Adding euro three point hooks

[Cycledude]

Here's a photo on the JD lower draft link . I'm not going to take the implement off, but it is obvious how long the telescoping lower draft link is. The internal telescoping part is a solid 1.5" square bar that extends the length of that tube up to the weld down at the tip of the tape.
Usable length is closer to two feet than one, but it gets shakey after about 20" of extension.
rScotty

Thanks for your reply.
Exactly what model is that John Deere tractor ?

 

[rScotty]

Thanks for your reply.
Exactly what model is that John Deere tractor ?

It's a JD model 530 utility. A 30 hp utility tractor with the factory wide front, small FEL loader, rear remotes, & power steering. Nice tractor.

The telescoping lower arms were an option on a lot of tractors at the time, and maybe still are. I think they were standard on this model but we are the second owner so not sure about that.

Telescoping certainly makes hooking up implements easy. In use, we just back up close enough to manually extend the arms until they slide onto the implement pins. Then backng up a little more causes the arms to shorten until they automatically latch at normal length.
rScotty

 

[Cycledude]

TractorData.com John Deere 530 tractor information

www.tractordata.com

 

[rScotty]

TractorData.com John Deere 530 tractor information

www.tractordata.com

Yes, that sure doesn't look very utility to me. Tractordata.com is usually very accurate. I've never seen one with that narrow row-crop front end. It wouldn't work well in our mountainous country here. I think at the time tractors could be ordered with all kinds of options depending on where sold.

 

[LouNY]

Most of the time utility meant that it came with a wide front and often shorter rear tires.

 

[Cycledude]

Most of the time utility meant that it came with a wide front and often shorter rear tires.

I’m wondering if maybe “utility” isn’t the correct name, I know International Harvester used utility but I’m not so sure John Deere used the same name ? Quite a few John Deere 530 row crop tractors show up in my searches but absolutely no utilities.

 

[LouNY]

I believe JD used Standard (often wide fronts, no 3 point), Row Crop (often narrow or single wheel but also wide) and Utility (wide fronts)

 

[Cycledude]

Lots of different 530’s but utility is never mentioned

TractorData.com John Deere 530 tractor photos information

www.tractordata.com

 

[rScotty]

Lots of different 530’s but utility is never mentioned

TractorData.com John Deere 530 tractor photos information

www.tractordata.com

I'll have to look in the original parts manual - I do have it as it came with the tractor. It's out in the barn somewere, Also the ops manual. I'll copy the page later today.

As I remember, the 530 could be ordered with a variety of different front ends. I don't know if it it was offered with a fixed width wide front, But the adjustable width front was locally popula for hillsides. That front end included a special steering linkage iadjustable to accomodate whatever width the front tires are set up for.
The rear wheels are also adjustable for width by means of a rack and pinion on the very widerear axles. I think that was called 'power adjust" or something like that. It's also in the ops manual .

In fact, the entire tractor can be set up to be so wide I doubt it could be tipped even on a slope.

Now I wish we had the original sales order form Wouldn't that be interesting!

rScotty

 

[orangetree]

I wonder if those hooks are as convenient as telescoping 3pt arms. Discovering telescoping 3pt arms and also discovering hand crank gearing for the lift links and top link sure did ease the work of changing implements for us. Especially with heavy cat II implements.
rScotty

I can't figure out what you mean by "hand crank gearing" - could you describe more or share a pic? Thanks!

 

[orangetree]

So you need some of these. For your tractor you could go with either the straight cat 1 hooks or the cat 1-2 hooks.
Then it is also nice to have a top link to go along with the lower hooks.

Like ptsg mentioned, you can do the fabrication, or ship the extendable ends to me for fabrication.

I have lower hooks from you, ~two years later I'm welding them up now I am also doing top-link now, and figure I'd regret not getting a hook for the top.

Looking through all the pictures, how do folks keep the top hook aligned while unattached? It's on a cylinder, so free-rotating right? Or as a practical matter does it just stay in the correct orientation?

 

[tacticalturnip]

I can't figure out what you mean by "hand crank gearing" - could you describe more or share a pic? Thanks!

Here you go!

 

[HybridVigor]

I have lower hooks from you, ~two years later I'm welding them up now I am also doing top-link now, and figure I'd regret not getting a hook for the top.

Looking through all the pictures, how do folks keep the top hook aligned while unattached? It's on a cylinder, so free-rotating right? Or as a practical matter does it just stay in the correct orientation?

The top link cylinder can rotate as long as there is no pressure on it. I rarely need to adjust mine.

I just added a hook end for the top link about a month ago and so far I like it.

 

[LouNY]

I have a rope attached to the disconnect of the top link hook, when the top link is disconnected the rope is what is holding it.

 

[rScotty]

Here you go!

Thanks tacticalT. The Kioti way of doing the gear and crack adjustable lifting links is a little different than the JD version, but both do the same thing.

Instead of using a turnbuckle and locking nuts to adjust the lifting link length, there is a simple hand crank driving a worm drive gear.
rScotty
It's mechanical rather than hydraulic, but has tremendous mechanical advantage & convenience.

 

[tacticalturnip]

It's so much better than the turnbuckle; it's worth the money for the upgrade if you don't go with a top and tilt.

 

[orangetree]

how did you choose the length range of your cylinder?

It seems the cylinder travel will necessarily be less than my top-link's adjustability:

• the top euro hook reduces the available travel by an inch or three (it's just physically longer than the normal ball)
• a hydraulic cylinder is not simply going to have a shorter adjustment range, given the range taken up around the seals on each end outside the ports.

Further, unsurprisingly the available cylinder ranges are not "perfectly centered" around my particular average length (seems to be around 25", out of a total top link range of 18-30") - so I'll have choose the 7-10" travel I get from the cylinder either in the shorter or longer part of my current 18-30".

Complicating things, today my lower links (telescoping) are ~28" pin to pin, but I am probably going to swap in fixed stock links, which are shorter, I believe - so while today I generally keep the top link around 25", it seems I can/should bring that in some.

Solutions that provide the cake as eat it, too will get the most upvotes Thanks!

(hope I'm not hijacking the thread, happy to make a new one to ask if that's better)

 

[LouNY]

You may end up needing more then one top link if that much variance is required.
This outfit has quite a selection; Spare Parts Holland: CAT 1

 

[Hay Dude]

I have a rope attached to the disconnect of the top link hook, when the top link is disconnected the rope is what is holding it.
View attachment 3217744

Lou is that top link Cat 1 or Cat 2?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Lou is that top link Cat 1 or Cat 2?

Cat 1 is what it says in the print with both ends having 3/4" holes. I doubt that the hook end has a 1 3/4" wide implement ball though.