Brand new 1735M broke after ~3hrs of use. Is this a freak occurrence?

[metalbender]

Looking again, you're right. Somehow I pictured this as the left side of the tractor. Looked at mine a couple minutes ago, arms are on the inside. Does indeed look like a weak design, any side pressure would cause failure.

 

[TheLandofSnipers]

Went and picked it back up today. Everything seems to be working properly. Put ~3 hours on it, mostly with the grapple clearing a trail in the forest. Use the box blade a bit, very carefully, slowly and with the rippers pulled all the way up.

 

[homesteader13]

Well thats progress! Keep us posted, as icky as it sounda, best to beat the heck out of it now rather than later if it fails again...
Hopefully original was just a weak casting and not design flaw.

 

[thclimer]

Glad to hear you are back using it.

 

[TheLandofSnipers]

The service guys pulled the rear end apart and just replaced the broken casting. For some reason I thought replace the entire rear end was going to be easier . . . anyway that was the fix they applied. The tech that did the work was not very pleased with the design. He advised me to keep the stabilizer arms as tight as possible.

 

[thclimer]

He advised me to keep the stabilizer arms as tight as possible.

I believe this very good advise.

They can be kept tight if you fiddle with them and pushing the implement from side to side to find the most desirable holes. More optimal would be to have a set of stabilizer arms that are threaded with a lock nut which would be infinity adjustable similar to what most tractors have for their top link.

 

[TheLandofSnipers]

More optimal would be to have a set of stabilizer arms that are threaded with a lock nut which would be infinity adjustable similar to what most tractors have for their top link.

Is this an available option?

**** my old Ford just has some chain. Ah the good old days.

 

[sixdogs]

Does anyone make some sort of retro kit that might offer a better arrangement? I've seen them for other tractors.

 

[airbiscuit]

I wouldn't trade my stabilizer arms for those #$%^ turnbuckles. If the tractor breaks with that small amount of play, there's something wrong with the tractor.

 

[thclimer]

I think we can all agree that this design of the single pin support of the lift arms from a casting is not the best design.

The stabilizers are attached to the rear axle with a bracket which is non-cast steel, presumably more durable than the casting which the lift arms are mounted to with a single stub for the lift arm pin. However, because of how the stabilizers are designed their end which attaches to this bracket consists of 2 loops which provide considerable slop. When you are connecting an implement if you do not fully tension the stabilizer and find just the right hole in its adjustable linkage it is easy to end up with a considerable amount of side to side swing of your implement (see picture).





My New Holland tractor's stabilizers are also adjustable with a sliding mechanism and a pin similar to this Massy design but it's attachment to the rear axle is much more rigid and easily allows for a connecting an implement with very little side to side swing.