Bush Hog top link & quick hitch

[DaButcher]

I haven't found the right combination for the Bush Hog top link and HF quick hitch yet. I've tried raising and lowering the QH and not satisfied yet, any suggestions?

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[nybirdman]

I would loosen the top link a little,you want the BH to "float".Set cutting height with three point lift arms and tail wheel.

 

[ovrszd]

Hmmm,, not sure what you mean by not satisfied yet.

It doesn't look like you are going to get much "float" action because the tip of the Quick Hitch top link is going to hit the swivel pin on the BH tower if the tail wheel tries to go up over something. I like a LOT of float on a brush cutter but I'm using mine in rough terrain.

As for moving the QH top link position. That gets technical. Geometrically technical. Will cause the cutter to lift wierd. In one setting you might not be able to get the tail wheel off the ground very far so you shorten the tractor top link and then you have no droop action of the tailwheel. In another setting you might get the opposite effect. That's why CAT I QH's have adjustable top links. That allows the user to correct these wierd lift actions. That's just something you gotta experiment with to find what works the best.

Personally I never thought the Bush Hog cutters hitch assembly allows enough vertical float movement. Then by adding the QH you limited it even more. You may find that the attachment works much better on your tractor if you eliminate the QH and hook it direct to the tractor.

 

[DaButcher]

I had it looser and lower and a couple times it came unhooked

 

[ovrszd]

I had it looser and lower and a couple times it came unhooked

Yeah, I think that's also a possible problem. Sorry to say, you may get along better by eliminating the QH. Another alternative would be to redesign the BH tower. But I'd try without the QH before I went to that much work.

 

[ovrszd]

By redesigning I mean make the two flatbar straps that go to the rear of the cutter foldable to get the float you desire. Then eliminate the swiveling bracket that you currently hook to. That would keep the tower of the cutter fixed to the QH because your QH toplink would then hook on the current swivel bolt of the tower. All of the float would happen away from the QH and eliminate all that binding and coming unhooked.

 

[radrock]

I never have purchase a QH because it always looks as if it could come unhooked. I use my Bush Hog finish mower most of all and it is a floating hitch like DaButcher's. I wonder why they don't make a retaining bracket or something for the top link like the bottom ones? I keep all of those moving parts sprayed with graphite spray for lubrication so that would most likely increase the likelihood of that top coming out even more. Guess I will keep putting my attachements on the old fashion way :thumbsup:

 

[ovrszd]

I never have purchase a QH because it always looks as if it could come unhooked. I use my Bush Hog finish mower most of all and it is a floating hitch like DaButcher's. I wonder why they don't make a retaining bracket or something for the top link like the bottom ones? I keep all of those moving parts sprayed with graphite spray for lubrication so that would most likely increase the likelihood of that top coming out even more. Guess I will keep putting my attachements on the old fashion way :thumbsup:

Normally the top link pin on an attachment is in a fixed position in regards to distance from the bottom pins. Thus, it can't come unhooked when using a QH. But in Bush Hog's case they created a swinging top bracket to get cutter float. With the tractor hooked directly to the cutter this is not a problem and if the rear of the cutter raises, the swinging bracket swings down due to the weight of the tractor top link and all is well.

When using the QH, and having the rear of the cutter raise, the top hook of the QH comes in contact with the swivel pin on the tower of the cutter. So he has little or no float and is at risk of the hook coming unhooked during motion.

That's why I suggested modifying the cutter by making the two flatiron straps fold for float and hooking the QH to the swivel pin of the cutter tower.

I have saw some QH's that come with a swinging top link bracket that allows the top link to be pinned to whatever attachment is being used. But in this case that wouldn't work either because it would still get bound up during movement.

I've got 5 3pt attachments for my tractor. Only one did not have to be modified in some manner to fit my CAT II QH. That was my JD 1008 brush cutter. It hooked right up and works like a champ. Good thing since it weighs over 1000lbs and can't be wiggled around to hook up. I can hitch and unhitch using the QH in a matter of a few seconds and only get off the tractor to deal with the PTO shaft and latch/unlatch the QH.

 

[radrock]

That's why I suggested modifying the cutter by making the two flatiron straps fold for float and hooking the QH to the swivel pin of the cutter tower.
QUOTE]

I guess it is still too early for me. I can't get the picture in my head... I only have three rear attachment. The other two I hardly use now days. Box Blade, 6 foot blade. I sold my rock rake, I have a ratchet rake now that does about anything that I really need to do. I can see the QH being a nice addition if I was changing things all of the time. I was thinking if there was something on that top link kind of like a pintle hitch works. That top would set down on top of the pin and lock. I'm sure something could be figured out.

Hey have you been on the Heavy Equipment site? It sure seems to have died down but I think it does so because of summertime. Everyone is busy...

 

[ovrszd]

If you look at his pictures, the pin at the top of the cutter tower that the hitch assembly swings on is in a fixed position in regards to the lower 3pt arm pins. So if his QH top hook hooked on that pin it could not come unhooked because the vertical distance between that pin and the lower pins is always the same. For it to then come unhooked you would have to unlatch the QH and let the lowers come unhooked as well.

Then modify the two flatiron straps that go to the rear of the cutter and hinge them in the middle. This would allow the rear of the cutter to raise and lower with terrain changes without changing the dynamics between the QH and the cutter tower.

I got along without a QH on my CAT I tractor because I could usually wiggle the attachment around or physically roll the tractor a little forward or rearward to get hooked on. When I went to CAT II size, that option went away. So the QH became a closer friend.

Haven't been on HEF for awhile. Wanna go on there and discuss the latest EPA change coming. Interim Tier IV is just that,,,, interim. Deere and CAT will be building equipment that requires Urea by the end of the year........ Bummer......