When do you let the 3ph stabilizers float?

[kwolfe]

Yes, you are talking about the sway linkage. The other guys are talking about leaving your 3pt in the float position.

I was under the impression that the linkage should always be fairly tight in order to keep you lower linkage hugging the draw pins on the implement. The only time I could see loosening is possibly when plowing. You may want to leave some play in the plow so it does not want to move the rear of the tractor around so much. However I don't think this would be an issue with a heavy tractor.

Just a thought.

 

[charlesw]

You may want to leave some play in the plow so it does not want to move the rear of the tractor around so much. However I don't think this would be an issue with a heavy tractor.

Interesting. But the brush hog is huge -that would surely move things (the back of the tractor) around a lot, too, no? Well, hmm. "Huge" meaning 1/6 the weight of the tractor. Well, that's still pretty big!

 

[Champy]

My 3-Point Hitch system




A - Lift Arms
B - Center Link Storage Hook
C - Non-Adjustable Lift Link
D - Sway Link
E - Draft Link
F - Center Link
G - Adjustable Lift Link

 

[charlesw]

Did you just run and make that image?

 

[charlesw]

Arrow pointing to mine...

 

[Champy]

Did you just run and make that image?

No - I got this picture out of the Owner's manual for my JD990

 

[kwolfe]

Arrow pointing to mine...

Sway Links.

 

[charlesw]

I figured Anyway... It doesn't look like you can let that slide. Hmm. Unless you unhook it altogether, or something like that. So JD is voting for leaving the pins in!

 

[RobS]

Hmmm, lots of similar words "floating" around. As I understand, there are two types of float and then there is sway.

Sway is the side-to-side motion of the tph and is controlled by check chains or sway links. I can't think of instances where sway is desirable, but differences in implement hitch width may force adjustments to be made.

Float is either the vertical motion of the implement on a tractor without downpressure (most of ours), or lateral float. I think this post is about the latter which may or may not be a feature on a particular tractor. Imagine a rear blade on your tractor, resting on the ground. Now lift one end. If the whole thing raises straight up, you have vertical float but not lateral float. If only the one end raises, you have lateral float (and probably vertical too). If neither raise, you have no float.

An aside, my 790 has lateral float as I described earlier but my neighbor has a newer 790 without it. I suspect it was "cost reduced" out. Too bad as I have really appreciated the feature.

 

[3RRL]

In this instance, although it is not wrong, "sideways play" may have been a better choice of words that "float", since many of us associate "float" with up and down and hydraulic stuff.
From the images posted, sway links = adjustable stabilizers (bars).
Some are chains, some are turnbuckle style, some are bars that slide into each other adjustable with holes and pins. Mine are like the last kind but on the other end of the bar (connected to the tractor axle) there is another pin that goes into a slot that lets that part slide about 1".

So no matter how tight I set the sway bars or stabilizer bars, there is always a little play from side to side. Therefore, I suppose this is important not only when using (working) the implement, but also when lifting or tilting the implement by the 3pt and tilting side links. So nothing breaks off if it is too tight. I say this because during those movements, there's got to be some play to allow it to move or tilt since all the connections are not from the same pivot point.