Hyd. Top Link - $150

markcg2000 · Feb 3, 2002

Luckily, Mittens is just barely smart enough to stay away from the grease (so far) /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. He doesn't much like the noise of the tractor when it starts up.

Thomas · Feb 3, 2002

Hope you never have to hold a cat while trying to get grease an oil off his tail /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif that indeed is a tribe all test of courage.
Kinds notice that too..start the tractor the cat runs away,but the dog comes running towards the tractor. /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

jinman · Feb 3, 2002

Mark, here is a photo of the Cat. II ends on my Chief toplink. Notice the massive "chunk" of an adapter they put on the tractor end of the toplink. Yours looks to be much more compact. I like it./w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

markcg2000 · Feb 3, 2002

You know, I like the end on yours a lot better than what I did. Looks a lot more solid. If I could have found an adaptor like that, I would much rather have a single piece than the weld to the pin style I did. What makes you say that it is Cat II? The holes look the same size as mine. I take it the pin is welded to the cylinder to keep it from rotating.

p.s. - does the tractor end have the swivel ball, or is it straight in?

jinman · Feb 3, 2002

Mark, the holes in each end of my toplink are 1"(cat II) in diameter instead of 3/4" (cat I) like is standard on our compact tractors. I had to grind down the swivels in width about 1/4" and then purchased bushings from TSC to adapt the cat II down to my cat I pins. I'm not sure what you mean about the swivel ball, but in the photo, the part on the right goes to the tractor. I'll attach a photo of the link installed so you can see how it goes. My cylinder is much larger than yours, but the photo is deceptive. I think my shipping weight was over 25 lb for the cylinder alone./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

markcg2000 · Feb 3, 2002

You're right, the picture was deceptive. My cylinder is 8" x 2"

kcbarnes · Feb 3, 2002

mark, I have bought the same cyl. from quality farm & country and I'm in the process of replicating jim's setup right now. All the parts are together and I have got a toolmaker making a swivel end like jim's. The other end will have the swivel welded on next week.

markcg2000 · Feb 3, 2002

Got any pictures yet? I'd like to see what you're doing. As I said, this project jumped up with out a lot of planning due to CT going out of business - I was (am) worried about having another supplier around. My set up appears to work, but I'm perfectly willing to consider improvements. I think the real test will be when I put the backblade on this spring.

kcbarnes · Feb 3, 2002

The reason I am doing the universal end type on the end next to the tractor is I think it would not move in a compression situation,the other end will be the same as yours.When I get some pics I will post them.

RobS · Feb 4, 2002

Great looking setup Mark. Where are you hooking into your tractor hydraulics? Do you have a power beyond kit? I may have to swing by Quality Farm tonight on the way home and "browse" a bit /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif