hydraulic side link with quick hitch

[case685]

Okay, I think I know the answer to this question but I'll ask anyway to be sure. Is there any point to having a hyd side link( to replace the manually adjustable one) if you have a quick hitch. It would seem to me that with one these hitches you would lose that adjustability factor or am I missing something. Gerry

 

[3RRL]

It would be the same point as with the manually adjustable side link on there now.
Except you change the side angle manually on one and hydraulically on the other.
Those quick hitches can be slightly tilted (using the side links) since there is usually enough play in the lower lift pins and balls and top link, etc. That is if you want to use an implement tilted sideways a little such as a boxblade for cutting slopes or a rake etc.

 

[case685]

Thanks Rob, after doing a search on hydraulic side links I noticed several people who were unhappy with the performance of them. I'm not happy with the manual one on my Case-IH 685 so was thinking about replacing it with a hyd one but I intend to install a quick hitch. Your post has me thinking that I probably don't need a lot of side adj anyway. I likely could get away with a better manual one but I don't see much out there in the way of aftermarket ones. I have seen those ratcheting top links and am wondering how they would work. Gerry

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Gerry, look at it this way, do you use the manual one that you have now, or would like to use it, but to much of a pain? If that is the case, then you would like a hydraulic side link. I use mine as much or more than my hydraulic top link. As far as the guys that don't have much good to say about them. Either they didn't really need them, or didn't know how or what it is actually used for. You sure do not need one as much on a tractor with a 4' implement as one that has a much wider implement. I don't have one on my Sears garden tractor, although I've thought about it.

As long as you can afford it, get it. I doubt that you would be sorry.

PS, sorry if you guys don't like all the smiles, helps me out sometimes.

 

[XCAT]

Gerry,
I have just finished a tilt cylinder mod on my new Daedong EX50, we live on a hill and it is a real pain in the *** readjusting the angle of grader blade etc.
A manually adjusted link will give a greater adjustment range over hydraulic because of the dead area in a hyd cylinder. I spent a lot of time working out the required length and stroke needed to give the amount of angle change needed for what I want the tractor to do. (Dont forget the pivot point is the end of opposite 3PL lower end)
I used a factory link, cut the ends off and re welded the ends back on the good thing about this is it has three different holes in the lower end, so I can change position easily at any time I want more up or down travel.
It is hooked up to the rear remote and at a push of the lever it moves ! I works great !
Maybe the people who are not happy with thier hyd tilt got an off the shelf one fit all cylinder that may not work well in the range they require .
check out the photo - just needs paint now !
Cheers
xcat

 

[3RRL]

Gerry,
You've got a couple of us cheering you on now to get those hydraulic side links. I installed my own and the ability to change the side tilt from the seat ... on the fly is fantastic. Most overlooked is what a breeze it becomes to attach implements because you move the lever to line up your lift pin or hitch with no sweat. Yeah there is cost and time involved, but the convenience is well worth it.

As far as what XCAT said, this is not necessarily true in all cases, at least not in mine.
A manually adjusted link will give a greater adjustment range over hydraulic because of the dead area in a hyd cylinder.
Like him, I too checked out what I needed and wanted for movement. For that reason, I ended up getting longer hydraulic cylinders and much beefier ones with super thick rods. Mine are 3-1/2 cylinders diameter with a 1-1/2 rod and 8" stroke.
I did a thread about installing them here Adding Hydraulic Side Links
In post #46, there is a video showing how much movement ... tilt and flexibility and speed I get with the hydraulic side links. To move them as I show in that video would take hours(? lol) to do with a manual side link adjustment, especially with the weight of an implement on them. Consider also if you could even get the range like that?

 

[case685]

Guys, thanks for the replies. The opinions and info are greatly appreciated. Rob, your thread about the side links is inspiring, thats the kind of stuff that makes this such a great website. My main reason for starting this thread was that I had finished making a 3.25" by 10.5" cylinder into a toplink for my tractor and I figured that since I have a larger cab tractor a quick hitch would be best since I'd be unable to adjust the toplink from the ground. Now that you guys have convinced me to go with a hyd side link I'm again considering my hitch options. My Dad's Deutz 7085 had a toplink with a quick connect end on it. You could sit in the cab and hold up the link with a lanyard and raise or lower the 3pt till it lined up. If I go that way I could go with the Pat's system (I don't want to start another debate over which system is best) or similar. Gerry

 

[3RRL]

Thanks Gerry,
BTW, that's what I have on mine... Pat's system.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Gerry,
I have just finished a tilt cylinder mod on my new Daedong EX50, we live on a hill and it is a real pain in the *** readjusting the angle of grader blade etc.
A manually adjusted link will give a greater adjustment range over hydraulic because of the dead area in a hyd cylinder. I spent a lot of time working out the required length and stroke needed to give the amount of angle change needed for what I want the tractor to do. (Dont forget the pivot point is the end of opposite 3PL lower end)
I used a factory link, cut the ends off and re welded the ends back on the good thing about this is it has three different holes in the lower end, so I can change position easily at any time I want more up or down travel.
It is hooked up to the rear remote and at a push of the lever it moves ! I works great !
Maybe the people who are not happy with thier hyd tilt got an off the shelf one fit all cylinder that may not work well in the range they require .
check out the photo - just needs paint now !
Cheers
xcat

xcat, in your photo it looks like you have little or no tilt to the left. Usually when one hydraulic side link is used the hydraulic ram is centered to be level. That way an equal amount of tilt can be had on either side. I like that you used the factory ends on your hydraulic, that is the wright way to do it. On my cat 2 side link I have 8" of travel and if I remember correctly my stock factory one had 6". The same holds true for my top link, I have more adjustment with my hydraulic than I did with my manual one.

Now I am not sure if this is possible on the cat 1 hitches or not, size might play a factor here. Here's a picture of my setup.

 

[XCAT]

Brian,
We had issues trying to fit a longer ram in the area we had, 4 stroke was the best to allow enough up travel. If I used say a 8 stroke ram I would not be able to lift the rh arm higher than the left due to dead area of the cylinder. And my main aim was to be able to lift each end of out grader blade the same amount off the ground from horizontal position and I can do that as the blade pivots from the left arm. Secondly when grading drains I tend to always dig on the rh side so this is why I only have limited up travel on the rod, but it gives me lots of down travel to get deep drain / channel. I also have three positions I can set the lower fork on so if any time I require a different task I can change the amount of up or down. But again our main problem was getting a cylinder to fit within the limits of this machine, a point I should have said in my earlier post. Hope this helps.
Cheers
xcat