Finally Got My Hyd. Top Link

[Spencer]

It was a long wait but I finally got my hydraulic toplink and I hooked it up today. Here is a pic of the new hydraulic link compared to the old factory toplink.

Spence

 

[Spencer]

Here it is all hooked up.

Spence

 

[Harv]

Okay, Spence -- I've got total top link envy.

I'll be anxious to hear how it affects your tractor chores. You will tell us, won't you?

 

[billboe]

Spence, looks great!

Were the hydraulic hookups already in place or did you add them? Nice and clean!

 

[Spencer]

Billboe, I added the rear remote about a month ago. I did not know it would be so hard to find a hydraulic toplink that was around 18" fully retracted like my factory toplink. Thanks to some people on this forum I found one out of California from Gearmore Inc. The new toplink was expensive at $270US but I did not want to cobble my own together. The rear remote kit was right from NH and cost $250US. I can add one more set if I want to add tilt or something and that set will be around $225US. I had to go to a local shop here to get the male couplers and the hoses made up. The hoses and fittings were another $32US.

The real reason I wanted the rear remote in the first place was so I could get a 3-point cement mixer which uses a hydraulic toplink to dump the cement. I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone and just use the Hydraulic toplink that came with the cement mixer for my rear blade and such. After much investigation it looks like the toplinks that come with the cement mixers would not be strong enough to withstand the shock applied by a rear blade. This new Hydraulic toplink from Gearmore looks plenty strong. It even has a much larger range than my factory toplink. I could only adjust my factory toplink 4.5" and still have enough threads to be safe. This new cylinder has an 8" range.

Spence

 

[Pks]

Spence,

From the photo of your installed link, it looks like the rod end hose is really close to the drive shaft of your mower. My paranoid side says to consider rotating the fitting on the cylinder 180 (upward) so the hose is farther away from danger.

Just a thought.

 

[Spencer]

I tried having the fitting pointing upwards at first. I have attached another photo showing that configuration. I'm not sure which way I will keep it, I may go back to the shop and get some different fittings or hoses if I can figure out an ideal solution. The yellow part of the drive shaft is just a cover that does not rotate, but I will look at it again to see if I can do better. Thanks for the tip.

Spence

 

[mikim]

I just don't use my hyd top link on my mower. I keep it on my boxblade and keep the manual toplink on the mower. makes it easy to keep the mower at level when the toplink isn't moved.
mike

 

[Spencer]

Mike, I only had it hooked up to the Rotary Cutter because that is what happened to be hooked up to my 3-point at the time. I was too anxious to hook it up to go through the trouble of changing implements.

Spence

 

[jimgerken]

Sometimes you gotta get real creative with these fittings and hoses. How about trying moving the 90-degree fitting end to the coupler, so the cylinder end of the hose can exit straight out to the side. Maybe it won't matter once you get it on the BB. Looks real stout, much better than my homemade one, you made the right decision.