7040 Questions

CHDinCT · Oct 1, 2010

TnT vs Hydraulic Top Link (HTL): TnT is short for top and tilt meaning you replace your manually adjustable top and side links on your 3PH with hydraulic cylinders allowing you to adjust the fore/aft angle of an implement via the top link (in/out) and your left/right angle via the hydraulic side link (up/down). HTL is one half of TnT being just the hydraulic top link piece. Two rear remotes would allow you to add TnT (2 circuits) where as having just a HTL takes one circuit.

Third function on the loader would allow you to add something like a grapple where you'd need the existing 2 circuits for the boom (lift/drop) and curl, then a 3rd function to open and close the grapple jaws. The other example given is putting a hydraulically angled plow on the front of your FEL, then using the 3rd function for left/right angling.

So as TripleR wisely proffers, consider your needs carefully. Adding these functions now is less expensive if you really will use them, otherwise, they're just "expensive options", the money for which might have been better spent on implements.

gwdixon · Oct 1, 2010

With the remote hydraulics to the front you have all of the options on the front QA that a skid steer can run. Post hole diggers, grapples (as stated), 4-way buckets, brushes, and too many others to remember. You do have to make sure that the gpm of the tractor will run the particular skid steer implement.

The TnT is invaluable for a box blade and any other kind of grading or smoothing attachment. If you plow it is a godsend. Is it absolutely necessary - no, but you'll thank yourself every use.

Maybe you can start a new thread since the M8540 is now at the top of your list and perhaps that will draw more interest from those owners.

TripleR · Oct 1, 2010

gwdixon said:
With the remote hydraulics to the front you have all of the options on the front QA that a skid steer can run. Post hole diggers, grapples (as stated), 4-way buckets, brushes, and too many others to remember. You do have to make sure that the gpm of the tractor will run the particular skid steer implement.

The TnT is invaluable for a box blade and any other kind of grading or smoothing attachment. If you plow it is a godsend. Is it absolutely necessary - no, but you'll thank yourself every use.

Maybe you can start a new thread since the M8540 is now at the top of your list and perhaps that will draw more interest from those owners.

That is why a person needs to know what they are going to do with the tractor. We have yet to put anything on our 3-point. We use a Woods DS1260 pull type rotary cutter. We have a 3-point Woods 121 we will probably use some day, but TnT won't help that. We do all of our road maintenance with a 10 foot pull type scraper. We may use or back blade some day, but it doesn't take long to adjust that.

We have a PHD that just gathers dust.

I do have a hydraulic top link on my L5030 which I consider a must have, but doubt I will ever put the "tilt" on; maybe, maybe not.

If possible all of these options should be tried before buying as that will help more than anything any of us can say.

MtnViewRanch · Oct 1, 2010

ColoradoDan said:
Thank you for the insight. OK, please school me. You know a heck of a lot more than I do about this stuff. I'm trying to learn as much as possible before pulling the trigger. Don't want to make any mistakes

I understand the advantage of the hydraulic self leveling loader. Please expand on the reason for adding a remote for the loader. What applications would require this?

I would love to learn more about the need for the third remote. I am confused about TnT vs. hydraulic top link. I don't know much about either and why I would want one vs. the other. I also don't know the cost difference between the two.

Thanks again for your help. This site is a great resource.

Dan, do you have an idea of what implements that you will need to complete the tasks that you are going to try and accomplish? If not, what are the tasks that you are wanting to accomplish?

I know that you have a some acreage and have about 3000' of road-driveway to take care of. Does your property have a lot of trees and or brush such that clean up is in the future? Perfect for using a grapple of some sort to help with that chore. Much more efficient than getting off of the tractor and hand stacking into a loader bucket and hoping nothing falls off as you transport the trash to your dumping area.

As far as your roads, the best single implement to have is questionable, sort of depends on the terrain the roads go through-over. But road maintenance is where Top and Tilt hydraulics shine. I maintain a little over 2 miles of roadways and have 4 different implements to do just that. While a person could get by with any of the 4, each one has a specific task that it is better at than the others.

I feel that a rear blade would be a must if you have ditches along side of your roads. When you are grading with a rear blade, it is very nice to be able to angle the blade using a rear remote vs stopping, getting off of the tractor and manually setting the angle and or offset of the blade. When you have hydraulic control of these functions, you find yourself making adjustments as you need them vs just getting by with whatever you have it set at as is very common with manual adjust implements.

A box blade is great when you have a high spot or area that needs to be shaved off. The box blade is great for moving material from one area to another providing that it is a reasonable distance of course. It is very nice to have hydraulic actuated rippers which is where that 3rd rear remote comes in.

I feel that the twin blade road grader blades are the single best implement to maintain the surface of our roads. Simple to use and is great for taking care of all the little imperfections that come along with most dirt roads.

I use a landscape rake the least of all, but when it is used it is mostly for final dressing-clean up of our roads. Roads always look great after using a landscape rake.

Something that you need to keep in mind is that with the size of tractor that you are looking at, all of your implements are going to need to be in the heavy duty range. I'm not saying that it is just rated heavy duty, I have seen a 500lb box blade that was 8' wide and rated heavy duty:laughing:, it is not. A heavy duty box blade for your tractor would be in excess of 1000lbs.

You should be able to get both hydraulics and hose sets for a complete "TnT" set for about $800 shipped to your door step. Hope that some of this can help, please ask any more questions that you might have. :thumbsup: