Should limited hyd. top link range be biased to longer or shorter?

[jjeff]

Thanks again. Unfortunately both locations where I can attach the top link to the mower are slotted on the mower. They claim they slot them for "float", but I thought a 3 point hitch was floating by nature anyway (when all the way down).

Weight of implement is only three point implement down pressure in my tractors I do use draft control when mowing and not the traditional up down tph control. On a older rotary mower I use I've had good results using my hydraulic top link tilting the deck slightly back cuz it helps prevent the sides of deck from digging in the field and the blades digging up soil.

 

[scootr]

Thank you sir. By "downward", do you mean tilted like my photo, or the opposite way?

Tilt refers the the rear of the box. 90% of the box work is done moving forward hence the box would be flat to cut or rip if equipped and tilted back to smooth

 

[jjeff]

2 pages already, wow. I installed some Pat's EZ Hitch adapters, at the same time I installed a hydraulic top link. I measured and the Pats moved the pins back 4 inches, so I bought a longer top link than my stock one. I found that is isn't a 1:1 ratio regarding the top link, and I could barely pick up my landscape rack high enough to clear things, so I sold the new longer hydraulic top link and ordered one with the same stroke as the stock manual one. 2 years later, no issues. So for me, stock length, or slightly shorter would be fine.

I moved pats to my 2850 when I got a quick hitch for my 4150 made my hydraulic top link on the 2850 less useful cuz it was to short for what I needed it to do on certain implements so I added an extension on implements that needed it to make them useful to me again.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

All I know is that fully retracted or extended, my HYD top link far exceeds what my implements would require. Your photo looks as if you really don’t want to sacrifice fully extended length for your flail at all. Nobody really ever uses fully retracted positions of their top link. Ive never seen it

 

[WinterDeere]

The issue with basing your operating range on the OEM manual top link is that about 50% of the top links provided by the OEM are WRONG.

Yep... that's what I was saying, way back in post #4:

...not trusting the OEM or dealer really put such effort into selecting the original.

FWIW, the implement for which I've used the most top link "range" is my 3-point pallet forks. All sorts of articulation required to get under and through things you're picking up, with those. These are very handy when the thing you're lifting is a little too heavy for FEL-mounted forks.

 

[jjeff]

All I know is that fully retracted or extended, my HYD top link far exceeds what my implements would require. Your photo looks as if you really don’t want to sacrifice fully extended length for your flail at all. Nobody really ever uses fully retracted positions of their top link. Ive never seen it

I had to hence my crude but functional implement extension

 

[AnotherBueller]

Would have loved top and tilt but my tractor only has two rear valves, and I need one for the hydraulic shift on my mower! Maybe some day I'll add the electronic diverter ($$$) to get 3.

Contact Brian@ fitrite hydraulics. I would bet he can tell you how to make your system work with a top N tilt setup, maybe a diverter valve. Brian will know. Bought my Top n Tilt kit from him, great kit.

 

[WinterDeere]

Would have loved top and tilt but my tractor only has two rear valves, and I need one for the hydraulic shift on my mower! Maybe some day I'll add the electronic diverter ($$$) to get 3.

I just skipped the tilt. Not much use for that, in my applications, anyway. But the hydraulic top link is endlessly useful.

If I were you, I'd keep one of your two rear remotes for the mower, the other for hydraulic top link.

 

[David in KY]

One more consideration:

If you ever replace the 3PH lower balls with Euro style hooks, you might want to bias towards a longer top link. The body of the hooks is about an inch and a half longer than the ball section it replaces.

 

[jjeff]

I just skipped the tilt. Not much use for that, in my applications, anyway. But the hydraulic top link is endlessly useful.

If I were you, I'd keep one of your two rear remotes for the mower, the other for hydraulic top link.

A hydraulic top link also works great using it on a quick hitch to hook implements for me anyway.

 

[scootr]

Tilt is just as useful as lift on a scraper box when grading a road and in some mowing and raking jobs in my opinion. Need to cut a drainage ditch? You'll need lots of tilt.
I wouldn't be without it

 

[MaxLee]

I been researching this for a while now. I have a ck2620 with Pats QA whichs adds just shy of 4" on to 3pt. I did what others provided links to on here and measure what each C to C for each attachment is. They are all in the 25" +/- range. I also shortened and extended the OEM , which was 18 to 30. I am going to go with the 21 to 32" only because of the extra length of 3pt using Pats QA. I read many post where guys with the CK series are using the shorter one with no issues but they don't have a QA on the 3pt.

 

[skipmarcy]

I was fortunate to have most of the implements I would ever need/own 20 years ago when I did my hyd.toplink and the most important to me then and ever since was my boxblade. It requires the most constant adjustment when in use. I put it on the ground nice & level while hooked to the lower arms (std cat 1 swivel eyes) and measured hole to hole the length I would want with the cylinder in mid-stroke.

Back then there weren't many places to buy a ready-made toplink at affordable prices so I bought a clevis cylinder from Surplus Center that was just a little longer than what I needed when extended and bought a weld-on swivel eye from TSC for about $8. I extended the rod out as far as it would go, measured & cut the clevis/rod off BY HAND with a hacksaw, then soaked a bath towel with water and wrapped the exposed cyl rod and welded the swivel eye on the end of the rod.

That toplink has worked very well with all of my implements, will raise the rear of my bushog high enough to sharpen blades etc - my cutter has the slotted toplink. When I built the toplink I also added a Prince pilot-op check valve and as my hydraulic controls on the tractor have aged that check valve keeps the setting where you want it. Now if I ever had wanted to add a quick hitch of some kind (I don't) I would have had to change cylinders as of course mine is custom to my cat 1 hitch. Was about the best and most useful thing I ever did to my tractor.

 

[WinterDeere]

Tilt is just as useful as lift on a scraper box when grading a road and in some mowing and raking jobs in my opinion. Need to cut a drainage ditch? You'll need lots of tilt.
I wouldn't be without it

Definitely, and I wasn't implying there aren't a few applications where tilt is every bit as top. I was just saying that for my own applications, and probably those of many or most CUT owners, a top link is going to see much more frequent use than tilt. Even before the hydraulic top link, it seemed I was turning that top turnbuckle a few times per day, versus a few times per year for the tilt link.

 

[braccet]

Just wanted to follow up and let folks know how it went, including future Google searchers

Got my box blade and hooked it up. Seems like the 18-26 cylinder is just about the perfect range. Attaching shots at each extreme at ground level. Think I’ll get good range out of the box blade.

I am having a slight issue with the cylinder stuttering a little, maybe my RPMs just need to be a little higher.

 

[WinterDeere]

I am having a slight issue with the cylinder stuttering a little, maybe my RPMs just need to be a little higher.

Proportional control, or bang-bang solenoid? Could there be air in the system? Do you have a restrictor fitting or valve in that line?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Just wanted to follow up and let folks know how it went, including future Google searchers

Got my box blade and hooked it up. Seems like the 18-26 cylinder is just about the perfect range. Attaching shots at each extreme at ground level. Think I’ll get good range out of the box blade.

I am having a slight issue with the cylinder stuttering a little, maybe my RPMs just need to be a little higher.

A set of flow restrictors usually takes care of the shuttering issue.

 

[WinterDeere]

A set of flow restrictors usually takes care of the shuttering issue.

I’ve only ever run one restrictor in a loop. Figured a pair might create more issues, as they’d be at slightly different dynamic pressures. Sort of like a circuit with two time constants too close to one another, the resonators beat against one-another.

 

[braccet]

I don’t have a restrictor or even know what one is! I just plugged it directly into the rear remotes on my Kioti.

None of the Amazon reviews on the cylinder mention any issue so I’m thinking it might be air? I did swap the lines (at the quick disconnects) a few times to figure out which “way” I liked better on the control. How would I go about getting the air out?

The seller did offer to swap it out which is nice, I’ll do that if it doesn’t work itself out.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I’ve only ever run one restrictor in a loop. Figured a pair might create more issues, as they’d be at slightly different dynamic pressures. Sort of like a circuit with two time constants too close to one another, the resonators beat against one-another.

I made my own flow restricters and used one in each line. I used the smallest drill bit I had had it's still a bit fast. There has been no problems with the cylinder "resonating". Just a smooth slightly fast extension and retraction.