Looking for opinions re: chain stabilizers vs rigid tube stabilizers for lift arms.

[Farmer495]

I have tube, turn buckle and combination chains with turn buckle.

Tube style wins for me. Yes you have to be careful what you are doing with the pins while hitching, that is only drawback.

Threaded ones slower to adjust and often seize if you don't use them fully or often.

 

[TerryR]

I've used my JD 870 with the turnbuckle style stabilizers for 25 years, and never had a bit of trouble with them. No need to clean them or lubricate them, they just work. Must be well made. They have a hole in the screw thread for a pin, so no need use a jam nut, nor any tools to adjust them.

I've never used the tube type so no clue whether they might be somehow better.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I have had both turn buckles and tubes. Turn buckles suck, you really need a wrench to tighten the jam nut or else they come loose. I see no reason for a piece of equipment that you need a tool when theres tool less out there.

I know what you mean, but I have had the tubular version and had problems. Pins would jump out and the holes wear. I also had some trouble getting the arms as tight as I can with the turnbuckle system.

 

[KilroyJC]

Just putting up a general THANK YOU! To everyone who posted so far. I will be doing more research, but at least I have some things to consider like climate and frequency of use, precision, ease of use, etc.

if anyone else has comments please post them!

 

[WranglerX]

Funny thing happened on the property, put a QH on my tractor and have not had to adjust turnbuckels for 3 years now.....

 

[SmallChange]

Turn buckles suck, you really need a wrench to tighten the jam nut or else they come loose. I see no reason for a piece of equipment that you need a tool when theres tool less out there.

I bought one of those clip things you see on pet leashes, with a hook at each end and spring loaded plungers that close the hooks. One end I clipped through a hole near the edge of the PTO cover. The other end I clipped through the box end of a combination wrench sized for the jam nut. It was the short version of this combination wrench. So, it was always right where I needed it.

 

[ericm979]

Now I have the tubular ones, which seem to be sold as some kind of premium advantage, but I don't like them as much. For most implements I like things snugged so there's no swinging back and forth, and that's hard to do with the tubular ones, or at least I haven't found a good way to do it. Maybe if I had some kind of clamp tool to hold the tubes telescoped in as far as possible before I drop the pin in, that would fix it.

With my 800 lb ballast box, it's like driving a truck with a big round load in the bed, rolling back and forth as I go around corners and slamming into the sides of the bed.

Hey, does anybody know how to fix this with tube type stabilizers?

Put the pin in on one side. On the other, push the implement away from you to take up the slack and then find the pin hole that lines up. Don't use the slotted hole. On my tractor each set of holes is aligned slightly differently, like a vernier, so there's usually one that works. Sometimes I may need to wiggle the implement a little to get it in.

I've had both and the tube type are much easier to use.

 

[John_Mc]

I have and prefer the tube type. The first time I lost a pin, I welded a bit of light chain to the replacement and put the other end of the chain on the bolt holding the outer end of the tube to the lower 3 pt arm. Never had any problems with them since.