Should limited hyd. top link range be biased to longer or shorter?

[jjeff]

Thanks again. Unfortunately both locations where I can attach the top link to the mower are slotted on the mower. They claim they slot them for "float", but I thought a 3 point hitch was floating by nature anyway (when all the way down).

Weight of implement is only three point implement down pressure in my tractors I do use draft control when mowing and not the traditional up down tph control. On a older rotary mower I use I've had good results using my hydraulic top link tilting the deck slightly back cuz it helps prevent the sides of deck from digging in the field and the blades digging up soil.

 

[scootr]

Thank you sir. By "downward", do you mean tilted like my photo, or the opposite way?

Tilt refers the the rear of the box. 90% of the box work is done moving forward hence the box would be flat to cut or rip if equipped and tilted back to smooth

 

[jjeff]

2 pages already, wow. I installed some Pat's EZ Hitch adapters, at the same time I installed a hydraulic top link. I measured and the Pats moved the pins back 4 inches, so I bought a longer top link than my stock one. I found that is isn't a 1:1 ratio regarding the top link, and I could barely pick up my landscape rack high enough to clear things, so I sold the new longer hydraulic top link and ordered one with the same stroke as the stock manual one. 2 years later, no issues. So for me, stock length, or slightly shorter would be fine.

I moved pats to my 2850 when I got a quick hitch for my 4150 made my hydraulic top link on the 2850 less useful cuz it was to short for what I needed it to do on certain implements so I added an extension on implements that needed it to make them useful to me again.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

All I know is that fully retracted or extended, my HYD top link far exceeds what my implements would require. Your photo looks as if you really don’t want to sacrifice fully extended length for your flail at all. Nobody really ever uses fully retracted positions of their top link. Ive never seen it

 

[WinterDeere]

The issue with basing your operating range on the OEM manual top link is that about 50% of the top links provided by the OEM are WRONG.

Yep... that's what I was saying, way back in post #4:

...not trusting the OEM or dealer really put such effort into selecting the original.

FWIW, the implement for which I've used the most top link "range" is my 3-point pallet forks. All sorts of articulation required to get under and through things you're picking up, with those. These are very handy when the thing you're lifting is a little too heavy for FEL-mounted forks.

 

[jjeff]

All I know is that fully retracted or extended, my HYD top link far exceeds what my implements would require. Your photo looks as if you really don’t want to sacrifice fully extended length for your flail at all. Nobody really ever uses fully retracted positions of their top link. Ive never seen it

I had to hence my crude but functional implement extension

 

[AnotherBueller]

Would have loved top and tilt but my tractor only has two rear valves, and I need one for the hydraulic shift on my mower! Maybe some day I'll add the electronic diverter ($$$) to get 3.

Contact Brian@ fitrite hydraulics. I would bet he can tell you how to make your system work with a top N tilt setup, maybe a diverter valve. Brian will know. Bought my Top n Tilt kit from him, great kit.

 

[WinterDeere]

Would have loved top and tilt but my tractor only has two rear valves, and I need one for the hydraulic shift on my mower! Maybe some day I'll add the electronic diverter ($$$) to get 3.

I just skipped the tilt. Not much use for that, in my applications, anyway. But the hydraulic top link is endlessly useful.

If I were you, I'd keep one of your two rear remotes for the mower, the other for hydraulic top link.

 

[David in KY]

One more consideration:

If you ever replace the 3PH lower balls with Euro style hooks, you might want to bias towards a longer top link. The body of the hooks is about an inch and a half longer than the ball section it replaces.

 

[jjeff]

I just skipped the tilt. Not much use for that, in my applications, anyway. But the hydraulic top link is endlessly useful.

If I were you, I'd keep one of your two rear remotes for the mower, the other for hydraulic top link.

A hydraulic top link also works great using it on a quick hitch to hook implements for me anyway.