Rotary Cutter New to rotary cutters, have questions, help please

[Soundguy]

measure it for the heck of it for those of us who are curious.. also post how close your lift arms go together. even on my 70 and 95 hp tractors.. the arm ends can nearly touch if i adjust the turn buckles out..

soundguy

 

[StrangeRanger]

measure it for the heck of it for those of us who are curious.. also post how close your lift arms go together. even on my 70 and 95 hp tractors.. the arm ends can nearly touch if i adjust the turn buckles out..

soundguy

The arms are actually stopped by where they hit where they're mounted to the tractor. I'll drag my lazy butt out there and measure for you though
j

 

[Soundguy]

A pic wouldn't hurt either. I'm surprised that can't get pretty close.. even my utility and small ag ractor can hitch a cat 0 implement with the appropriate bushings ont he implement pins..

soundguy

 

[StrangeRanger]

Soundguy, did you see the pictures I posted on the second (I think) page of this thread?

Ok, measured it this morning. From tip to tip of the lift points it's 21". That's roughly a couple inches shy on each side of fitting my lift arms.

I don't really have access to welding equipment, nor the skills. I briefly entertained the idea of cutting a couple inches of steel pipe to slip over the lift points and the pins on my lift arms and then drilling some holes in the pipe to accept pins to go through the pipe and lift points and lift pins sticking through the lift arms. But at this point drilling thick steel pipe sounds like a lot of work.

Plus, geez, I can't believe I haven't worn my wife down w/ my whining about a mower yet
j

 

[StrangeRanger]

Forgot, not to mention finding pipe w/ the right ID to fit the dang pins. Grrr...

j

 

[Soundguy]

You can get pin bushings at places like TSC.

Wow.. 21".. that don't sound right.. that's right at cat 1 spec...

soundguy

 

[StrangeRanger]

You can get pin bushings at places like TSC.

Wow.. 21".. that don't sound right.. that's right at cat 1 spec...

soundguy

Are you sure? I thought cat 1 lower point span started at 26"?
j

 

[Soundguy]

Are you sure? I thought cat 1 lower point span started at 26"?
j

Are you intentionally trying to be obtuse? Or did you not read my reply.

I said 'right at' not 'exactly' IE.. 21" is real close to 26".. In other words, my cat 2 tractors will close MUCH smaller than 21".. way 'past' cat 1 specs... That's why I'm surprised at the unit we ar discussing that has a seemingle inner limit of 21"... it well.. just sounds real limited... I've seen plenty of 18" drawbars with cat 1 or 0 sized pins.. My CUT sized fords will all hitch to those drawbars.

soundguy

 

[StrangeRanger]

Are you intentionally trying to be obtuse? Or did you not read my reply.

I said 'right at' not 'exactly' IE.. 21" is real close to 26".. In other words, my cat 2 tractors will close MUCH smaller than 21".. way 'past' cat 1 specs... That's why I'm surprised at the unit we ar discussing that has a seemingle inner limit of 21"... it well.. just sounds real limited... I've seen plenty of 18" drawbars with cat 1 or 0 sized pins.. My CUT sized fords will all hitch to those drawbars.

soundguy

I guess your idea and my idea of close are different. 5" is not close (that's what she said! Doh!)

Kidding aside, I guess it's just my L3400 then. There's simply no way to make it fit unless I flip the lift arms over. But then my turnbuckles wouldn't reach the lift arms. Oh well...
j

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Gentlemen, Please go to a neutral corner.........

Standard width between draft arm ball ends at normal working width.

Cat 0 = 20"
Cat I = 26"
Cat II = 32"
Cat III = 38"
Cat IV = 46"

per American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

(also listed at link below)

TractorData.com - Three-Point Hitch

Many tractors are capable of widths far greater or far less than these standards. Many aren't. As a "for instance" in each case, most older John Deere's had sway blocks set inside of the draft arms that prevented arms from closing to much less than a couple inches UNDER the respective width for their hitch catagory. Many older Fords and Fergusons were such that the ball ends of the draft arms would ALMOST touch. It's not at all UNUSUAL to find tractors that fit EITHER possibility.