Debating whether or not I want a hydraulic top link

[Fallon]

The reason not to get a toplink or side link is because the hydraulics to run them are so expensive & because they can leak down & not stay put like a manually adjustable one.

You've already shelled out 75% of the price getting a functional setup. Even if the valves suck & things leak down it's still nice. The valves on my L4060 suck & I wouldn't be without my TnT.

FitRite Hydraulics(MtnViewRanch) has great gear & support. Not the cheapest option & can be pretty slow turn around times. I'm on my 2nd set (1st set ran off with the old L3200). Would go with them again if I had need.

 

[CMV]

I like mine very much. But will note one thing I learned the hard way - leaks down pretty quick. Had box blade with teeth all the way down. After I was done ripping up ground, just left it that way, 3pt raised all the way up. Didn't think much of it and was doing other stuff for a couple hrs. 3pt stayed put, but hyd toplink slowly leaked down. The teeth took some big chunks of tread out of my R4 tires and I didn't even notice. So now am very aware of it and watch it's angle frequently. Also notice bush hogging and have to readjust angle slightly about every half hour or so. I understand all hyd cylinders will leak down given time, but wasn't expecting the toplink to leak down so much, so fast. Tilling when there are some buried rocks that make the tiller want to climb them or bounce on them, will really get the toplink angle out of whack quickly. In the future I might put the standard toplink on for tilling since I do that so rarely.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I like mine very much. But will note one thing I learned the hard way - leaks down pretty quick. Had box blade with teeth all the way down. After I was done ripping up ground, just left it that way, 3pt raised all the way up. Didn't think much of it and was doing other stuff for a couple hrs. 3pt stayed put, but hyd toplink slowly leaked down. The teeth took some big chunks of tread out of my R4 tires and I didn't even notice. So now am very aware of it and watch it's angle frequently. Also notice bush hogging and have to readjust angle slightly about every half hour or so. I understand all hyd cylinders will leak down given time, but wasn't expecting the toplink to leak down so much, so fast. Tilling when there are some buried rocks that make the tiller want to climb them or bounce on them, will really get the toplink angle out of whack quickly. In the future I might put the standard toplink on for tilling since I do that so rarely.

Chances are very good that the leakage is your control valve and not your cylinder. Instead of pulling the hyd link out when mowing, just disconnect the rod end coupler. The unit should then be rock solid.

 

[oosik]

Well - I finally broke down and got a hydraulic top link from Brian at Fit Rite Hydraulics - four and a half years ago. What a change in my overall operation. I make significant or minor changes on the go. Now I WILL NOT accept just OK for the operation of a ground engagement implement. I will tweak the top link and get the implement to operate exactly as it should.

The hydraulic top link is a PERMANENT fixture on my tractor. Used for ALL ground engagement implements - - even my Wally chipper - quick & easy to get PTO into perfect alignment.

BTW - I greased the FEL & grapple yesterday. Checked and greased the uber HD Rhino 950 rear blade also. The tractor has not been started in 47 days now and I noticed that the hydraulic top link has not leaked down one tiny bit. Neither have any of the other hydraulic cylinders on the tractor - for that matter.

 

[CMV]

Well - I finally broke down and got a hydraulic top link from Brian at Fit Rite Hydraulics - four and a half years ago. What a change in my overall operation. I make significant or minor changes on the go. Now I WILL NOT accept just OK for the operation of a ground engagement implement. I will tweak the top link and get the implement to operate exactly as it should.

The hydraulic top link is a PERMANENT fixture on my tractor. Used for ALL ground engagement implements - - even my Wally chipper - quick & easy to get PTO into perfect alignment.

BTW - I greased the FEL & grapple yesterday. Checked and greased the uber HD Rhino 950 rear blade also. The tractor has not been started in 47 days now and I noticed that the hydraulic top link has not leaked down one tiny bit. Neither have any of the other hydraulic cylinders on the tractor - for that matter.

You park for 6+ weeks and don't ground everything? Interesting. Mine would definitely have grounded everything on its own by then.

 

[DK35vince]

I like mine very much. But will note one thing I learned the hard way - leaks down pretty quick. Had box blade with teeth all the way down. After I was done ripping up ground, just left it that way, 3pt raised all the way up. Didn't think much of it and was doing other stuff for a couple hrs. 3pt stayed put, but hyd toplink slowly leaked down. The teeth took some big chunks of tread out of my R4 tires and I didn't even notice. So now am very aware of it and watch it's angle frequently. Also notice bush hogging and have to readjust angle slightly about every half hour or so. I understand all hyd cylinders will leak down given time, but wasn't expecting the toplink to leak down so much, so fast. Tilling when there are some buried rocks that make the tiller want to climb them or bounce on them, will really get the toplink angle out of whack quickly. In the future I might put the standard toplink on for tilling since I do that so rarely.

My hydraulic top link and side links have check valves.
They never leak down. Tilling, brush mowing, grading, doesn't matter. With the check valves on the cylinders they stay where I put them.

 

[oosik]

CMV - I NORMALLY do drop the grapple and rear blade to the ground. However about two months ago I decided to run a "leak down" test. Sign of old age - I forgot about the test until I went to grease everything the other day. What the hay??? Why is the rear blade and grapple up about 6" off the ground. THEN I remembered - got out the tape measure - checked distances - same as I recorded in my log book 47 days previously.

Every time my great grand kids come out to be with great grandpa - they like to sit on the tractor - push/pull everything - make grunting sounds (I gotta get them around the running tractor more often - their tractor noises sound a lot like pigs) - push buttons - make the lights flash. Anyhow - they will be on the tractor before I even know everybody is here - house extremely well insulated.

Bottom line - one of the MAJOR reasons the grapple and rear blade are always down - do not need to have a kid injured under the grapple or rear blade.

 

[rhunt]

Mine would be the same as CMV above. Bob

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Chances are very good that the leakage is your control valve and not your cylinder. Instead of pulling the hyd link out when mowing, just disconnect the rod end coupler. The unit should then be rock solid.

Wanted to try everything the manual way first. Figured that would teach me what I needed/didn't need. TNT all the way, and it will be the best money ever spent, and my only regret is the MtnViewRanch no longer makes complete setups (though it must be much harder to stand behind a whole "system" as opposed to a "component").

He was kind enough to recommend a good cylinder that my dealer can use for the toplink (as well as a diverter):

NPT Cat 1: 18 1/8" - 26 3/8" | Agristore USA | Indianapolis, IN | AGRISTORE USA

Can I also use this for the sidelink? I am ready to order. Are there any other parts you sell so I could just give my dealer the parts and let him do the install? (I'm hearing the OEM TNT's are mostly no good.)

I will say this, if the thing leaks down even a little in an hour or so, that seems like a major problem. Apparently there's a valve you can install to stop this.