My solution for 3PT float on my GC1700

[mgstevens]

I see our tractors are of similar vintage, and my 3-pt lever always returns to center detent so I'm not sure what you mean by "hold the lever in a position it's MEANT to be held in.." So indulge me, even if I am over thinking it. My tractor has some 400 hrs on it, not worn out, and does not appear to have the "held-in" position you refer to.

how could it mess anything up? system is designed to stay in float BUT it doesn't especially on units with wear/tear on them.
all this does is hold the lever in a position its MEANT to be held in.
you're over thinking it.

 

[Dmacleo]

I see our tractors are of similar vintage, and my 3-pt lever always returns to center detent so I'm not sure what you mean by "hold the lever in a position it's MEANT to be held in.." So indulge me, even if I am over thinking it. My tractor has some 400 hrs on it, not worn out, and does not appear to have the "held-in" position you refer to.

our gc24/17 series do not have spring returns to center. there is a center detent for hold position. my 2010 GC2410 does not, the 2015 or so GC710 we put 700 hrs on did not, my company new 2020 GC1723 does not.
fwd of detent is lower/float and other direction is raise. off that detent is friction hold and vibration/accidental bump/etc can move off float to hold position. push all the way fwd to hold full fwd in the float position, the detent just keeps the lever there where it needs to be.
nothing complicated.

 

[mgstevens]

I will try this later today, but to be clear: you're saying there should be another detent, fwd/below the center position, (which you call the hold position, as in: hold at a specific height), and which serves (this lower detent does..) as a down/float position for the 3-pt control lever?

Being such a needed or desired 3-pt feature, you'd think it would be illustrated, or at least mentioned in the operators manual, yet it is not.

I have a ballast box on my 3-pt now and will use it to try to find this lower detent later today. Not only have I never felt a bit of grab in the fwd range of that lever, the previous owner had no 3-pt attachments and I'm sure the whole system was never used, so the chance that an existing detent in that area was worn by use is not likely in my case.

 

[Dmacleo]

I will try this later today, but to be clear: you're saying there should be another detent, fwd/below the center position, (which you call the hold position, as in: hold at a specific height), and which serves (this lower detent does..) as a down/float position for the 3-pt control lever?

Being such a needed or desired 3-pt feature, you'd think it would be illustrated, or at least mentioned in the operators manual, yet it is not.

I have a ballast box on my 3-pt now and will use it to try to find this lower detent later today. Not only have I never felt a bit of grab in the fwd range of that lever, the previous owner had no 3-pt attachments and I'm sure the whole system was never used, so the chance that an existing detent in that area was worn by use is not likely in my case.

no there is no other detent except center which is the issue when wanting float. the only thing holding lever is friction and its not much.
this mod CREATES a detent on full float position. its needed because the lever does not stay in full float and can migrate backwards a bit. this reduces the speed item will float back down after raise.

 

[mgstevens]

Yeah, consider me educated. My 3-pt is as close to new as I could expect. Sure enough, there is indeed a friction stop at the fwd position. Also, not sprung to center, but does rest there. Time to pay closer attention to these controls.

I'm still wondering why this is not at all reflected in the operators manual. I use float on all my attachments for some operations and would surely want to have clear knowledge about how to implement it for the 3-pt. I appreciate your persistence in making the point. Or three-point, if you will...

Now: is someone going to make/sell or distribute plans for this mod?

 

[Dmacleo]

Yeah, consider me educated. My 3-pt is as close to new as I could expect. Sure enough, there is indeed a friction stop at the fwd position. Also, not sprung to center, but does rest there. Time to pay closer attention to these controls.

I'm still wondering why this is not at all reflected in the operators manual. I use float on all my attachments for some operations and would surely want to have clear knowledge about how to implement it for the 3-pt. I appreciate your persistence in making the point. Or three-point, if you will...

Now: is someone going to make/sell or distribute plans for this mod?

yeah the manual doesn't really explain it all that well. the unit (I see this mostly on mid mower) will float when lever not fully on float however the drop speed (actual float) is slowed down.
I would like to see some of these available too, I don't have 3d printer and for the little I would use one no sense buying.

 

[mgstevens]

I don't (yet..) have one either, but I think somewhere in the community, there is one I can rent access to, and that may be the same in your area.. So if the file became available, I'm sure there is a way. At the same time, if the price was reasonable, buying a printed version would be a no-brainer.

In re-reading your last post, it looks like setting the 3-pt drop-speed knob to "plummet" would work best with the float operation, no?

 

[Nacademus]

Sorry I haven't come back to this in a while

I can try and print a batch of these little things and share them with you all. I don't want paid for them.

They're not perfect but mine has been great and still works fine a year or so later. I'll print a few of my first design and try and improve it a bit before distributing.

I'm hoping it'll fit in a regular envelope and only need one stamp. Makes it easier to mail them.

If anyone would like one, pm me your address and I'll try and get one to you once I've made them.

I really enjoy 3D printing-so it's not a burden at all.

 

[Dmacleo]

Sorry I haven't come back to this in a while

I can try and print a batch of these little things and share them with you all. I don't want paid for them.

They're not perfect but mine has been great and still works fine a year or so later. I'll print a few of my first design and try and improve it a bit before distributing.

I'm hoping it'll fit in a regular envelope and only need one stamp. Makes it easier to mail them.

If anyone would like one, pm me your address and I'll try and get one to you once I've made them.

I really enjoy 3D printing-so it's not a burden at all.

message sent

 

[Nacademus]

I've received messages from quite a few of you. I'm modifying the original item a little bit, testing, then I'll batch print and get them out to you. It's possible to design something that appears more deliberate and fancy, but I designed these for ease of prototyping, flatness, and short print time. The USPS has a maximum 1/4" (roughly 6mm) maximum thickness for an envelope mailed with a stamp. I'm trying to keep it that thickness or less.

Mine works great. Has been for almost 2 years. The only concern I have is that when it gets very dusty (tilling a dry field), the clip doesn't seem to bite as hard because the dust makes the cover on the lever a little more slippery. I think adding a small dimple inside the gate will assure it works well in all conditions. That, or thickening the gate fingers to make it clamp harder. These are the things I'm testing. I hope to have this done in the next few days.

Again, I don't want or expect to be compensated for this and honestly appreciate that many of you offer to do so. I just enjoy helping others out. In that vein, I hope someone doesn't take my idea and commercialize it for profit. That goes against the whole vibe of helping others and honestly, I think this should have been included or considered when the tractor was designed. You can homespin any number of ways to accomplish the same result. At first, I used a bungee cord to hold it down. My first design was actually an L sort of shape that I would move over the lever to hold it, but felt that could be easily broken if you needed to lift the lever quickly in a pinch. The best I've come up with is a simple alligator mouth kind of thing. It doesn't have any of the negatives that my first few ideas illustrated.

My last consideration was whether or not I add a 5mm hole to the design for I can fix it to the fender with a rivet or small bolt to make it more permanent. I found that 3M moulding tape, once allowed to cure before use does a REALLY great job without drilling or modifying the tractor at all. I have a roll of that and will include a small square of it in the envelope.