1/4 inch - vs - position control

[coldstream]

I'm looking at a range of brands and models and am wondering how significant the difference between these 3 pt controls is. I would think that the position control would offer a more fine-tuned control but I wanted to hear some opinions of those with experience. Obviously I'm consider the Kubota B series which has 1/4 inching valve with the Bobcat, the JD and the Kubota L series which offer the position control. And, yes, I did a search back into late '09 and saw no obvious threads where this had been specifically discussed. Thanks for your input!

 

[lawn_king]

P C makes tasks like finish raking,cutting,blading,much easier and more precise. P C is like power steering, if you have never owned it, you dont know how nice it is. Once you have owned it, you cant go without it! Well worth the $$$ imho!

 

[Opti-Mist]

Precise increments of lift as controlled by the position control lever are really only important if you are doing something like very fine finish grading in a landscape application. There are pros who want increments of lift of as little as 1/8" at the blade of a box scraper to achieve their objectives. Most of us aren't capable of utilizing such precision, and most tractors don't have it either.

 

[Barneyhunts]

I have a Kubota B7800 with the quarter inching 3pt. control and a Grand L with position control and if there was some way I could retrofit the B with PC I would. If you are going to do much work with your 3 pt. I would recommend position control.

I'm looking at a range of brands and models and am wondering how significant the difference between these 3 pt controls is. I would think that the position control would offer a more fine-tuned control but I wanted to hear some opinions of those with experience. Obviously I'm consider the Kubota B series which has 1/4 inching valve with the Bobcat, the JD and the Kubota L series which offer the position control. And, yes, I did a search back into late '09 and saw no obvious threads where this had been specifically discussed. Thanks for your input!

 

[aczlan]

Precise increments of lift as controlled by the position control lever are really only important if you are doing something like very fine finish grading in a landscape application. There are pros who want increments of lift of as little as 1/8" at the blade of a box scraper to achieve their objectives. Most of us aren't capable of utilizing such precision, and most tractors don't have it either.

I have to disagree, with a position control 3 point hitch I can lift the back blade, tiller, hayrake or whatever I have back there, turn around and drop it back in place WITHOUT having to look at the implement.
I dont care about 1/8", but when raking hay (for example), I need to keep the rake in that "sweet spot" between digging into the ground and not picking up all of the hay. I can do that all day long on the L3830 that has position control. I cannot do that on the B7510 which has a 1/4" valve. With the B7510 I have to fuss with the height in every row, this cuts into my speed and how well I can rake the hayfield.

Aaron Z

 

[magicheater]

I have both an L and a B series. I read a lot about the 1/4 inching valve be- fore buying the B7800 and to date am fine with it. I till with it (all the way down), 3PT forks (up and down) and a little blade work. Nothing that requires repeatability. You do have to hold the lever until it is where you want or tap to get the inching effect. Personally I adjust the flow control and just use it normally. Whenever a Human is coupled to a machine the Human needs to program the brain to the parameters of the machine to obtain optimal results. Anyone that has done repeatable production work can attest to this, especially when the process changes and a reprogramming is necessary. Soon all these tractors will come with a remote control and seat time will end, then what will we do?.............................

 

[RalphVa]

I suspect that they're near the same. No one seems to have explained technical differences yet for you.

I'd love to have it to position the front of the brush hog on my 4010 without having to allows look back there when I drop it. My 4010 will technically do it, but the range of motion on the jack shaft is not precise enough to get the lever in the same position all the time. The newer (2320 and 2520) JDs have a MUCH longer range of motion at the jack shaft, with more markings.

I wonder on those whether my knee cannot bump the lever like it does the joy stick. Think they have a positioner that can be moved and locked in position to keep this from happening?

Ralph

 

[TripleR]

I am one of those who would pay about anything to have position control. Yes, I can live without it, but working with any 3-point implement is much easier for me with position control.

 

[WVBill]

I am one of those who would pay about anything to have position control.

Me too! On my little old B6100, the 3pt has two positions - up and down. Yes, I can control the speed it drops with the flow control - and fiddle with it to set it at a certain height. But when I get a full box / rake / blade and come to the place I want to spread the load - uh-uh. Select "up" and rhw 3pt comes all the way up - now. The flow control doesn't control the "up" speed.
So I can't really "spread" the load - it just dumps.

 

[DmansPadge]

I've always used a set of chains to keep my height the same on my tractors with the 1/4 inching valve. There is a bracket that that attaches along side the lower 3pt arms on the implement pin and a chain going up to the pin that holds the toplink to the tractor. At the toplink mount there are two more brackets that have a hole big enough for the chain to go through and a slot to slide the chain down in. That way once you get your initial height set... you can raise and lower as much as you want and it will go down to the same spot every time. Still a bit more work than position control but it achieves the same thing and it also takes the stress off the hydraulics and avoids "dropping down" as all 3 point hitches will do after a while... new tractor or not!

 

[TripleR]

I've always used a set of chains to keep my height the same on my tractors with the 1/4 inching valve. There is a bracket that that attaches along side the lower 3pt arms on the implement pin and a chain going up to the pin that holds the toplink to the tractor. At the toplink mount there are two more brackets that have a hole big enough for the chain to go through and a slot to slide the chain down in. That way once you get your initial height set... you can raise and lower as much as you want and it will go down to the same spot every time. Still a bit more work than position control but it achieves the same thing and it also takes the stress off the hydraulics and avoids "dropping down" as all 3 point hitches will do after a while... new tractor or not!

Thanks for the suggestion, do you have any pictures of your setup; clevis, bolt, hook method of attachment?

 

[DmansPadge]

Thanks for the suggestion, do you have any pictures of your setup; clevis, bolt, hook method of attachment?

I don't at the moment but I will take some Friday. The first set I had I bought. I let that set go with the tractor when I sold it and then couldn't find them to buy anymore. The best I could do was find the upper brackets that go on the toplink pin... I made the rest myself. Easy enough to do. Remind me if I don't post pics Friday!

 

[TripleR]

I don't at the moment but I will take some Friday. The first set I had I bought. I let that set go with the tractor when I sold it and then couldn't find them to buy anymore. The best I could do was find the upper brackets that go on the toplink pin... I made the rest myself. Easy enough to do. Remind me if I don't post pics Friday!

Will do, thanks.

 

[DmansPadge]

I did a little looking and found this pic of TBN user djradz's setup. Not exactly what I have but serves the same purpose.

 

[TripleR]

I did a little looking and found this pic of TBN user djradz's setup. Not exactly what I have but serves the same purpose.

Thanks, I have a place on my BX2660 to hook the chains. This will really help when using my rotary cutter.

 

[red4now]

I am one of those who would pay about anything to have position control. Yes, I can live without it, but working with any 3-point implement is much easier for me with position control.

One of the main reasons I traded in a short period of time was position control. I was wrong in thinking that even though I had been using it for my whole life on regular sized tractors that I could maybe get away with not needing it because of the extra cost. Ended up using the 3PH more than I thought I would be due to the size and versatility of the tractor and so made the switch. Lesson learned - it is cheaper to do it right away than later on - plus you get reminded by your better half on a regular basis because you upgraded in such a short time - you want to avoid that if possible since that will also cost you!

 

[DmansPadge]

TripleR,

I guess you still can get them. Here is the same setup I have.

 

[TripleR]

TripleR,

I guess you still can get them. Here is the same setup I have.

Thanks, sounds like a better way to; gonna order them today.