IMO, it's pretty ridiculous anyone builds a tractor with a three point hitch without float.. If I knew this I would have made a different choice in a tractor.. It's my own fault for not making sure but some things you take for granted, why you would need to check for a common option on any tractor is beyond me, saving money is all most of these manufactures are worried about..
Grading How does my three point float work GC1705?
- Thread starter atsah
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IMO, it's pretty ridiculous anyone builds a tractor with a three point hitch without float.. If I knew this I would have made a different choice in a tractor.. It's my own fault for not making sure but some things you take for granted, why you would need to check for a common option on any tractor is beyond me, saving money is all most of these manufactures are worried about..
s219
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It has to have float -- 3-pt hitches cannot exert downforce. You just need to figure out how to drop it all the way. I have never known any tractors to not be able to float the 3-pt. How about a picture of your lever?
I can take a picture but it won't help you. It is just a spring loaded handle. The only way I can see for it to work for back blading, bush hogging etc, is for the implement to have a floating bracket on the top link. I'm going to try some thing's tomorrow. I know there is no down pressure on a three point hitch.
s219
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Almost every tractor I have operated with that type of 3-pt has a detent at the lower end of the lever travel, that you push into to engage float. On some it was more obvious than others. I mention this because more than once, I've seen posts here on TBN where somebody didn't realize there was a detent in their loader or 3-pt controls (or discovered it and thought they had broke something).
The other possibility is that the links are not setup right, and you're not able to lower an implement far enough so that it floats. That is also a common issue I see posts about, especially on subcompacts, as they have lesser range of motion in the 3-pt to begin with. Small adjustments in the lifting links can make a big difference.
The other possibility is that the links are not setup right, and you're not able to lower an implement far enough so that it floats. That is also a common issue I see posts about, especially on subcompacts, as they have lesser range of motion in the 3-pt to begin with. Small adjustments in the lifting links can make a big difference.
Leejohn
Elite Member
The 1/4" 3pt well only float from the point you let go of the valve. Try it without anything on the 3pt. and you can see. The kicker is you can not drop it at the same place as you can with position control.
I just hold my lever down when tilling, blading, and ect. I do have my drop valve set for a slow drop.
When I use my hiller I have check chains on it, and when the chains get tight I let go of the 3pt lever. Now it can float up but well not go any lower, at that point I could take the check chains off it would not go any lower. I guess the point is 1/4" 3pt sucks and I don't care for it eather, and it well float up from lowest point you let go of the lever.
I just hold my lever down when tilling, blading, and ect. I do have my drop valve set for a slow drop.
When I use my hiller I have check chains on it, and when the chains get tight I let go of the 3pt lever. Now it can float up but well not go any lower, at that point I could take the check chains off it would not go any lower. I guess the point is 1/4" 3pt sucks and I don't care for it eather, and it well float up from lowest point you let go of the lever.
AxleHub
Elite Member
Atsah, what does your dealer tell you?
Obviously you must have asked them by now because your problem is not being experienced by other GC1700 owners.
But let me also mention that the thread has rather diverted from your usdue which is "float" to "1/4 inching vs position control" of the 3 pt.. They are not related issues. Float is just that . . .you move your 3 pt down to the lowest point desired and then float does its thing.
Meanwhile 1/4 inch or position control are merely two different methods of setting a point of height on your 3pt.. What your ground contours are is not related.
As others mention previously . . There are 3 possibilities related to your float concern:
A. You are setting your 3pt height too high compared to your lowest contour points. Remember . . You set "height" with a 3pt . . not "depth". Gravity and implement weight is what keeps the implement "down".
B. Or You have your 3pt. chains/turnbuckles/toplink adjusted incorrectly.
C. Or something is malfunctioning with your 3pt valve or arms and thats preventing A. And B. from being effective.
But my point is GC1700s are doing what you say you can't do . . it isn't about position control . . . its A. or B. or C.. .
Jmho
Obviously you must have asked them by now because your problem is not being experienced by other GC1700 owners.
But let me also mention that the thread has rather diverted from your usdue which is "float" to "1/4 inching vs position control" of the 3 pt.. They are not related issues. Float is just that . . .you move your 3 pt down to the lowest point desired and then float does its thing.
Meanwhile 1/4 inch or position control are merely two different methods of setting a point of height on your 3pt.. What your ground contours are is not related.
As others mention previously . . There are 3 possibilities related to your float concern:
A. You are setting your 3pt height too high compared to your lowest contour points. Remember . . You set "height" with a 3pt . . not "depth". Gravity and implement weight is what keeps the implement "down".
B. Or You have your 3pt. chains/turnbuckles/toplink adjusted incorrectly.
C. Or something is malfunctioning with your 3pt valve or arms and thats preventing A. And B. from being effective.
But my point is GC1700s are doing what you say you can't do . . it isn't about position control . . . its A. or B. or C.. .
Jmho
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s219
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Leejohn, on your B7800 there is a detent position at the bottom of the lever travel to hold it down into float. Not sure what they do on the BX, as I have not played with the 3-pt on them.
Unfortunately my only picture of the 3-pt lever on an older B almost cuts off the detent position, but you can just barely see it here:
The detent is one "stop" lower than the normal travel of the lever, and you need to go past the lower limit of the 1/4-incher (where you bang the lever to get increments) to drop into detent.
The main difference with the detent is that it will let the 3-pt lower and raise on its own. In any of the higher positions of the lever, if you lifted the 3-pt arms, say by riding the implement over a high spot, they will not drop back down. In the detent position, they will.
Almost all the tractors I have operated that don't have position control will have a float detent setting of some sort. Otherwise the 3-pt would be nearly worthless with any implements that need to float, like box blades.
Yes without anything attached the lift arms go all the way down and yes if I set the hitch with the lowest point on the driveway there isn't a problem. I bought the blade to push snow so the way I see it is I will have to hold the control down to keep it scaping and not skipping here and there.. Am I missing something here?
AxleHub
Elite Member
I can't tell you . . I push with my loader and pull with mu 3pt. Other than a rear snowblower I didn't know 3pt hitches were designed for pushing regardless of the tractor size. A hydraulic toplink would have some impact but unless you're adding weight weight weight to a back blade . . Pushing is forcing it upward and a 3pt. Depends on gravity of the implement while a loader has downward force.
You're trying to push snow with a 3pt. Instead of pulling snow and you have little weight on a blade . . I didn't know it could be done. A rear snowblower on the other hand is heavy and is clearing anow out not plowing it up . . much different pushing situation.
What does your dealer say?