Bush hog cat 1 pins too wide

[bcp]

Link location:

Bruce

 

[WranglerX]

The irony of all this is if multiple users (association), do all have same issue in mounting up mower?.... If so, mod it and walk away... Can't believe this is just one tractor specific problem...

Not sure how this thread has morphed in to top link, linkage problem when It started with drawbar pins being to wide.... Lets get back on track....

Dale

 

[ovrszd]

I am sure it is assembled right and consistent with photos. And the floating swivel behavior of the linkages works too. I have seen it swivel while ferrying the mower around and it can be done by hand by pushing/pulling on the yoke when the mower is not mounted on the tractor. The various pins are bolts with bushings to allow this behavior.

Unfortunately, it seems to have been an afterthought or not properly planned into the design. They really needed to put the vertical angle iron posts a bit closer together if they were going to bolt the top yoke piece to the outside and push the pins farther apart. Or use a different type of post that would allow reversed pins to work and allow swiveling with the pins reversed.

I can't believe the manual suggests reversing the pins as a solution to this problem. That would hide 60% of the pin behind the angle iron and not leave enough exposed pin to be of any use.

My best approach now is to look for longer pins that can be reversed, but make sure that doesn't put too much bending leverage on the posts. I could weld a tab or ear onto the posts to alleviate that, and it wouldn't compromise anything.

Because of the angle iron, using longer reversed pins will take me from being 1-2" wider than cat 1, to 3-4" narrower than cat 1. Stupid.

Very well stated.

Sadly this haphazard construction is common in many brands of implements. You just got "unlucky".

 

[ovrszd]

Here's 2 more cents:
Not all lift arms are equal. Some are straight, and some have an offset/bend so they are narrower at the tire rub length and wider at their ends.

What's the current pin to pin (center point to center point) distance on the mower?

3pt arms with bends are necessary because the tractor mounting point is very narrow. Without setting the pins on the tractor at an angle, the tractor ends would be flexed to the max to get proper width at the implement end. Cheaper to put a "bend" in the arm.

 

[airbiscuit]

That seems like such a basic design error. Category 1 standards have been out there a long time. It would be interesting to go to a TSC and see if they are al set this wide, or if you got an oddball.

 

[WranglerX]

Maybe miss marked Cat 2 (marked as Cat 1)?...Cat 2 is about 6 inches wider than cat 1....

Cat 1 should be about 26 inches, Cat 2 should be about 32 inches...

Dale

 

[bcp]

Built to a standard.

Standard: That looks about right.

Bruce

 

[RickB]

Built to a standard.

Standard: That looks about right.

Bruce

The technical description is substandard.

 

[LouNY]

This is an interesting thread.
With a quick check at a few different locations there seems to be two different dimensions on the web for cat 1 hitch width, 26" or 28".

If I recall correctly the original poster is using the 26" width as the cat 1 standard.
I do believe that the actual standard is closer to 28" which is also the width that cat 1 quick hitches use.

I would guess that the brush hog in question is setup for the 28" standard.

 

[ovrszd]

The technical description is substandard.

Excellent correction Rick....