3-Point Hitch Telescoping draft links

[mangus580]

You want a little play or something has to give if you get in a bind.

My dealer has maintained that any play is what makes them bend..... I am quite sick of folding them up like pretzels!

 

[SPYDERLK]

My dealer has maintained that any play is what makes them bend..... I am quite sick of folding them up like pretzels!

Folding them up indicates they are acting in compression during use. If the elements are not tubular and designed to keep forces acting axially, straight down their middle, they wont withstand compression well. They can be quite fragile when bearing compression force. ... Adjust them to hold the arms a little wide to assure the links experience only forces that pull on them.
larry

 

[gkess2]

I will send pictures as soon as my cell phone is charged. I am glad I am not the only one who dislikes them. I did as suggested a while ago, that is push to the right and left and put the pins in whatever holes lined up but there is still too much sway especially when backing up the mower. The mower actually slams back and forth as I turn in the field. The operator manual states there should be a certain amount of sway and I cannot come anyway near those specs. My first tractor was a JD 850 and my farmer neighbor said to get the draft links quite tight and the implement will follow the mower. It does not now on my LS 3039H. I tried a quick hitch and nothing hitched up to it quickly. I have a Woods 6' finish mower, a woods rotary mower, an ancient cycle bar mower and each one needed major modification to hook up and they never leveled out correctly. I remember seeing a parts diagram for a LS3039 and it had a parts number for turnbuckle draft links. If anyone knows the number I would be forever grateful.
Thanks
George

 

[fredflintstone]

I have replaced mine aswell bent agin seams to do it with the weight of the tiller.i have taken precautions to get tight and drive slower with tiller attached but still sways, bends the lower link to back of the draft bar where attaches to back of tractor. can put in the vise and straiten but is saposed to have a slite bend to it but not as much as I have in mine

 

[Bluesteel]

My dealer has maintained that any play is what makes them bend..... I am quite sick of folding them up like pretzels!

I would agree if they are too loose and your implement is slopping side to side. I have over 200 hrs on mine with no issues. I would also like to see a pic. I'm guessing the 3039 are lighter weight or different design. Contrary what your dealer is telling you the pin style links will never get "tight" unless you're forcing the implement over and driving the pin in.

 

[Sysop]

I have found the "knuckle" at the end of the link is many times where additional slop and play comes from. I have some implements that work best retracting them as far as they will go and they will be tight enough the knuckles won't slop around. But I also have others that won't retract far enough to prevent the slop and in those cases extending the telescoping part so it is pushing against the link rather than pulling it allows me to get it tighter. It just depends on how things line up best.

 

[Leejohn]

A lot of the slop is coming from the lower link moving on the pins and the Woods lift pin arms have a lot of slop in them. My 60" goes all over the place and my 990 use to, but I fixed it on the 990. So check your mower for slop. The adjustable sway arm have to have some slop otherwise they could lock up the 3pt when going all the way up. Also could stop the 3pt from going all the way down. So now you add all that up it turns into slop. Why you are binding them I can't understand that, with one arm being pull on and the other being pushed on. If you are having trouble pulling the pins I don't let the implement hit the ground and it can be moved side to side , the pins come right out. YOU MUST BE ON LEVEL GROUND TO DO IT THAT WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[fredflintstone]

according to my dealer im not the first and only one to have bent there lower arms. and my entire arm is not bending just the end that attaches to the tractor 4140 I have straiten it out BF and has came back seams to be a week link to me
should be made with diff lift geimatree could have changed as mine is a 2012

 

[oosik]

My tractor came equipped with telescoping ends on the lower arms. There is always a little slop when I connect an implement but not more than 3" each way of dead center. The telescoping ends have proven to be a God-send for implement hook up. I much prefer a slight amount of "slop" after an implement is connected - that way you know its not too tight in either the full up or full down position.

I'm always very careful if I push with any implement. I've always heard that pushing is the easiest way to cause damage to the 3-point system. I'm also careful when I turn with any 3-point implement as I know it can cause extreme pressures. I've always lifted any implement when turning. Better to lift, back up and readjust your return position than trying to turn with a ground engaging implement. A little care can save huge $$$.

Now if you implement is attached to the drawbar - that's a completely different story.

 

[mjstef]

Don't try to corner hard with an implement and they won't bend/break. I pick up my mower at the end of every pass and make the next pass beside the one i finished. This also stops the streaking in tall grass as the blades will lift what the tractor tires ran down......