Toplink cat 2 insted of cat 1 toplink

Hooked_on_HP · Jul 7, 2006

I keep beating the ball sockets out of my cat 1 toplink. I was thinking of using a cat 2 with bushings to cat 1. The cat 2 toplink is a lot stronger. Has anyone done this or should I just find a better cat1 toplink. The one I am using is from TSC. Also does your toplink stay with the tractor or with the attachment.

hudr · Jul 7, 2006

I have always used a cat2 toplink. I have seen very few, in my opinion, "heavy duty" cat1 toplinks.
And my toplink tends to stay w/ the tractor. At least until I hook up the PHD.

greg_g · Jul 7, 2006

Doesn't make any difference, those "forged toplinks" made in India suck - don't make any difference what category you buy. I thought the same thing, only to find the last inch of threads on the implement end bent after only a few days of work. I discovered there are toplinks and there are HD toplinks - some sold as OEM toplinks. But be prepared to pay. You can get one good one for $60 plus, or get three cheap throwaways for the same sixty bucks.

I went another direction, and got a Cat 2 hydraulic toplink with a 1.125 inch rod. Tough bugger, I've already beat it harder and longer than any previous manual toplink, and it just asks for more.

//greg//

Soundguy · Jul 9, 2006

hudr said:
I have always used a cat2 toplink. I have seen very few, in my opinion, "heavy duty" cat1 toplinks.
And my toplink tends to stay w/ the tractor. At least until I hook up the PHD.

The OEM NH cat 1 link I got with my ex-NH 1920 was ver HD.. It went with the tractor, and now for cat 1 stuff I use a tsc link.. never had any problems.

I've also got a couple HD cat 2 links..a nd use bushing to cat 1 on some equipment.

I've got a real old 2 piece ford toplink.. it's 2 bars that slide apart and use bolts along their length to fasten together... If using hardened bolts.. they are probably as strong as you can get on a cat 1 toplink.. and still have it adjustable..

Soundguy

3RRL · Jul 11, 2006

Hooked_on_HP said:
I was thinking of using a cat 2 with bushings to cat 1. The cat 2 toplink is a lot stronger. Has anyone done this or should I just find a better cat1 toplink. The one I am using is from TSC. Also does your toplink stay with the tractor or with the attachment.

I used bushings to match up the hole and pin size. Since mine was an odball diameter, I actually bored out one of those bushings on the lathe...they are super hardened!

Turkeyman · Jul 11, 2006

I have hydro Cat II top link, I do not use a bushing. Makes it easier to get my pin in the link.

greg_g · Jul 11, 2006

Turkeyman said:
I have hydro Cat II top link, I do not use a bushing. Makes it easier to get my pin in the link.

It's your equipment, but that also makes for an egg-shaped pin hole. Won't be long before an actual Cat2 won't fit through that hole any more. My own Cat2 HTL was far too expensive to abuse it like that.

//greg//

greg_g · Jul 11, 2006

3RRL said:
I used bushings to match up the hole and pin size. Since mine was an odball diameter, I actually bored out one of those bushings on the lathe...they are super hardened!

Since the KAMA 22mm is so close to 7/8", you can cut bushings from 3/4" (ID) copper water pipe. As long as you deburr and reround the cut ends, they fit right over a Cat 1 pin, and are much less work than trying to overbore a hardened bushing. Cheaper too.

//greg//

3RRL · Jul 11, 2006

greg_g said:
Since the KAMA 22mm is so close to 7/8", you can cut bushings from 3/4" (ID) copper water pipe. As long as you deburr and reround the cut ends, they fit right over a Cat 1 pin, and are much less work than trying to overbore a hardened bushing. Cheaper too.

//greg//

Greg, Ha ha, now you tell me ... Agreed though.
Fortunaley, I used c-6 carbide tooling and got them to fit perfectly over a Ø3/4" pin. IMO they will last a lot longer as I can see the copper swedging over time. But then again I'm sure you made a couple of spares for that exact reason, if not, it sounds easy to do.
I machine a lot of hardened steels after heat treat, but those little buggar bushing are harder than heck! I just feel a lot better about having my pins and bushings be a good slip fit to reduce oblonging or breaking them, like you said.