Flail Mower Implement Hook-Up Difficulty

[newbury]

Vic is the OP, James is k0ua.

Vic - do a search on TBN, here are some results. It reads like the autohitch is extremely limited and may not be compatible with your equipment.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/john-deere-owning-operating/147754-anyone-use-auto-hitch.html
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/john-deere-buying-pricing/115673-imatch-autohitch.html
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/john-deere-owning-operating/198189-autohitch.html

 

[vlcakc]

Did some trial hook-ups this evening. The imatch bottom hooks lined up ok with the box blade and flail mower. The top hook as received from JD is set too low to engage the top link pins. The box blade looks to be an easy fix. The imatch I have has the adjustable top hook, so a couple of minutes with an air wrench to raise the hook to a higher position should fix that problem. The mower may not be so easy. The top link connection is quite a bit higher than the box blade, and I'm not sure there is enough adjustment to compensate. Also the mower top link connection is slotted horizontally to allow "float". I may be able to redrill two of the bracket frames to lower the link slot enough to engage. Need to do some more measuring and planning. I didn't try the tiller, but believe that it will work "as-is".

Thanks for the suggestions on the PTO shaft hook-up! I too am a believer in a "bigger hammer". :laughing: Unfortunately, I've already tried the longest "cheaters" to turn the shaft that will fit in the space available. The best way I've found recently is to have my neighbor align and insert the PTO shaft onto the PTO stub while I turn the mower rotor shaft slightly to align the splines. The neighbor has full time employment in town though and isn't always available. I still have hopes the PTO overrunning clutch will work well enough to solve the problem short term. Also. I think it will extend the PTO shaft enough to compensate for the additional shaft length needed to make up for the imatch hitch. I did recheck the PTO stub with the engine off and the PTO lever engaged/disengaged. No luck. The shaft locks solid with no movement at all. Hooking up the tiller PTO is no problem. The PTO shaft is much smaller/lighter and will turn easily as long as the tiller tines are off the ground. Thanks, Vic

 

[k0ua]

James, one question, does your tractor have a pto that is engaged by an electric clutch or does it have a two stage clutch. I hate to admit it but I have been known to take a large pipe wrench to a PTO shaft on a tractor with an electric clutch when the tractor is turned off. I usually could move it sufficiently to find alignment. The suggestions about the straps and bungee cords are excellent ideas. Do you have access to the pto shaft at the gearbox? You may be able to turn your flail mower there once the 3 point hitch is connected and it is lifted off the ground. I have a roto-tiller that has to be connected that way. W. Jones

yes, mine is electric/hydraulic. But I am not the one having the problem. vicakc is the poster having the issue. I have always been able to hook up my rotary cutter by applying rotational force with just my bare hands, but I am 61 and he is 81. So there is got to be some difference there.

 

[k0ua]

Did some trial hook-ups this evening. The imatch bottom hooks lined up ok with the box blade and flail mower. The top hook as received from JD is set too low to engage the top link pins. The box blade looks to be an easy fix. The imatch I have has the adjustable top hook, so a couple of minutes with an air wrench to raise the hook to a higher position should fix that problem. The mower may not be so easy. The top link connection is quite a bit higher than the box blade, and I'm not sure there is enough adjustment to compensate. Also the mower top link connection is slotted horizontally to allow "float". I may be able to redrill two of the bracket frames to lower the link slot enough to engage. Need to do some more measuring and planning. I didn't try the tiller, but believe that it will work "as-is".

Thanks for the suggestions on the PTO shaft hook-up! I too am a believer in a "bigger hammer". :laughing: Unfortunately, I've already tried the longest "cheaters" to turn the shaft that will fit in the space available. The best way I've found recently is to have my neighbor align and insert the PTO shaft onto the PTO stub while I turn the mower rotor shaft slightly to align the splines. The neighbor has full time employment in town though and isn't always available. I still have hopes the PTO overrunning clutch will work well enough to solve the problem short term. Also. I think it will extend the PTO shaft enough to compensate for the additional shaft length needed to make up for the imatch hitch. I did recheck the PTO stub with the engine off and the PTO lever engaged/disengaged. No luck. The shaft locks solid with no movement at all. Hooking up the tiller PTO is no problem. The PTO shaft is much smaller/lighter and will turn easily as long as the tiller tines are off the ground. Thanks, Vic

Well, you have answered several of my questions. Perhaps the overrunning clutch will solve it. I hope so.

 

[4570Man]

I'm not recommending you do it, but I find it much easier to hook up the PTO shafts with half of the guard removed. The PTO shaft on my tractor will turn while not engaged. I'm not sure if it will turn in both directions, but it will turn. I removed the front half of the guard. It still covers most of the shaft, but it makes it much easier to hook up.

 

[bilrus61]

Before you try to hook it up mark your driveline with bright nail polish where the lands are and then you can line them up with the grooves on the pto output stub of your tractor quickly and easily. Once you have the driveline started on the PTO output stub you can then get a rubber chord or even take the weight off with a board under the driveline. They badly need to invent a locking driveline connector that you can pull back and twist and lock open. Then once you have it all pushed on you could then twist it to release. Only thing I can think of is that all the implement designers are young strong healthy men with three arms and making it easier to hook up never enters their mind.
t

 

[vlcakc]

Still no joy!:thumbdown: Even in the highest posiition the imatch hitch top hook is still about an inch too low to work properly on the box blade. The hook would barely engage the top pin as it now is. My idea now is to drill additional mounting holes in the hook shank to raise the hook on up. There is quite a bit of straight shank on the hook below the lowest hole factory drilled. I should be able to raise the hook up at least 2" or more. I'll fire up the drill press later this afternoon and see what is possible. Thanks, for all the comments and feedback. Vic

 

[dickfoster]

Still no joy!:thumbdown: Even in the highest posiition the imatch hitch top hook is still about an inch too low to work properly on the box blade. The hook would barely engage the top pin as it now is. My idea now is to drill additional mounting holes in the hook shank to raise the hook on up. There is quite a bit of straight shank on the hook below the lowest hole factory drilled. I should be able to raise the hook up at least 2" or more. I'll fire up the drill press later this afternoon and see what is possible. Thanks, for all the comments and feedback. Vic

Can't you park the box blade on an old pallet or something? Or did I get it backwards and the box blade needs to be down in a hole or something?

 

[oldballs]

Maybe your local dealer personnel can recommend a good solution. I've found that my local dealer used to have parts people and service people that always had good ideas. I don't know about their current people however.

So charge on vic, you'll find a way.

There is some comfort in working the dirt from above, as to looking at the inside lid of a box from below.

 

[SPYDERLK]

yes, mine is electric/hydraulic. But I am not the one having the problem. vicakc is the poster having the issue. I have always been able to hook up my rotary cutter by applying rotational force with just my bare hands, but I am 61 and he is 81. So there is got to be some difference there.

He has a flail. When stationary the knives will drape and cause a rather firm preferred position; unlike a rotary cutter.