JerryG
Super Member
Adjust the chain length to allow you to pick the mower up just enough for transport. When you are mowing the chain should have slack in it. That way the mower will follow the contour of the land.
Toplink Toplink vs Chain on bushhog attachment
- Thread starter Anonymous Poster
- Start date
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Slamfire
Veteran Member
Sorry Gary, I'm digitally challenged as far as photos are concerned. I got the cylinder at Tractor Supply. It is a standard 2" bore 8" stroke. I screwed the clevis on the threaded end down to the bottom of the threads and cut off the excess. I had a couple of old connections lying around, freed them up and hooked one to the clevis by boring a 7/8" hole. The other end I cut off the clevis, welded on a nut and threaded another connecter into it. Took some 3/8 copper tubing and put pressure fittings on the ends, spliced in a ball cock valve on the implement end and a tee fitting on the tractor end. Put a pipe nipple in the tee for filling with fluid and capped it off. When I open the ball cock valve the cylinder elongates, and when I close it, it hold that position. Hope this helps. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
SPIKER
Elite Member
Re: Toplink vs Chain on bush-hog attachment
GLEN:
I have a 3 pt finish mower that if I was to use the top link it lifts the front and or rear tires off the ground and does not cut evenly and actually damaged the one front tire due to over pressure on it as it was going over bumps mounted using the top link on the 3 pt. by removing the top link or using a length of chain it freely floats at it was designed, not all finish mowers are designed the same, some have more flex built into them mine is very rigid and lifts one or more tires off the ground as it goes over bumps. I ran over the one front tire as I pulled it through high grass some how one of the lynch pins pulled out, (rusty clip) and over the ditch on y property the thing lifted enough to drop out the wheel / a frame assy and under the mower it went. Broke two blades and dinged the 3rd enough to replace the set. ate the wheel/tire pretty well too. the thing runs much smoother since taking boss's advice and removing the top link while mowing. I reinstall when transporting so I can lift it off the ground. that is why it has 4 tires on them for full free floating... the lift arms are mounted ahead of the mower so there is 0% chance of pulling into even s stump and have it "Flip over onto the driver" if you look at most brush cutters you will see they are the same way, links mounted ahead of the mower enough so that even hitting a stump will not "Pull it up and over" pick it up maybe but it would crash back down very fast as the front edge became in-line (straight out) from/with the 3pt lift arms.
Well I may be wrong and nuts but it sure has made the unit ride and cut 10 times better with out the top link in. turning is only concern, and I don't have a lot of tight corners to worry about either. I keep the chain turn buckle links tight so it can't sway left/right much and it generally works well. if i pull across my bridge or some other item which has a high lift roll to it I lift the front of the mower with the 3 pt lift arms and raise it up some so the front wheels are off the ground 3+"... (NOT RUNNING THOUGH) as that may bind up the drive shaft. though I don't think it would do that either.
well hope that made it clear as mud..
Mark /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
GLEN:
I have a 3 pt finish mower that if I was to use the top link it lifts the front and or rear tires off the ground and does not cut evenly and actually damaged the one front tire due to over pressure on it as it was going over bumps mounted using the top link on the 3 pt. by removing the top link or using a length of chain it freely floats at it was designed, not all finish mowers are designed the same, some have more flex built into them mine is very rigid and lifts one or more tires off the ground as it goes over bumps. I ran over the one front tire as I pulled it through high grass some how one of the lynch pins pulled out, (rusty clip) and over the ditch on y property the thing lifted enough to drop out the wheel / a frame assy and under the mower it went. Broke two blades and dinged the 3rd enough to replace the set. ate the wheel/tire pretty well too. the thing runs much smoother since taking boss's advice and removing the top link while mowing. I reinstall when transporting so I can lift it off the ground. that is why it has 4 tires on them for full free floating... the lift arms are mounted ahead of the mower so there is 0% chance of pulling into even s stump and have it "Flip over onto the driver" if you look at most brush cutters you will see they are the same way, links mounted ahead of the mower enough so that even hitting a stump will not "Pull it up and over" pick it up maybe but it would crash back down very fast as the front edge became in-line (straight out) from/with the 3pt lift arms.
Well I may be wrong and nuts but it sure has made the unit ride and cut 10 times better with out the top link in. turning is only concern, and I don't have a lot of tight corners to worry about either. I keep the chain turn buckle links tight so it can't sway left/right much and it generally works well. if i pull across my bridge or some other item which has a high lift roll to it I lift the front of the mower with the 3 pt lift arms and raise it up some so the front wheels are off the ground 3+"... (NOT RUNNING THOUGH) as that may bind up the drive shaft. though I don't think it would do that either.
well hope that made it clear as mud..
Mark /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
DVerbarg
Platinum Member
Re: Toplink vs Chain on bush-hog attachment
Mark,
Regarding:
<font color="blue"> I have a 3 pt finish mower that if I was to use the top link it lifts the front and or rear tires off the ground and does not cut evenly and actually damaged the one front tire due to over pressure on it as it was going over bumps mounted using the top link on the 3 pt. by removing the top link or using a length of chain it freely floats at it was designed, not all finish mowers are designed the same, some have more flex built into them mine is very rigid and lifts one or more tires off the ground as it goes over bumps. </font>
When I purchased my finish mower 13+ years ago it was rigid, but only because the dealer did not know what he was doing when he setup the mower. Once I burst a tire due to too much down pressure I realized that the geometry would work better if a couple of the arms could be adjusted. When I loosed those bolts I finally realized that the mfg deisgned the unit properly and it had lots of travel but the dealer in an effort to tighten all the bolts before delivery tightened bolts that were supposed to be loose to allow the top of the A frame to rotate forwards and backwards, thus reducing the stress on tires.
Mark,
Regarding:
<font color="blue"> I have a 3 pt finish mower that if I was to use the top link it lifts the front and or rear tires off the ground and does not cut evenly and actually damaged the one front tire due to over pressure on it as it was going over bumps mounted using the top link on the 3 pt. by removing the top link or using a length of chain it freely floats at it was designed, not all finish mowers are designed the same, some have more flex built into them mine is very rigid and lifts one or more tires off the ground as it goes over bumps. </font>
When I purchased my finish mower 13+ years ago it was rigid, but only because the dealer did not know what he was doing when he setup the mower. Once I burst a tire due to too much down pressure I realized that the geometry would work better if a couple of the arms could be adjusted. When I loosed those bolts I finally realized that the mfg deisgned the unit properly and it had lots of travel but the dealer in an effort to tighten all the bolts before delivery tightened bolts that were supposed to be loose to allow the top of the A frame to rotate forwards and backwards, thus reducing the stress on tires.
glennmac
Veteran Member
Re: Toplink vs Chain on bush-hog attachment
There is a lot of trickiness in hooking up these 3ph mowers. That is why we keep having these same problems discussed over the years. Plus, some people might buy older or damaged or wrong-sized mowers, which makes the hook-up even trickier.
Spiker's situation keeps confusing me. I keep thinking: why should a 3ph finish mower not fit and work properly with the tractor's toplink? I mean, no one would buy that brand of mower if it wouldn't let the four wheels stay on the ground over normal terrain. And if that were the only mower I had, I too would use the chain link. However, just wonder if Spiker's mower situation isn't caused by one or more of the following:
1. Something is installed wrong, or maladjusted, or just plain missing on the mower. Dave is suggesting this type of scenario.
2. The PTO shaft is the wrong length. Sometimes they have to be shortened (usually) or perhaps even lengthened (if bought used) to get the fit geometry right.
3. The toplink on the tractor is too short. Maybe it's not the original toplink, e.g.
Going off on a different tangent, Spiker's post makes me wonder what the difference is between using a chain for a toplink vs. using nothing at all. I suppose a chain would limit the ability of the back of the mower to jackknife too far downward. But when would that be a practical problem? (Backing over a cliff edge perhaps.)
There is a lot of trickiness in hooking up these 3ph mowers. That is why we keep having these same problems discussed over the years. Plus, some people might buy older or damaged or wrong-sized mowers, which makes the hook-up even trickier.
Spiker's situation keeps confusing me. I keep thinking: why should a 3ph finish mower not fit and work properly with the tractor's toplink? I mean, no one would buy that brand of mower if it wouldn't let the four wheels stay on the ground over normal terrain. And if that were the only mower I had, I too would use the chain link. However, just wonder if Spiker's mower situation isn't caused by one or more of the following:
1. Something is installed wrong, or maladjusted, or just plain missing on the mower. Dave is suggesting this type of scenario.
2. The PTO shaft is the wrong length. Sometimes they have to be shortened (usually) or perhaps even lengthened (if bought used) to get the fit geometry right.
3. The toplink on the tractor is too short. Maybe it's not the original toplink, e.g.
Going off on a different tangent, Spiker's post makes me wonder what the difference is between using a chain for a toplink vs. using nothing at all. I suppose a chain would limit the ability of the back of the mower to jackknife too far downward. But when would that be a practical problem? (Backing over a cliff edge perhaps.)
normde2001
Elite Member
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2002
- Messages
- 4,163
Re: Toplink vs Chain on bush-hog attachment
"I suppose a chain would limit the ability of the back of the mower to jackknife too far downward. But when would that be a practical problem? (Backing over a cliff edge perhaps.)"
IT would be a major problem if the driveshaft over-extends and separates.
"I suppose a chain would limit the ability of the back of the mower to jackknife too far downward. But when would that be a practical problem? (Backing over a cliff edge perhaps.)"
IT would be a major problem if the driveshaft over-extends and separates.
SPIKER
Elite Member
Re: Toplink vs Chain on bush-hog attachment
I'll post a picture of mine, on the attached. It is all factory stuff though on the low end scale. it is an import tractor which works great, (JINMA) and if I had to do it over again I wouldn't get the import mower, though the tiller works great. pto shaft length is good, and does not bind up or down when lifted using the top link or when lowered and over the old poor land scalping I have. I use it to maintain "Farm Grass" and it does work well and will be getting my brush cutter later this week I hope (international brand) nice heavy unit...
my biggest problem is i'm mowing old fields that have dead furrows in them... and have to cut across them many times. that is how I messed up one wheel already, and since I've stopped using the top link when mowing (use it for transporting only) I haven't done much more than scarf up a bit of ground, I lift the front wheels up when traversing across the dead furrows and the high/lows which works well. (Not 100% sure they are dead furrows could be something else but really looks like they are DF)
Now perhaps you can't see the set up in the photo but it doesn't have any adjustment to it even if the lift arms were left loose. I've got other photos at the following site.
Mark M photos of the place
I'll post a picture of mine, on the attached. It is all factory stuff though on the low end scale. it is an import tractor which works great, (JINMA) and if I had to do it over again I wouldn't get the import mower, though the tiller works great. pto shaft length is good, and does not bind up or down when lifted using the top link or when lowered and over the old poor land scalping I have. I use it to maintain "Farm Grass" and it does work well and will be getting my brush cutter later this week I hope (international brand) nice heavy unit...
my biggest problem is i'm mowing old fields that have dead furrows in them... and have to cut across them many times. that is how I messed up one wheel already, and since I've stopped using the top link when mowing (use it for transporting only) I haven't done much more than scarf up a bit of ground, I lift the front wheels up when traversing across the dead furrows and the high/lows which works well. (Not 100% sure they are dead furrows could be something else but really looks like they are DF)
Now perhaps you can't see the set up in the photo but it doesn't have any adjustment to it even if the lift arms were left loose. I've got other photos at the following site.
Mark M photos of the place
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DennisArrow
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2003
- Messages
- 766
- Location
- Sugar Valley, Ga
- Tractor
- Iseki TL 2300, Kubota RTV, Kubota B7610
Re: Toplink vs Chain on bush-hog attachment
ok........got rid of the top link and am using a chain........again a loop of chain through the pin on the tractor and back to the mower where the top link would be.........the problem now is adjustment..........
I have the chain where it will tighten up just at the point where the rear wheel is gonna lift.........lolol.....or is this just the point where I have it tightened?...........
the problem is......when going down hill.....15-25 degree slope......the front edge of the mower doesnt catch irregularities........but when going up hill it catches and causes the rear wheels to dig in.........then as I raise the mower to get loose the front wheels of the tractor come off the ground a bit.........to say the least a bit of scary......
should I loosen up the chain a bit so that the mower comes up on the front edge before it tightens up and raises the whole mower itself?............thanks.....Dennis
ok........got rid of the top link and am using a chain........again a loop of chain through the pin on the tractor and back to the mower where the top link would be.........the problem now is adjustment..........
I have the chain where it will tighten up just at the point where the rear wheel is gonna lift.........lolol.....or is this just the point where I have it tightened?...........
the problem is......when going down hill.....15-25 degree slope......the front edge of the mower doesnt catch irregularities........but when going up hill it catches and causes the rear wheels to dig in.........then as I raise the mower to get loose the front wheels of the tractor come off the ground a bit.........to say the least a bit of scary......
should I loosen up the chain a bit so that the mower comes up on the front edge before it tightens up and raises the whole mower itself?............thanks.....Dennis
SPIKER
Elite Member
Re: Toplink vs Chain on bush-hog attachment
hey all:
sorry the link was broken and it won't let me edit it. here is better one..
<font color="blue"> tractor info </font>
mark /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
hey all:
sorry the link was broken and it won't let me edit it. here is better one..
<font color="blue"> tractor info </font>
mark /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
