Cat 1 Ratchet top link - source??

[picker77]

I'm tired of cranking the top link back and forth on my faithful old Kubota L295DT. If it had remote hydraulics, or I'd put a hydraulic top link on it in a heartbeat. So maybe the next best thing would be a top link that has a ratchet handle on it - like a ratchet jack, but with ball ends for Cat 1 instead of clevis pins on each end. Anybody know of a source for something like this?

 

[MadReferee]

Well, you have 2 choices. Add a rear remote and a hydraulic top link or use something like you suggested, a simple ratchet jack sized for a top link.

Agri-Supply just happens to sell one, sized 20" to 28" for $19.95. See page 27 of their February 2006 Buyer's Guide catalog. You will have to cut off the existing ends and weld your own ball ends on but I don't think you will find one with the correct ends anywhere.

Agri-Supply catalog Page 27

 

[RonR]

I have a smaller rachet chain binder that I don't use; I'm planning to cut the hook ends off and weld on ends that will make it fit as a top link.

Think mine costs less than $20.....................

ron

 

[picker77]

Thanks, gentlemen. I don't know squat about adding remote hydraulics, especially to an older rig like mine, so I think I'll run it up on the trailer and have my local Kubota whizzes look at it and see if (and at what cost) a rear remote could be installed. I'm getting older and a hydraulic top link would be a GREAT help. Failing that, I guess I'll go the ratchet jack w/welded ball end route. I appreciate the info.

 

[RonR]

Wow, if you are getting older, you'd better have your heart meds in your hand when they tell you the price...............................

Ron

 

[picker77]

As an afterthought, I'm a little surprised some inventive soul hasn't come up with an electric driven adjustable top link based on one of the small 12 volt ATV winch setups. Ought to be MUCH cheaper than hydraulics, and since the top link isn't adjusted all that often it wouldn't be much of a drag on the 12V system. Plus it wouldn't leak. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( and since the top link isn't adjusted all that often )</font>

When working dirt with the back blade or box scraper, I am usually constantly adjusting the top link to get the results I desire. A difficult, or not very easy, to adjust top link is just not very ideal.

 

[RalphVa]

TSC has them. Don't know what the ends look like.

Ralph

 

[picker77]

TSC, Atwoods, Linton's Big R, etc. all have ratchet binders or jacks with clevis pins on each end, but nobody has one with Cat I ball ends. If I had a machine shop I'd be making these and selling them for $50 a pop (or whatever gave me 200% profit) as fast as I could make them. Since the threads on my link are getting a bit worn anyway, I guess I'll get a local shop to cut the ball ends off and weld them on the ends of a new ratchet jack, assuming I can find one of the required length. Or, I guess I could do it myself - my welding won't win any beauty contests but nothing I've stuck together has ever come apart. Hopefully I'll have something that works and that I can lean over and reach from the seat to make fast manual adjustments.

It still amazes me that with zillions of aftermarket Cat I tractor gadgets available out there (many of which are next to useless) that nobody is making a killing selling something practical and useful like these things.

Considering the incredible price of adding a set of remotes and a hydraulic top link (over $1k, I believe, even for a newer tractor - and much more for an old rig like mine), I also don't see why some enterprising shop isn't building an electrically driven remote controlled adjustable top link based on a Chinese 12V ATV winch. I think a lot of small tractor owners would happily pay $250 or even more for a remotely controlled electric adjustable top link that worked reliably, and that any owner could easily install without resorting to $100+ per hour dealer labor. I just bought a fairly stout little 3000 lb ATV winch for $110, so the basic winch drive unit can't be too expensive, especially in volume and at wholesale prices. The trick, I suppose, would be designing a simple low cost gear-drive setup to transfer the winch's driving power to the top link, but it just doesn't sound all that complex or difficult to do, at least from my non-engineer viewpoint.

 

[jmc]

An electric top link from an inexpensive existing gear reducer would be an interesting project.

I have never looked an ATV winch up close but the motor probably turns a worm which turns a worm gear on the spool. If that worm gear was attached to the turnbuckle instead of the spool, it would shorten the toplink about .200 inch in the time it takes to turn the winch spool one revolution under similiar load. Would that be too slow? Taking the weight off the top link would help and I guess you have to do that manually anyway.

Also you would have to anchor the motor to something stationary, probably one of the turnbuckle end components. And since its a right angle drive, it would be perpendicular to the top link. It may get a little clunky.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Depending on your barrel diameter, the ratchet portion of the load binder (5200# working load size) can be removed by driving out 2 (tapered) pins. The ratchet ID fits over the major diameter of the stock BX23 barrel. And, will fit the minor diameter ( the part of the barrel nearest the ends) of the after market replacement top links sold most everywhere.
Though this works pretty well, I've found that after adding gauge wheels to my implements, I don't need to adjust the top link much.
Cheers!

 

[picker77]

Well, to avoid having to look at my own welding in the future, I'm having Bill Thomas' Redlandhill shop in North Carolina whip one up. He's basically cutting the ends off one of their Cat 2 Vertical Lift Link Ratchet setups and welding on new Cat 1 end balls. Final overall length and adjustment range will be almost identical to my current stock top link. Ought to be **** for stout, too, since it's being built from a Cat 2 lift link.

I checked at Atwoods this afternoon, and at $19 + tax for a new ratchet jack, and $8 each + tax for weld-on end balls, I was looking at almost $40 for materials alone (couldn't re-use my old top link, the threads show a lot of wear and the end balls are rusty and getting a little loose). Bill is building me one for $49 plus about $10 shipping to my front door. Hard to beat, far as I'm concerned, and other than the shipping, I don't think I could have it done any cheaper down the street here. Of course, I'll still have to paint it Kubota blue, but that I can handle. I'll post a photo after I get it installed if anybody is interested.

Thanks for all the input on this. I'm new on here and learning a lot from all you guys.

 

[john_bud]

What is the specs on the maximum linear load on a Cat 1 top link, both in pull as well as push?

jb

 

[picker77]

Danged if I know the max loads, but I'm modifying this one out of 1" mild steel rod, had to add 3-1/2" to it after I got it because I have since added a quick hitch that adds a few inches to the length of the lower links, which made the ratchet top link a tad too short. I just finished painting the modified version, will add photo and short report when I've tried it out, not that it's all that beautiful to look at. I'd think a short length of 1" rod is fairly stout for Cat 1 use, but we'll see.

 

[Panache]

At the sunbelt expo several years ago there was a vendor who had a hydraulic top link that did not connect to the tractor hydraulics at all. It was a closed system, just the cylinder, a 1/4 turn valve two short hoses and a small reservoir.

 

[HomeBrew2]

That's an interesting idea! See video here.

 

[picker77]

Any kind of hydraulic setup would certainly be nice, but probably too fancy for my old rig. At the website below (www.w5kp.com) are the final photos of the ratchet-adjustable link I came up with. It works, and I have about $50 in it, not counting the time to grind and clean up my crummy welding. I'll bet none of the hydraulics rigs can match the price! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

http://www.w5kp.com

 

[rambler]

Looks nice. Let us know what you think of the quickhookup lower arms you got - look like the type the fellow is selling on Ebay. Seem overpriced to me there, but interested in how they work & last. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--->Paul

 

[picker77]

Yep, they are the Ebay specials. I just put them on, will have to use them a few times before I decide whether I like them. I usually don't buy cheapo, but the casting seems to be very stout and clean, and for $99 plus shipping I figured I'd take a chance. The only real difference I can see in these and the $200 version is the retainer method. This one uses a drop-in hardened bolt, retained by a clip pin. Not as quick or convenient to use. All I've done so far is box blade some and they worked ok. They fit the swing arms ok, too. Of course, I haven't really done any hitching/unhitching yet, so we'll see. If I don't like them they will makea stout pair of bookends for the shop library.

 

[picker77]

Finally had time to do some box blading today, so was able to give the new ratchet-adjustable top link a workout. It worked "slicker'n duck snot", as my grandpa used to say. I even found out that using it from the operator seat "on the fly" was easy and worked like a champ. One caveat: When you are through adjusting, make sure you leave the handle in any position EXCEPT straight up. The handle on mine is cut pretty short (you don't need much of a handle to have plenty of leverage to easily work the ratchet). The end of the handle won't quite reach the back of my seat with the hitch fully up, but it comes pretty close. If somebody neglected to cut the handle off enough, it might get exciting because if you leave it in the straight up position, then depending on your tractor's configuration it could goose you in the caboose when you lift the 3-point all the way.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with this setup. MUCH nicer to use than the old link, and almost as handy as a hydraulic top link, for about 5% of the outlay! I'll spend the $500 I saved on some additional remote hydraulics for my next tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif