3-point hitch hitting back tires: PLEASE HELP!

[jedjoe]

BTW guys, it should go without saying, BUT...when mowing on sides of hills, watch the pitch, make sure your ROPS is up, and KEEP THAT SEATBELT ON!!! Last year, a guy in the next town over lost his life mowing on a sidehill without a ROPS and seatbelt.

 

[rayikeo2]

Thank you EVERYONE so much for helping me out here. I have a much clearer idea now about what to do. I'm especially grateful for the most recent detailed advice on centering. It makes total sense.

The mower height is already quite good but I'll make a few more adjustments to slightly lower the front for better discharge. I trimmed it to flat elevation and noticed quite a bit of debris spitting out the front of the mower, toward the tractor (and me!)

kjacob

If you need more detailed information, let us know. I can post pictures of how to adjust the turnbuckles if you need them. No implement should ever rub your tires or you will soon be buying some new rear tires. Be sure to loosen the lock nut on the turnbuckle before tightening (taking out the slack)them and then tighten the luck nut back to hold the adjustment secure.

 

[montejw]

Thank you EVERYONE so much for helping me out here. I have a much clearer idea now about what to do. I'm especially grateful for the most recent detailed advice on centering. It makes total sense.

The mower height is already quite good but I'll make a few more adjustments to slightly lower the front for better discharge. I trimmed it to flat elevation and noticed quite a bit of debris spitting out the front of the mower, toward the tractor (and me!)

kjacob

kjacob,
what k0ua wrote is right on. i own a tc30 too. i'll just add that you need to tighten the side stabilizers while the implement has been raised all the way up. i was checking mine this weekend and noticed that the side stabilizers will get tighter as the 3 point hitch is lifted, so now i'll raise the implement and tighten the stabilizers. when you lower the implement there will be some side to side movement, but it shouldn't hit the tires.

 

[djradz]

Thank you EVERYONE so much for helping me out here. I have a much clearer idea now about what to do. I'm especially grateful for the most recent detailed advice on centering. It makes total sense.

The mower height is already quite good but I'll make a few more adjustments to slightly lower the front for better discharge. I trimmed it to flat elevation and noticed quite a bit of debris spitting out the front of the mower, toward the tractor (and me!)

kjacob

Many folks swear by keeping the front an inch or so lower than the rear on a brush hog/rotary cutter. The theory is, with the front lower, you only hit/mow any one piece of grass/brush once, and so less drag than a level cut, or worse, with the rear lower than the front. Me though, I have mine about level.

 

[Caliche]

Nobody brought this up but did you check if your rear wheels are dished in or dished out?

 

[jedjoe]

He's dished in, as can be seen in the photo below, with his tc 30 on the left

 

[Boeing]

Fellas, I'm so glad to see this post. I had/have the same problem with my newly purchased Kubota L-3010. The wheels were in their full narrow setting and were rubbing at every turn or bump. I TRIED to adjust the stabilizer linkage....we'll get back to that. I eventually had the wheel plates turned around and the wheels set out 4 inches per side.....it's much more stable and stopped the rubbing.

Now, back to the stab links......Each arm has a stabilizer linkage with a pin and several holes and slots to bring the arm in or out. BUT.....where the stab linkage attaches to the axle (?) there are belt buckle looking steel links and chain link looking pieces that flip, flap, wobble and maintain all the slop that you're trying to get rid of. I tried to tighten the stab arm by shorting the arms and repinning. The blasted buckel-chain link things just swiveled instead of allowing the arm to be shortened...... I'm thinking about having these wobble links MIG WELDED to stop the slop......
As the other fellow said, every time I go on any kind of bank the bush hog "falls" to the low side and "pulls" the slop in the up side buckels straight and "collapses" the lower side slop and the "hog" is rotated left or right about 10 degrees rather than straight with the tractor..... My total "wobble" is about 8-10 inches.......all linkage buckel-chain link slop. HELP!!!!:confused2::ashamed:
HELP

 

[k0ua]

Fellas, I'm so glad to see this post. I had/have the same problem with my newly purchased Kubota L-3010. The wheels were in their full narrow setting and were rubbing at every turn or bump. I TRIED to adjust the stabilizer linkage....we'll get back to that. I eventually had the wheel plates turned around and the wheels set out 4 inches per side.....it's much more stable and stopped the rubbing.

Now, back to the stab links......Each arm has a stabilizer linkage with a pin and several holes and slots to bring the arm in or out. BUT.....where the stab linkage attaches to the axle (?) there are belt buckle looking steel links and chain link looking pieces that flip, flap, wobble and maintain all the slop that you're trying to get rid of. I tried to tighten the stab arm by shorting the arms and repinning. The blasted buckel-chain link things just swiveled instead of allowing the arm to be shortened...... I'm thinking about having these wobble links MIG WELDED to stop the slop......
As the other fellow said, every time I go on any kind of bank the bush hog "falls" to the low side and "pulls" the slop in the up side buckels straight and "collapses" the lower side slop and the "hog" is rotated left or right about 10 degrees rather than straight with the tractor..... My total "wobble" is about 8-10 inches.......all linkage buckel-chain link slop. HELP!!!!:confused2::ashamed:
HELP

Ok I dont have that kind of stabilizer, links, (wish I did) but I will take a stab at helping you as no-one else has answered yet. Start this way.
Pick a side, lets say the left side, starting on level ground, look at the rear end of the hog, and push it with your foot sideways right until it is centered on the centerline of the tractor, then put the left stabilizer pin in a hole to hole combination where all of the slop on the left side is gone, and you cannot push the hog over to the right with your foot any more. Then go over to the right side of the tractor and push on the hog sideways toward the left, and find a hole to hole combination where all of the slop is taken out of the link and put the pin in. now go around to the rear and look at the hog and see if it is centered, on the centerline of the tractor, and kick it sideways back and forth, there may be a little play, but no flopping around play. if it is not centered, then go back and forth from side to side and find another hole combination for the pin to go in that either gives or takes up slack. try that.
James K0UA

 

[jedjoe]

Boeing,

I like K0ua's suggestion (I think), but as I don't have a Kubota, I'm having a hard time visualizing that linkage. Any chance you can take some photos of the linkage and post them?

Thanks,

Jed

 

[Boeing]

I thank you for your reading and responding....like the other fellow I'm 3 weeks and 500 miles away from my tractor. I'll take some photos then. I have tried pushing the hog from side to side hoping to adjust the stab pins. What happens is that those dadburned links swing left and the other link straightens out and does not extend the stab linkage at all.......
Those swinging links are the problem......and a MIG might be the answer. I will take some pix next time though, thanks:drool: