened.

 

[JoeinTX]

"If you are having problems keeping it up, you should talk to your doctor. They have medication for that..."

Yes, just head down to the local NAPA/O'Reilly/AutoZone/etc. With a wink and knowing nod ask the guy behind the counter for "tractor Viagra" and he'll know exactly what you're looking for.

"Seriously, is the 3ph leaking down or is the control lever moving? That is two very different problems..."

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing as it wasn't clear to me from your original post.

 

[RoyJackson]

First of all, I automatically assume either I am doing it wrong, or I don't understand how it is supposed to work, and am doing it wrong...

David

Boy...you're having a bad week, David...stump grinder yesterday...now your 3PH.
First thing I'd check is the hydraulic fluid level, but I think you may have internal leakage. However, your Kioti is pretty new and it may be a warranty fix, so don't tear it apart.

 

[mikehaugen]

It sounds from your post that the lever is physically moving. Also sounds like from another post that your rear lever is just another lever that is somehow mechanically connected to your main lever? If that is the case are you sure there isn't a chain or something else that is hanging and bouncing against that rear lever? Sounds stupid but I could see it happening.

As far as your top link goes, I usually use a pin or some piece of metal that's handy to tap the "locking nut" against the turnbuckle. Not sure if that is what's it's designed for but the shape of it is kind of inviting to do such a thing. I don't beat the heck out of it but enough that I can't get it unlocked by hand.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Dave . By any chance do you have the "Draft control" lever in a working position and not locked out? If so the tractor maybe trying to follow the ground with your BH even when you have it raised.