Attaching & removing 3 point implements

[Retired LE]

I posted this on another tractor forum but thought I would try it here as well.

One thing that has bugged me since getting my Mahindra 4025 is the hassle I encounter when trying to hook up (or disconnect) an attachment to (or from) the three point. The control levers for the three point are located on the right side of the seat but are too far away to reach (when standing on the ground behind the tractor) when trying to line up the lift arms with the pins on the attachment - or when trying to slide the lift arms off of the mounting pins.

I can get it close when backing up to the implement initially but it occasionally takes a bit of tweaking to get the lift arms lined up just right. If the attachment is light enough I can usually just muscle it into position - but other items like the mower deck are a bit more problematic. This becomes more of an issue when trying to slide the lift arms off of the mounting pins during removal of a heavy implement.

I think I am going to fabricate an extension control lever of some type so that I can raise and lower the lift arms from behind the tractor.

Wonder if anyone else has done this mod.

 

[CalG]

It can help a lot to set your implement on closely spaced blocks. Every tool will be different, but if you can teeter totter the implement and spin it to boot, Hitching can be less work.
I put the Tuff-line scrape blade on a couple of old brake discs about two feet apart.
Just an alternate ides...

 

[Utopia Texas]

One of the reasons I bought my New Holland 3050 last year was that it has the "extendable" lower lift arms. If I can back within 5"-6" of the implement I toggle the spring loaded ends and extend to reach the pins on the implement even if I have backed up crooked to the implement. Easy peasy. The pins to allow the arms to swing in the horizontal plane pull out and slip in easily also. This is the best and easiest set up I have seen on any tractor in the last 40 years for attaching and taking off a rear implement. I have tried the "quick change" systems on two tractors and find them a hassle. When you have 4 different sized tractors using the same implements the "quick change" systems have to be adapted to each and every tractor which is too much work for me.

 

[Retired LE]

Mine has the extendable lower lift arms as well. But I am a stickler (OCD) when it comes to having everything lined up perfectly. It bugs me when I have two holes showing on the left arm for example and only one on the right because of the way I lined the tractor up initially in relation to the implement.

 

[Gem99ultra]

One of the reasons I bought my New Holland 3050 last year was that it has the "extendable" lower lift arms. If I can back within 5"-6" of the implement I toggle the spring loaded ends and extend to reach the pins on the implement even if I have backed up crooked to the implement. Easy peasy. The pins to allow the arms to swing in the horizontal plane pull out and slip in easily also. This is the best and easiest set up I have seen on any tractor in the last 40 years for attaching and taking off a rear implement. I have tried the "quick change" systems on two tractors and find them a hassle. When you have 4 different sized tractors using the same implements the "quick change" systems have to be adapted to each and every tractor which is too much work for me.

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I'd sure love to have that feature on my Kubota L3400! Sounds too easy.

I thought for a long time it was 'required' to bust a gut changing implements. My current improvement is to put casters on the bottoms of every pallet and sit the implement down on those. That allows easy rolling into place, and lets me arrange them however I want or need to. That only works though IF you have a concrete slab to store them on, which I do have. Well - the Top N Tilt also takes a lot of the pain out of the task.

 

[Utopia Texas]

Mine has the extendable lower lift arms as well. But I am a stickler (OCD) when it comes to having everything lined up perfectly. It bugs me when I have two holes showing on the left arm for example and only one on the right because of the way I lined the tractor up initially in relation to the implement.

Once you have the implement attached have the tractor lift it off the ground, then gently push or pull sideways on the implement until it's in the centerline of the tractor, then insert the pins. the holes wil then be even on each side.

 

[Utopia Texas]

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I'd sure love to have that feature on my Kubota L3400! Sounds too easy.

I thought for a long time it was 'required' to bust a gut changing implements. My current improvement is to put casters on the bottoms of every pallet and sit the implement down on those. That allows easy rolling into place, and lets me arrange them however I want or need to. That only works though IF you have a concrete slab to store them on, which I do have. Well - the Top N Tilt also takes a lot of the pain out of the task.

The caster and pallet idea works fine unless you are talking about a 8' wide Rhino shredder that weighs 875 pounds!

 

[C4Ranch]

Once you have the implement attached have the tractor lift it off the ground, then gently push or pull sideways on the implement until it's in the centerline of the tractor, then insert the pins. the holes wil then be even on each side.

Tried this approach on my 1.2k#. No Go. Couldn't budge it.

 

[Paul Thornton]

I would hate to see you drop that implement on your feet because you can now reach those levers.

L2800 w/FEL - 72" Land Pride rake

 

[C4Ranch]

I would hate to see you drop that implement on your feet because you can now reach those levers.

L2800 w/FEL - 72" Land Pride rake

Totally agree here. I have to take a couple steps away to reach.

BUT I always try to make sure I'm wearing my steel toe boots when messing with implements.