Fit Rite vs HayTools Hydraulic Top Links

[Piney Woods Rooter]

I'm currently looking at hydraulic top links from Fit Rite and Haytools. Is either one substantially better than the other? I see a lot of recommendations for Brian at Fit Rite but I don't feel like waiting 20 weeks if I don't need to.
Thanks,
PWR

 

[countrybumpkin]

You can also look at surplus center, they have them also. I bought mine from there three years ago and have had no issues with it.

 

[LD1]

Single biggest difference is haytools ONLY sells cylinders with DPCV's.

These prevent a crappy valve from causing drift, but dont address the creep/drift issue if the cylinder seals fail or if its a crappy cylinder to begin with. And most notably, it will NOT allow you to use a float valve with their cylinders.

quality valves and quality cylinders are better, Still might drift some, but nothing like poor quality components will.

So you need to decide what is most important.....position holding or ability to float.

 

[blackdog2086]

I can't speak to the Haytools cylinder, but I have a Fit Rite top link on my 5115M and it's really a great piece of equipment. As soon as I install some rear remotes on my smaller tractor, I'm going to get both a top and tilt from Brian.

 

[Piney Woods Rooter]

Single biggest difference is haytools ONLY sells cylinders with DPCV's.

These prevent a crappy valve from causing drift, but dont address the creep/drift issue if the cylinder seals fail or if its a crappy cylinder to begin with. And most notably, it will NOT allow you to use a float valve with their cylinders.

quality valves and quality cylinders are better, Still might drift some, but nothing like poor quality components will.

Are you saying that the cylinders from Fit Rite are better quality than those from Haytools?

So you need to decide what is most important.....position holding or ability to float.

How important is it to be able to float a three-point attachment? I can't float with my current top link and can't recall an occasion when I might have benefited from it. My tractor does have draft control at the lifting arms though.

EDIT: I just read Brian's tutorials regarding float and check valves and can see that float could be a pretty good thing and check valves may not be necessary at all.

 

[LD1]

Glad you read his tutorial.

Cannot speak to the quality of either, I made my own.

Float is nice sometimes in a sidelink when bladib and you want to follow a crown.

For the toplink, most modern stuff that needs to float has a swinging clevis mount for toplink, or gains, or similar. Think like mowers and brushhogs and such.

Some old mowers, or newer cheap ones don't have this. Have you ever seen a rotary cutter with the diagonal braces going from toplink to deck buckeled and bent.....a floating toplink solves this.

And even with a swinging clevis....sometimes it's a PITA with a quick hitch....and it's easier to go back to rigid on the implement and let the cylinder handle the float.

 

[Ford850]

You will need valves that float in order to take advantage of that function with the cylinders. In my case, I don't have that option but I still bought top and tilt from Brian and I'm glad I did. His service was exceptional.

 

[Piney Woods Rooter]

Have you ever seen a rotary cutter with the diagonal braces going from toplink to deck buckeled and bent.....a floating toplink solves this.

I thought that keeping "certain people" off the tractor prevented buckled and bent braces (and other parts)! LOL

 

[Piney Woods Rooter]

You will need valves that float in order to take advantage of that function with the cylinders. In my case, I don't have that option but I still bought top and tilt from Brian and I'm glad I did. His service was exceptional.

This is what my shop manual says:

A double acting detent type secondary control valve is used. When the secondary control valve operating lever is moved to the implement cylinder actuating position, the spool is moved and the oil from the pump port flows through A to B, causing the implement cylinder to operate.

The return oil from the implement cylinder flows out of the tank port through A to B and returns to the transmission case.

This special non-return type ensures that oil under pressure is held where necessary. This guarantees that implements will be held at a steady height with no chance of lowering.

Looks like my control valves won't allow floating.

Would this be considered a closed center system?

 

[countrybumpkin]

If you do buy a cylinder with the check valve like the ones from haytools or surplus center, you can remove them and use them with out the check valve if you chose to.