3-Point Hitch How Much Sway?

[bradrich18]

How much sway should I have when using a box blade? Is there such a thing as too loose or too tight?

 

[dex3361]

I leave 3 or 4 inches of sway.

 

[beenthere]

Too tight would be if the sway chains or buckles bind up real tight in high (or low) position. IMO
Too loose would be if the arms contact the rear tires when using the blade.

In between would be whatever your preference is, as it can be annoying bouncing back and forth when in the "up" carrying position. Turns when working the box blade will be a bit easier if there is some slack in the chains.

 

[topstoy]

I can't allow any sway or my bars rub my tires. I keep it adjusted pretty tight. Doesn't seem to be a problem, especially with a Box blade.

 

[bradrich18]

Thanks for the quick replies. I got the box blade two days ago, and it's the first time I've ever used one. I've got to mess around with it a little, but hopefully it won't rain this weekend and I can spend some time learning how to use it. I appreciate any tips, tricks, suggestions, etc... that anyone has. Thanks.

 

[dex3361]

Pay attention to the length of the top link of the 3PH this will greatly effect how aggressive the BB cuts and loads up. Tilt it forward(shorten the top link) and the blade of the box will dig in a bit more. Tilt it back (lengthen the top link) and the blade will not dig in as much and helps you disperse what you have in the box.. You can crown a road by tilting the BB with your side link. :thumbsup:

 

[AKfish]

How much sway should I have when using a box blade? Is there such a thing as too loose or too tight?

Keep an eye out for problems when the 3pt is at the highest lift point - whenever you have the sway linkage kinda snug.

Too tight can result in broken sway linkages when you lift the 3pt up.

AKfish

 

[jenkinsph]

Thanks for the quick replies. I got the box blade two days ago, and it's the first time I've ever used one. I've got to mess around with it a little, but hopefully it won't rain this weekend and I can spend some time learning how to use it. I appreciate any tips, tricks, suggestions, etc... that anyone has. Thanks.

Make sure you have a small amount of play, the box blade should be able to rock back and forth about an inch or two.


My best advice about using a boxblade is to go very slow, stop forward travel as needed to adjust the box up and down. You need to move slow enough to make real time adjustments for example if your front wheels drop down into a low spot you will need to lower the boxblade to counteract the raising behind the rear axle. Practice makes perfect enjoy the new tool.

 

[Jamming]

Pay attention to the length of the top link of the 3PH this will greatly effect how aggressive the BB cuts and loads up. Tilt it forward(shorten the top link) and the blade of the box will dig in a bit more. Tilt it back (lengthen the top link) and the blade will not dig in as much and helps you disperse what you have in the box.. You can crown a road by tilting the BB with your side link. :thumbsup:

Wouldn't a longer upper link cause it to dig in more and a shorter one less. :confused2:

 

[Obed]

Wouldn't a longer upper link cause it to dig in more and a shorter one less. :confused2:

If the tractor is going forward, a longer top link will cause the BB to dig less. If the tractor is going backwards using the BB in bulldozer mode, a longer top link will cause the BB will dig down more. The angle of the BB blade from front to back determines how much the blade digs into the dirt.

Obed

 

[Obed]

My boxblade sways 3 or for inches. The play helps prevent breaking something if you hit a rock or root.

Fine tuning the top link is the most effective way of getting the most work out of the BB. I normally lower the 3PH all the way down when using the BB. Thus, the BB floats on the ground behind the tractor so running the front wheels into a hole or on a hump does not change the angle of the BB. I don't need to adjust the toplink because of humps or dips unter the front wheels. Floating the BB on the ground takes care of those humps and dips.

Obed

 

[jenkinsph]

My boxblade sways 3 or for inches. The play helps prevent breaking something if you hit a rock or root.

Fine tuning the top link is the most effective way of getting the most work out of the BB. I normally lower the 3PH all the way down when using the BB. Thus, the BB floats on the ground behind the tractor so running the front wheels into a hole or on a hump does not change the angle of the BB. I don't need to adjust the toplink because of humps or dips unter the front wheels. Floating the BB on the ground takes care of those humps and dips.

Obed

The OP has a small 1026R, 2 inches amounts to alot of play on this tractor.

 

[bradrich18]

I tightened the turnbuckles up to take some of the slack out of the sway. They're pretty tight, but I still have some sway. Although it's not as bad as it was when I first hooked it up. Most of what I'm going to be using the box blade for is on a hillside in one form or another - whether it be in my yard or on an access road. My main concern is that I break one of the arms while backing up a bumpy hill (I don't have any weights on the front end yet, so I have to back up them). I don't know how hard they are to break, and I don't want to push it too hard.

 

[AKfish]

The lower lift arms are pretty hard to break (even on a 1026R). Much easier to bend/break the sway linkage or the vertical shaft between the rockshaft arms and the lower lift arms.

That happens most often when backing up into a berm of dirt or snow, for example.

AKfish