Another Bushhogging Question

[Flatheadyoungin]

Well, here's another one of my questions.......

I remember reading in another post, somewhere, about the top link on a brush cutter.

Well, after I repaired that old 5' rotary cutter I've hooked it up several times. When I go to take it off, it seems like it's under pressure.......tight on all of the points. On my old 8N, I'd just lower or raise the 3pt. hitch to loosen it. That doesn't seem to work with this TC45. I had never hooked a rotary cutter up to my 8N before.

If I look on King Kutter's website, I see there is another set of flat plate steel that the top link hooks to. I assume this allows the cutter to pivot at the top3pt. hitch. I'm thinking this would eliminate how ridgid it is.

Am I crazy, here?

 

[JoeinTX]

Tough to really grip your question here, but, I've noticed that on a lot of newer tractors that the 3-pt/top link "sway" is much less than on older machines.

It's no big deal to hook up the shredder or whatever to the 8n or NAA......but it's a half-hour long ordeal with the newer Kubota or whatever. There seems to be more play in all parts of the 3-pt versus the newer tractors.


As for the top-link, KK has a "travelling" top-link arm on their cutters....supposed to let the shredder rotate and move over the terrain. If you mount it wrong or leave it out of the assembly it does tend to throw its use out of whack and even damage the wrest of the attachment assembly.


Not a big fan of the loose top link.....too much play and vibration and loose things flopping about. I can go back and cut those parts with a relatively solid rig after that fact.......that is afterall what a mounted unit is about.

 

[jimmysisson]

I and many others just use a length of chain in place of the top link. It allows the cutter to follow the contours without stressing the 3-point linkage. Adjust so it'll lift the rear wheel a foot or so on level ground. Haven't had any problems with that system, using it 4-5 years now.
Jim

 

[Soundguy]

Not sure what you are asking.. most toplinks I see are turnbuckle adjustable.. if your toplink is under tension or compression.. just loosedn it if you want to take it of.

and ditto what the other psoter said about the Kk having that extra piece that allows some sway when mowing uneven terain. if it is missing.. it makes everything too rigid.

soundguy

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

yeah, i know i'm not describing it very well...

it's hard to get the hog on to the tractor......seems like i read that most other's on here have the same problem......i think the 8N did have a LOT more play which made this easier.......

however, when i go to lower it, it won't go all the way down sometimes....like the attachment is under pressure....or binding.....

when i go to take the attachment off, i have to use a crowbar and you can tell the arms are under pressure, etc.........it's almost like the hog is rigid to the tractor, other than going up and down.....

the buddy i bog this old hog off of bent the arms on his tractor and now i'm wondering if this is what warped the whole top housing (if you recall my repair thread)......and he ordered a new wheel because he bent it.......i'm gonna assume this all happened because he didn't have the flexible top link and when he when in to a ravine (perpendicular??) it put LOTs of stress on the 3 point system........

hmmmmm.....

 

[Soundguy]

If the lift pins are not in the same plane, or are not perpendicular to their mounting bars on the A-frame.. then yeah.. you might get binding.. i fthe toplink is too long.. it can make it hard to take off as well... Rigid toplinks on mowers are not great.. that's why most have a flex joint built in.

Usually implement hookup time is an experience issue. IE.. the newer you are at it.. the longer it takes. The more times you do it.. the better it gets.

when i got my 1st tractor I remember taking 20-30 mins to get a 5' hog on a 30 hp tractor. I can now hitch a 10' hog to a 70 hp tractor and be heading out to the pasture in under a minute... Just takes practice as long as all the parts are in good order..

soundguy

 

[rcowan]

I and many others just use a length of chain in place of the top link. It allows the cutter to follow the contours without stressing the 3-point linkage. Adjust so it'll lift the rear wheel a foot or so on level ground. Haven't had any problems with that system, using it 4-5 years now.
Jim

Jim would you elaborate (pics maybe) on the chain as a top link. My Modern has the extra (floating?) connection for the top link. It was confusing to me at first.

Thanks
Roland

 

[Soundguy]

If you have a floating toplink.. you can already accomplish much of what a chain toplink does.

A chain toplink usually is not much more than a length of chain with ends setup so that it will mate with the implement and the tractor.. when you lift the implement, it is in tension and allows you to pick up the implement.. however it can relaxe and never goes into compression, like a rigid toplink would.. the flex links work similar but do alow rigid compresion after some give. Some people slide a length of pipe over their chain to give it a rigid point as well.

I'm not a fan of a chain toplink as it will do nothing to -help- forestall a rear flip like a rigid or semi rigid toplink would do.

soundguy

 

[rcowan]

Thanks Soundguy

That rear flip up sounds real unfriendly!!
Roland

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

i ordered a flex top link from king kutter for my bush hog.....it came in, i just haven't had a chance to put it on.......

thanks for the help....

i see why something like this is needed, now....

 

[RobJ]

Her is a pic of the floating top link. The guy I bought my tractor/FM/bushhog from must have not figured it out and welded it together. After a few joy rides and reading here...I fixed it.

To understand how it works, picture mowing a ditch, and going across the ditch (not along the ditch). As the tractor crosses the bottom and moved up the other side, the flex will allow the mower to move up (think of forming a U). With the rigid link, the rear wheels will want to come off the ground while doing this. Then when the tractor gets to the top of the hill, the flex link will tighten up, hit a stop point and usually the rear wheel of the bush hog will come off the ground. No damage in that happening. If I'm mowing even slightly uneven ground, bumps and stuff, the flex link is in constant motion.

and some pics...

Oh in case you are wondering, that 1" 16ga square tubing I first put on there didn't last long. It got mangled. I cut it off and replaced it with some solid bar.

 

[rcowan]

That's a very similar set-up to mine. I just didn't know what it was
Mine still has the top hole on the main mount and the floating is under it. The floating is narrower and uses a shorter pin than the top hole.

Thanks
Roland

 

[mlauk]

The Bush Hog manual says to set it roughly down at 45 degrees in the mowing position.

 

[RobJ]

I tried mine without the stop on it, it just didn't seem to work right. I went back to the KK manual and the link clearly shows a stop bar.

Rob

 

[jimainiac]

Our rotary cutters have the pivoting top link. When I get ready to mow, I raise the cutter to mowing height, then adjust the tractor's top link so the pivoting link is halfway between the front and back stops. That lets the mower float equally up and down over uneven ground. When I get ready to load the tractor on the trailer, I shorten the tractor's top link before I raise up the cutter, for maximum height.

 

[RobJ]

I did some mowing one some rough ground this weekend. As others have done I removed the top link. A lot less jerking back there. Only downside the mower would bottom out on some rolling bumps.

Rob