BX2200 and 3pt hitch

[huckflynn]

I read a post under "Tractor Projects" where someone used a potato plow (aka middle buster) to dig a trench for burying conduit. It sounded like a good idea to me and I decided to give it a try. It was my first use of the 3pt hitch on my BX2200.

The first thing that was evident to me was a lack of documentation. There was no documentation included with the plow and virtually no documentation with the tractor on using the 3 point hitch. I gave it a whirl anyway.

The problem I had in mounting the plow was that I couldn't spread the lower links far enough to get the plow on. The dealer had told me to loosen the check chains to widen the links. When I tried to loosen the lock nuts on the check chains, it seemed like they were welded on. I decided it was easier to pull the cotter pins from the bracket assemblies holding the chains to the lower links and release the chains completely so that I could spread the links as wide as they would go. Even then, I had to raise the hitch a few inches and tilt the plow to jockey it on to the lower links. I finally got it on and reattached the check chains.

With the hitch fully raised, the tip of the plow barely cleared the ground. Indeed, as I drove the tractor over the lawn to get to where I wanted to start the trench, any variations in the terrain sank the tip of the plow into the lawn and cut little divots.

That's the bad news. The good news? Making the trench was a piece of cake. I was very surprised. It was a heavy clay soil with lots of rock -- but tweaking the depth of the plow and making a few passes made short work of a long trench.

So did this novice miss something and make things too complicated (or do something wrong) in attaching the plow or is this life as usual in the 3pt world? I read a post from October 2000 about a quick hitch for the BX. If my experience is par for the course -- the quick hitch may well be my next tractor purchase.


Huck

 

[Bird]

Huck, that doesn't sound like there was anything unusual to me, except I'd get those lock nuts loose on the check chains so the length can be adjusted. I guess you know you can adjust the depth that the plow tries to go by adjusting the length of the top link; shorten it to make the plow go deeper, or length it to make it run shallower.

Bird

 

[Roy]

Huckflynn; I run a middle buster myself. Look at the owner's manual on page 32, under 'Implement Lowering Limit'. In the diagram, #5 determines the lowering limit, but #3 sets the upper height limit. (Notice how they don't even mention what that particular nut is for /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif). You can gain clearance by playing with it, but don't set it so high that it will bend the top link. (Because of the small angle produced. Been there; done that /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif.) Adjust a little, and then test. Where I have mine set (maximum without damage), I have about 4" clearance when raised. Not a lot, but better than dragging.

Roy

 

[MReeter]

I've seen where some of the guys have inverted the hitch pins on their 3-point equipment.Take the pins off and reinstall inward or facing one another,this narrows the width your 3-point arms have to expand to hook up an implement,and would be just as strong.I don't know how the pins are set up on your middle buster,but if they could be moved,might be worth a try.

 

[TresCrows]

I saw a middle buster on a BX and it did not drag the ground, it may have been smaller than yours but it had a foot, give or take, clearance. One thing you can do other than more carefully purchasing implemnts that are a better match for your machine is to, during transport, shorten the top link fully so as to kick the plow up and back perhaps increasing your ground clearance. Those nuts are not welded and you need to turn them out to allow the arms to be fully spread and then run them back in to pull the slack out. In shopping for a rear blade I have found a bunch of variation is depth, width, and such with various three point implements. Some are definitly wider than others. Flipping the pins inward is a viable option on some equipment. Good luck. How deep was the trench you dug, could you make it deeper by making a second pass--curious and want to know?? J

 

[WVBill]

Huck

That was me with the tater plow ditch for the conduit. Your experience was exactly the same as mine.

1) I've had to "wrestle" with my implements (box scraper, tater plow, landscape rake and rototiller) making me think very hard about a quick hitch. But I've found that in putting each of them on once or twice I've learned the little quirks of each and it has become easier. One thing I do is loosen the check chains completely then use bungee cords to hold the lower arms all the way out and the top link up. hen I back up to the implement with the 3ph all the way up until it looks like I'll be lined up. Then I remove the bungee cords on the lower arms and lower the 3ph until they are sitting on the pins of the implement. Now it's easier to swing them all the way out and bump them or the implement around until they line up and slip over the pins. Hardest part with the tater plow is that it doesn't stand up by itself - fortunately it's the lightest implement and easy to move around.

2) My tater plow also just barely cleared the ground in full-up transport. I just accepted the fact that I have a little tractor with less ground clearance. Makes me think twice about getting a post hole digger, though - whether I'd be able to raise it high enough to get the auger vertical to start the hole.

3) My 16HP B6100 with Turf/Ags pulled the tater plow at full depth thru rocky clay soil too. The only time I found the tractor to be power limited was once when I was pulling a FULL load of grass/thatch/twigs with my 6 foot landscape rake.

Give yourself another two or three implement swaps before deciding to invest in a quick hitch.

 

[huckflynn]

<font color=blue>I'd get those lock nuts loose on the check chains</font color=blue>

One of my sons borrowed my wrenches. I was attempting to loosen the nuts with channel locks and a vise grips. I'm sure when I get the wrenches back (or buy new ones) I'll have no problem loosening the lock nuts.

What really surprised me was having to lift and tilt the plow to get it on. The plow was light enough to handle it -- but if I had to do the same thing with a heavier implement it might end up being a two man job.

Huck

 

[huckflynn]

Roy, thanks for the tip. I'll try that adjustment this weekend.

Huck

 

[Bird]

Huck, you mentioned the quick hitch in your earlier message, and I guess you know that they work fine with implements that sit upright when disconnected (mowers, box blades, tillers, etc.), but to use one on a middle buster, I'm afraid you'd have to make some kind of a stand to park it in or you'd still have to lift it to set it on the quick hitch. Now that might be easier than what you and I are doing now, except for the fact that you'd have the additional weight of the implement section of the quick hitch on it.

Bird

 

[huckflynn]

WVBill, Thanks for the post (and pics) on using the middle buster. I'm not burying conduit, I'm putting in a french drain -- but that little plow does a great job. Later this summer, I plan on installing lamp posts along the driveway -- so I'll be getting some more use out it.

TresCrows, the depth I'm at now is about 8 inches. But I plan to take it down to about 14 inches (the maximum depth of the plow). I stopped because the ground was sloppy and I figured I'd let the trench drain some of the water. I'll hit it again this weekend.

Huck