3pt hitch drops too fast? 2004/2425

Garycw · Sep 23, 2014

Just got a farm pro 2425 and still sorting things out. I've noticed the 3pt hitch that has a 500 lb bush hog attached tries to slam down when handle lowered. I can ease it down if I lightly ease handle. The hitch seems to go up extra high when lifted and throttle recede up. I've seen the knob under seat, but looks like it's down tight. Is there anything else to check or is this normal?

Affordable · Sep 23, 2014

The knob between your legs controls that drop speed, you need to look real close there is a set screw with a little flat screwdriver slot that you must loosen first, make sure the implement is on the ground and DO NOT TURN IT COMPLETELY CLOSED, or you will have to relieve the weight to get it to drop, just start closing it off a little at a time, when you get it where you want it, re-tighten the set screw

Tommy
Affordable Tractor Sales
"Your Jinma Parts Superstore"
Home of compact Jinma, Foton, and Koyker Tractors and Parts, Wood Chippers, Backhoes - Affordable Tractor Sales Company

Garycw · Sep 23, 2014

Thanks tommy. Sounds simple now. I saw the small hole in knob but didn't know it was set screw. That explains why knob felt frozen in place

Affordable · Sep 23, 2014

Its not in the knob, look at the flat plate that that rod screws into that's where the set screw is

Tommy
Affordable Tractor Sales
"Your Jinma Parts Superstore"
Home of compact Jinma, Foton, and Koyker Tractors and Parts, Wood Chippers, Backhoes - Affordable Tractor Sales Company

Garycw · Sep 23, 2014

Ok thanks. Hope that helps. Kinda scary for it to slam down.

RonMar · Sep 23, 2014

On mine that setscrew dosn't lock the valve in place. It is in a recessed area in the shaft. I think it is there to keep you from unscrewing the knob too far and getting a hydraulic oil enema

Like he said, adjust it slowly/a little at a time. The pointed head at the other end of the shaft is pinned into a slot in the shaft so it can move up and down. The oil going to the 3PH comes up from the bottom and flows around the head, pushing the head up and out of the way so the lift will lift a heavy impliment at full speed. When you lower the 3PH the fluid flows back down alongside the head and pulls it to the more flow restrictive position to slow the fall of that heavy impliment. Too tight, and it will act like a checkvalve and stop the flow out of the 3PH. The 3PH will go up, but it won't go down. And once it is like this with a load on it, it hydraulic pressure from the weight of the impliment hanging on the hitch pushing down on that head locks that knob so you cannot unscrew it. Like Tommy said, It will stay there untill you get the weight off of the hitch. I have a bank on my property that I use when I am setting the valve for the brushhog, I go over and do it near the bank so I can unload the hitch if I screw the valve in/down too far

Garycw · Sep 23, 2014

Thanks Ron for the advice & tip. I'm assuming that turning clockwise refuses the back flow, & lets the hitch drop slower. This bush hog is 400 lb. As well as a box blade that may be on it too. I'll try to find a happy medium so if o use a lighter implement like seeder, (125 lb) it will still go down.

RonMar · Sep 24, 2014

You are correct, clockwise screws the tip down into the body and makes the return flow more restrictive.

Does your tractor have a female quick connect fitting on the right side pointing to the rear? Some(like mine) do. If you have that fitting, the way you send pressure to it is to screw the speed reg in all the way till tight. The common belief is that the single fitting is for a dump trailer. With the speed reg closed, the 3PH control will raise and lower(pressure up-gravity down) a single acting cylinder attached to that fitting just like the 3PH...

Garycw · Sep 29, 2014

I found the set screw. Wow it's small. I had a screwdriver thy fit , but started to strip head. I've got some gunsmith drivers I'll give a try after some PB blaster on it. It drops just about right with nothing on it.

cleat · Sep 30, 2014

I have never adjusted my drop speed, it is set all the way open. I just am very careful when moving the lift lever and lower loads slowly that way.

Cleat

Ricks284 · Feb 27, 2016

Garycw said:
I found the set screw. Wow it's small. I had a screwdriver thy fit , but started to strip head. I've got some gunsmith drivers I'll give a try after some PB blaster on it. It drops just about right with nothing on it.

Old thread, but I just had this same problem.

Gary - were you able to get that set screw out (or did it strip completely, like mine did)? Screw extractor didn't work on mine, so I think some water must have gotten in there at some point. I ended up drilling out the set screw and chasing the threads with a 5mm tap.

RonMar said:
On mine that setscrew dosn't lock the valve in place. It is in a recessed area in the shaft. I think it is there to keep you from unscrewing the knob too far and getting a hydraulic oil enema

Ron - I think you're right about it not locking the handle/shaft in place like a normal set screw. When I removed the handle and shaft, it didn't look like the set screw had ever touched the shaft itself (no scoring or marks on the shaft at all).

Has anyone removed that set screw and replaced it with a small bolt? I was going to call Tommy and order a new set screw, but I'm thinking a bolt would be easier to remove if it gets rusted again. I think it's a standard bolt size: 5mm/0.8mm pitch. If I don't need to use it like a regular set screw, then I won't crank it down tight onto the shaft. My plan is to use a long bolt with a lock nut on it to set the right depth. Any better ideas?

Thanks,

Garycw · Feb 27, 2016

Ricks284 said:
Old thread, but I just had this same problem. Gary - were you able to get that set screw out (or did it strip completely, like mine did)? Screw extractor didn't work on mine, so I think some water must have gotten in there at some point. I ended up drilling out the set screw and chasing the threads with a 5mm tap. Ron - I think you're right about it not locking the handle/shaft in place like a normal set screw. When I removed the handle and shaft, it didn't look like the set screw had ever touched the shaft itself (no scoring or marks on the shaft at all). Has anyone removed that set screw and replaced it with a small bolt? I was going to call Tommy and order a new set screw, but I'm thinking a bolt would be easier to remove if it gets rusted again. I think it's a standard bolt size: 5mm/0.8mm pitch. If I don't need to use it like a regular set screw, then I won't crank it down tight onto the shaft. My plan is to use a long bolt with a lock nut on it to set the right depth. Any better ideas? Thanks,

No I didn't get screw to turn. I was just careful when lowering, being careful to ease lever down slowly.

Ricks284 · Mar 1, 2016

Garycw said:
No I didn't get screw to turn. I was just careful when lowering, being careful to ease lever down slowly.

Thanks Gary. I do the same thing, especially since it's been really hard to adjust. But now that I've replaced the set screw, I'm hoping my adjustment knob will be a lot easier to turn.

Ricks284 · Apr 7, 2016

I wanted to report back on the results of replacing the set screw with a hex bolt. It's a lot easier to adjust the knob and I now have confidence that the hex bolt is in the perfect position -- because I can look down and see the distance from the bolt head to the knob housing. I added an extra nut to the hex bolt in order to make sure the bolt doesn't back out with vibration.

When the 3pt hitch is loaded, it's almost impossible to adjust the knob, but once the pressure is released, it's very easy to adjust.

Garycw · Apr 7, 2016

Good deal. I just learned to live with mine controlling the drop with lever handle.

rider10099 · Apr 9, 2016

Do you know the size of the bolt you used?

Ricks284 · Apr 10, 2016

rider10099 said:
Do you know the size of the bolt you used?

The bolt size is M5 x 0.8mm pitch. At first I used a long bolt (20mm) with a stop nut threaded onto it, but it looked like it was sticking out too far.

I switched to a short bolt (13mm) and used a thin washer and a lock washer to get the depth setting just right. The collar of the adjustment knob shaft is only about 2mm thick, so it's important to get the end of the bolt to engage that collar solidly. But the bolt shouldn't be so tight that it keeps the knob from turning.

Clear as mud?