Hydraulic Top Link? Moving Hay~UPDATE! Problem Solved!

[MtnViewRanch]

As has been mentioned, use the top pin location on the spear and the lowest pin location on the tractor side.

I would think that that would get you at least another foot of height at the end of the bail.

Also not knowing what all you do with the tractor, but from just using it for bales, I would recommend that you get a shorter than normal working length for your tractor.

I'm not sure that the top links are interchangeable?
The 75 has a cat 1 pin at the tractor end that takes a 1 3/4" wide end. I think that the 120 has a 1" pin with a 2" wide end, but not 100% sure about that.

It would be best to double-check. But a single unit can be made to work with both tractors.

 

[Bearsixty7]

Hydraulic top link makes a BIG difference! Here is the difference on my little 40hp with one of the smallest travel distance top links.
First 2 pics are at then maximum lift with top link fully out and in.

(If you zoom in, you can see that I also moved the lower pins on the disk itself (Primerd area) down to get more lift)

I have since moved my lower arms up to the next pair of holes so that it lifts higher but will still almost reach the ground when lowered.

 

[ptsg]

+1 for hydraulic top link. No hay operation for me but I do use mine a lot, specially with the brush cutter as it allows me to put my cutter at a near 45 degree angle to tackle high brush and cutting against embankments.

Picture as example, although it still has more to go than it shows in the picture.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I find the hydraulic top link to be handy with many implements, most of all, the stone rake:

Add a hydraulic tilt cylinder and you can do this as well. All without getting off the tractor.

 

[5030]

Interesting and I never have had a reason to get a hydraulic top link simply because on my M's, the lift arms have multiple adjustment holes to adjust the lift and my top link also has 3 adjustment holes that predicate the sensitivity of the draft adjustment (if I'm using it) and when I'm not the holes allow for a wide adjustment in not only total lift height but lowered engagement height as well. Finally, a hydraulic top link would occupy one set of remotes and both my discbine as well as my round baler utilize all of the 3 sets of remotes I have available.

Only way I could use one would be to add a splitter and in reality, I don't need one or the added cost for that matter.

 

[rockinbbar]

As has been mentioned, use the top pin location on the spear and the lowest pin location on the tractor side.

I would think that that would get you at least another foot of height at the end of the bail.

Also not knowing what all you do with the tractor, but from just using it for bales, I would recommend that you get a shorter than normal working length for your tractor.

I'm not sure that the top links are interchangeable?
The 75 has a cat 1 pin at the tractor end that takes a 1 3/4" wide end. I think that the 120 has a 1" pin with a 2" wide end, but not 100% sure about that.

It would be best to double-check. But a single unit can be made to work with both tractors.

Yessir, you are correct about the bottom pin difference.

May take a little grinding and perhaps a bushing to make them interchangeable, but it's not much work.

 

[Xfaxman]

Here's an example. This is as much lift as I can get without cranking on the manual toplink after I've speared the bale...

Looks like a longer bale spear would help.

Mine is 48 inches long:

A 5x6 bale:

 

[rockinbbar]

Looks like a longer bale spear would help.

Mine is 48 inches long:
View attachment 832868

A 5x6 bale:

View attachment 832869

My rear spear has a 48" spike and two shorter ones. But my short ones are underneath the main spike.

I just think I can get as much lift as I need with the hydraulic top link. Should solve the issue.

I don't have trouble with the front loader spear because it has 2 48" spears and as much lift as I wanna give it.

 

[rockinbbar]

Got a hydraulic top link and installed it today on my PS120...

It lifted up just as it should and solved the issue!

I swear, tractors ought to come with these as a standard top link!

Think I'm going to get another one for my PS75 so I won't have to swap them out.

Before:

After:

 

[geargle]

I am late to this party but will offer another solution that I used. I cut the 3X# tubing on the hay spear above the spear and added a 6" extention that increased the distance between the top link and lower link pins. This will make the spear angle up as it is lifted. Might be a cheaper option than a hydraulic top link especially for those only needing HL for one application. And yes, one can buy a short piece of precut metal on Amazon!