3 pt. tiller hookup... frustrating

[Pirwin21]

So I finally received delivery on my L3400 over the weekend and have enjoyed putting a few hours on brush hogging. Then this evening I decided it was time to switch over to the 6' Befco tiller to turn under the garden and start to mix in manure. However when I tried to hook up the tiller, the lower arms just wouldn't move in towards the pins enough to lock on. I am admittedly a novice when it comes to tractors, but am I doing something wrong? Or do I need to adjust something. Again. any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[miker2702]

on my bx i often feel as beat up as the ground when hooking up the
tiller. i have no level ground, the arms are so short its a very tight
fit at the pto so often its a battle. im sure most have no problems,
i have thought of a quick change but im tight im still fairly young so
i will hold out.

 

[ChuckinNH]

I'm pretty new to 3pt attachments too, but here are a couple of things I've learned so far. I took a 1" x2" board, and cut notches in it to keep the lower arms spread wider than the implement. Sometimes you have to loosen the check chains all the way for this. The other thing I learned is that if you lower the 3pt below the implement pins you can easily lift the arms into alignment. Taking extra time to get the tractor aligned as well as possible is a lot easier than horsing the implement around too. It will come easier as you do it, and I've found that there is some benefit in looking the situation over more carefully as I get older. Some implements I have found that I can kind of straddle the PTO shaft, and be in a much better position to slide it on while holding back the collar. Leverage is your friend, and I keep a steel bar to help encourage things apart, or together.

 

[framer]

A quick hitch would solve most of that frustration of hooking up tillers.You mayhave to make a few pin modifications after that its easy on and off.Good luck Framer.

 

[savageactor7]

Don't get frustrated Pirwin21 you'll figure it out.

Sometimes a spud bar comes in handy to budge bulky things into place carefully. You'll get it on soon but come up with a plan for blocking it up when you decide to take it off.

On our brush hog it was simply a matter to rest it on 2 cedar fence posts for an easier/quicker hook up.

 

[WayneB]

So I finally received delivery on my L3400 over the weekend and have enjoyed putting a few hours on brush hogging. Then this evening I decided it was time to switch over to the 6' Befco tiller to turn under the garden and start to mix in manure. However when I tried to hook up the tiller, the lower arms just wouldn't move in towards the pins enough to lock on. I am admittedly a novice when it comes to tractors, but am I doing something wrong? Or do I need to adjust something. Again. any help is greatly appreciated!

On each arm there should be an adjustment turnbuckle, on my tractor it is a square fitting with a nut on each end. As you turn it right or left it will increase or decrease the amount of travel of the arms.

This is also used to align the tiller to the right or left behind the tractor.

 

[Egon]

the lower arms just wouldn't move in toward the pins enough to lock on.

As per the other fellows. Check out the check chains. Sometimes it is easiest to pull a pin on each one and leave the lift arms free to move. This can make life a lot easier when hooking it up. After the tiller is all hooked up reinstall the check chains and make sure you have the tiller tracking properly for you.

A small lining bar may be of some use for the pin holes[depending on design] as well as a larger piece of pipe that can be use to bar the tiller around a bit.

When parking the tiller support it on blocks set under the skid plates on either side. Make sure these are high enough that no tines will hit the ground.

 

[Pirwin21]

I'm thinking it might be easiest to get the tiller on would be to pull the pins on the check chains and then put them back on. Although, do you think it will be that easy to put the check chains back and line up the little pin while there's a tiller hooked up afterwards?

 

[ttstraw]

I found that by changing the hitch pins on the tiller so the face in made things a lot easier for me, your lift arms most likely want to swing in so it made it easy to back in and not have to worry about speading the darn things. I now just center the tractor, lower the arms as low as they go and back in....lift up by hand and pull the arms on to the pins. But I will say the tiller is the worst thing to hook up of anything I have.

Tom

 

[Pirwin21]

The problem that I have had isn't keeping the arms apart, rather it's getting them together enough to slide over both pins.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

These 3ph quick attaches make hooking up implements alot easier. Pat's and the no name ebay ones. Best money I've spent on tractoring add ons. Some people drop implements on roll carts which are great if you have a concrete floor to roll them on, I don't. Always drop implement on flat and level spot. Last week I helped neighbor attach the Kubota tiller he bought from me. Had to unhook it (he had arms attached but couldn't get drive shaft in) and install drive shaft first then attach arms. Also a strong helper is good but 3ph QA with roll cart makes it almost easy.

 

[jas67]

A hard, flat surface (like a concrete slab) and a couple of these:

makes changing 3PH implements MUCH easier. It also makes it easy to move them once they are off the tractor.

You can probably use a piece of 3/4" plywood if you don't have a concrete slab.

I keep all my implements on these dollies. My tiller actually sits on a pallet that is then on these dollies.

Also, telescoping stays instead of check chains make life easier too.

 

[Window Geek]

My tiller works great on my HF quick hitch. I didn't have to cut down the PTO shaft and the connection is simple. I had a little grinding to do on the quick hitch bottom hooks so they wouldn't jamb between the pin and frame. Usually, when I can't get the bottom hooks to reach far enough, I make sure that the top hook isn't too far out. I know that sounds way too simple, but if you get the top hook to engage just before the bottom hooks slide up to the pins and then LIFT with the 3 pt hitch, the tiller will swing and drop into place. (Use the top link to bring the top hook closer or farther away from your tiller.) My shaft will hook up after the connection is made and help avoid dropping the split, greased shaft in the dirt. That NEVER happens!


Paul

 

[westbrooklawn]

Your L3400 should have a turnbuckle arrangement on each lift arm... loosen the locknut at the end of the turnbuckles and turn the turnbuckles in a the direction that pulls the lift arms closer together. Experiment and you will see how it works. when you have the lift arms in the position you need them, tighen the locknut back up at the turnbuckle.

 

[Pirwin21]

Thanks for all the helpful insight. When I got home from work yesterday, I ended up pulling the pin from the check chain that has the turnbuckle on it. The tiller ended up going on relatively easily after that. Adjusted the turnbuckle and then replaced the pin and I was in business. Thanks for all the input!

 

[columbian]

I just spent about an hour and a half hooking up my tiller, moving it a dozen feet, unhooking it, then hooking up the box scraper. By then it was too late to do the work I wanted to do. What a waste.

All the while I'm cussing and wondering what in the world I'm missing. It can't be this hard.

then I come here and see other guys having the same problem. feels slightly better.

But:

What's a spud bar?

I don't get how one guy does not have a problem with the arms going in. that's problem #1 with me. Is there some say of holding them out to the width of the tiller/box scraper hitch brackets (of whatever they're called . . .the things I put the ends of my pto arms into)? I try to keep those things as tightened down as possible and don't like loosening and tightening them each time I hook up.

Or do guys put those brackets the same distance apart as the pto arms naturally sit? That seems really close and unstable . . .?

Does anyone have a sequence on how they hook up that works? Do you put the top pto arm on first or last?

How about the PTO drive shaft?

Do you usually have to lengthen and shorten the top arm from hooking-up length to work length?

Seems like a whole lot of fiddle-farting around, just to go from mowing to tilliing to scraping.

Are some of you suggesting I loosen the implement

 

[Egon]

What's a spud bar?

Pry bar

 

[savageactor7]

Ours is almost 6' long and has come in handy over the years.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I don't get how one guy does not have a problem with the arms going in. I don't have a problem with that because I use the 3ph quick attach, it just lifts up under the implement pins. that's problem #1 with me. Is there some say of holding them out to the width of the tiller/box scraper hitch brackets (of whatever they're called . . .the things I put the ends of my pto arms into)? I used a piece of tree limb yesterday until my wife showed up and helped me. You can cut a board or pvc pipe to proper width for each implement then notch it to fit over arm and stay in place.I try to keep those things as tightened down as possible (I don't keep mine tightened down as tight as possible so I have no problem with this)and don't like loosening and tightening them each time I hook up.

Or do guys put those brackets the same distance apart as the pto arms naturally sit? That seems really close and unstable . . .?

Does anyone have a sequence on how they hook up that works? Do you put the top pto arm on first or last? I hook drive shaft first, then lower arms, then top arm.

How about the PTO drive shaft?

Do you usually have to lengthen and shorten the top arm from hooking-up length to work length? Often times you do. Depends on implement.

Seems like a whole lot of fiddle-farting around, just to go from mowing to tilliing to scraping. Your right, it is. Buy 2 more tractors and that makes it easier.

Are some of you suggesting I loosen the implement Don't know what you mean here.

Looks like you need to order a set of 3ph quick attachs.

 

[back2earth]

Seems like this would make for a useful Youtube clip if anyone is so inclined

I've been comparing the L2800 and the CK27 and have wondered if the telescoping vs. non-telescoping 3PH setup should sway me one way or the other.